Operating a home childcare means staying flexible, especially when the materials run low, but the children’s curiosity runs high. Our outdoor days are filled with gardening and mud kitchen play, and lately, we ran out of mud specifically for their mud kitchen. Yes, completely.
coffee and magnolia in the mud kitchen
(And let me tell you—if you don’t offer a designated dig spot, children will create their own.)
Instead of saying no to play (I’ve worked hard to create a yes environment)—or watching them dig holes all over my backyard—I added used coffee grounds to the mud kitchen as a temporary fix. Magnolias are in bloom, so I also tossed a few into the mix, creating a beautiful tablescape play.
One child looked me in the eye and said:
“Miss Sue, you know mud kitchen is for mud… so if we don’t have mud, we’re going to dig.”
I couldn’t be mad. I just laughed and thanked her for the reminder.
She’s the same child in the video that says, “I have to tell my mom we used real coffee.”
So, for now, it’s coffee, flowers, and imagination. The scent? Heavenly. The sensory experience? Even better. My nature-loving kids scooped, poured, mixed, communicated, and created joyfully.
children playing in the mud kitchen
If you’re an educator wondering how this supports learning, here’s how:
- Creativity & Problem Solving – using new materials in unexpected ways
- Fine Motor Skills – scooping, stirring, pinching, pouring
- Measurement & Early Math – estimating, filling, transferring
- Collaboration & Communication – negotiating ideas and working together
- Sensory Exploration – engaging smell, touch, and sight
- Environmental Awareness – reusing natural materials like coffee grounds and magnolia petals
mud kitchen play
These moments align beautifully with the Illinois Early Learning Standards across science, physical development, and social-emotional growth.
See how the children used the coffee here
And to all my nature-based loving educators, yes—real mud will be restocked soon before the backyard becomes one giant excavation site.
Until next time, I am Miss Sue — your educator in the trenches with you, guiding you one small step at a time toward a big impact.
Explore my course offerings for home educators at www.edulallie.net
See our episode 15 of our blog – How the Children Made Process Art in the Field of Dandelions
