Mud kitchen play ideas :: use chalk!

Here’s a really simple and fun mud kitchen play idea: use chalk!

 

Mud kitchen play ideas :: use chalk!

I often find that a new material is a super spark for lots of play. It doesn’t even have to be a brand new material: sometimes just re-locating an item from one area to another is all that’s need to get new, imaginative ideas going.

We always have a pot of chalk hanging around in our garden classroom, but add in a kitchen grater and hey presto… the children discover they can use their chalks in a totally different way.

 

 

All of sudden we have new ingredients for our mud kitchen.

 

 

And they can develop a whole new range of delicious items for the garden cafe menu.

 

 

Mountain pie anyone? Blue surprise pudding? Pink star cake?

 

 

One super simple change can re-energise play.

There’ll be new words, discussions and conversations, colour mixing, pattern making, counting and sharing, a different way of looking at things, and a whole lot of play going on.

 

The value of loose parts play

‘Loose parts‘ simply means moveable materials that children can use in their play. They might be bought materials, upcycled from the recycling bin, or found natural objects.

They key thing is that there is no specific way to play with them, unlike for example an battery-operated toy that only does one thing when you press its button.

Loose parts are open-ended: open to children to choose, try, create and discover with.

There’s a printable loose parts poster here with lots of ideas for different items you could offer your children.

 

5 more ways to play with chalk outdoors

If you like using chalk as one of your loose parts, your children might like to try one of these ideas for outdoor play:

make homemade chalk paint

make coloured sand to fill your sand pit – this is grea combined with toy animals to make imaginary play lands

make chalk mandalas on the floor

try a nature treasure hunt

transform wooden blocks with chalkboard paint