The best wooden and outdoor mud kitchens for kids, tried and tested by parents
We've tried and tested a range of mud kitchens for children of all ages. Whether you're looking for something simple and sturdy or one with a water feature, we've got a mud kitchen for all budgets.
A mud kitchen is the perfect way to encourage pretend play and spark your child's imagination, all while keeping the mess firmly where it belongs: outside!
From luxury mud kitchens with running water to more simple mud kitchens for toddlers, there are some brilliant models on the market, and we've found some gems that also get the thumbs up from our community of parents and their families.
Why are mud kitchens good for children?
Although they can be something of an investment, the educational benefits of mud kitchens are extensive, encompassing early maths and science, problem-solving, social skills and more. The best ones will be worth the money, with a sturdy build that'll last for years if taken care of properly.
Most families invest in mud kitchens early on, but a good one will last for years: early years mud kitchens are now popular at primary schools, and they can easily be extended and improved on as your child grows with the addition of props and mud kitchen accessories. These needn't be expensive: your old kitchen pots and pans, tupperware, cutlery and old bottles and plastic tubs can all help add new play potential to the initial set-up but we've also included some items you can buy at the end of our list.
We've rounded up the very best mud kitchens for you below, but for even more outdoor fun, take a look at our pick of the best water play tables, best sand tables, best garden slides and best paddling pools.
Best mud kitchens at a glance
- Best mud kitchen with a double sink: Chad Valley Wooden Mud Kitchen, £100
- Best mud kitchen for little gardeners: Plum Discovery Mud Pie Kitchen, £299.99
- Best space-saving mud kitchen: TP Toys Deluxe Mud Kitchen Playhouse Accessory, £44.99
- Best personalised mud kitchen: Children's Wooden Outdoor Mud Kitchen, £425
- Best mud kitchen for large gardens: TP Toys Wooden Cubby Play House With Mud Kitchen, £180
- Best two-in-one mud kitchen: TP Splash & Play Wooden Picnic Table, £64.99
- Best mud kitchen for small gardens: Giant Bean Mud Kitchen, £99.99
- Best mud kitchen with a roof: Costway Mud Kitchen with Canopy, £109.95
- Best adaptable mud kitchen: TP Toys Deluxe Mud Kitchen, £99.99
Jump to:
What are the best mud kitchens for kids in 2025?
1. Chad Valley Wooden Mud Kitchen, £100
Best mud kitchen with a double sink
Available from: Argos
Age suitability: 3+ | Size: L53cm x W94cm x H105cm | Accessories: Yes | Assembly time: 1 to 2 hours
Pros:
- Sturdy frame
- Good size
- Great utensils
- Double sink, chalkboard and play hob
Cons:
- No water feature
- Needs a lot of weatherproofing
This outdoor kitchen is nice and sturdy and includes an oven that opens plus a stove with 4 imitation hot plates. It has 2 removable stainless steel sink bowls on the work station, which can be a real plus – either for siblings to have a bowl each or to keep mud/sand and water separate in different bowls.
It comes with a great set of utensils, including a ladle, whisk, slice and 3 pans, that can hang from hooks along the top, plus there's a chalkboard for you or your child to write or draw the day's specials on.
2. Plum Discovery Mud Pie Kitchen, £299.99
Best mud kitchen for little gardeners
Available from: Hamleys
Age suitability: 3+ | Size: L161 x W63 x H114 cm | Kind of wood used: Treated FSC-certified pine | Accessories: Yes | Assembly time: 3 hours
Pros:
- Sturdy frame
- Treated wood
- Generous size
- Great extra features
- Great utensils
Cons:
- Too big for many gardens
- No water feature
- No play oven
- No chalkboard
- Takes quite a while to assemble
This very large outdoor kitchen has 2 play hob rings, a removable brushed steel bowl sink and lots of shelves and storage. And, unusually for a mud kitchen, it also features a built-in planter (for planting and tending flowers or veg). On the back frame next to the shelves you'll also find an easy-clean painting screen for al fresco arty creations.
It comes with a bamboo wind chime, a generous set of pans and utensils, paintbrush holders, 7 paintbrushes and a fork, rake and trowel, but it's worth noting it doesn't have a play oven.
There are a lot of different pieces of wood but everything was really well labelled. It took me and my husband around 3 hours to assemble it. It was well worth it though, as both Edie and her younger brother absolutely love it!
3. TP Toys Deluxe Mud Kitchen Playhouse Accessory, £49.99
Best space-saving mud kitchen
Available from: TP Toys and Amazon
Age suitability: 3+ | Size: L36cm x W81cm x H56cm | Kind of wood used: Treated FSC-certified European timber | Accessories: Yes | Assembly time: 1-2 hours
Pros:
- Reasonably sturdy frame
- Treated wood
- Compact size
- Nice water feature
- Decent utensils
Cons:
- No oven
- No chalkboard
- Tricky to assemble
- Needs weatherproofing
This well-made mud kitchen counter is designed to attach to a fence, wall, shed or playhouse and is a great solution if you don't have the money or the space for a standalone mud kitchen in your garden. There’s no oven or shelf but there is a 1-ring play hob (though you have to apply the hob-ring stencil yourself) and a wide removable splash tub underneath an open-top water butt.
It comes with 3 pans and a whisk. Though the wood is pre-treated, it will need some weatherproofing. We did find it tricky to assemble, too: many of the wood pieces didn't have pre-drilled holes, and the bolts included to attach it to the fence (or whatever surface you choose) are quite short.
The water dispenser is definitely the biggest hit!
4. Children's Wooden Outdoor Mud Kitchen, £425
Best personalised mud kitchen
Available from: Not on the High Street and Happy Planet Toys
Age: 3+ | Size: L45cm x W100cm x H110cm | Kind of wood used: Locally sourced, treated reclaimed wood | Accessories: No | Assembly time: None
Pros:
- Very sturdy frame
- Treated wood
- Play hob, chalkboard with magnetic paint
- Lovely personalisation options
Cons:
- Price
- No water feature
- No utensils
This large, chunky mud kitchen is built to last, with ample room to grow with your child. All the main bases are covered: it has a play oven with opening door and peek-in window, a 4-ring play hob made from solid timber, a good-sized shelf and a generously-sized blackboard covered in magnetic chalk paint. There's also a big (30cm) stainless-steel sink for all that mud mixing.
It's hand-crafted and arrives fully assembled, making it a good option if you're not a fan of DIY (although you will need to allow at least 3 weeks for delivery).
A lovely touch is that you can personalise this with your child's name. You can also have it painted in 1 of 15 lovely colours, from Leafy Green to Happy Planet Blue.
5. TP Toys Hideaway Wooden Playhouse With Mud Kitchen, £349
Best mud kitchen for large gardens
Available from: TP Toys
Age: 3+ | Size: H146cm x W157cm x D95cm | Kind of wood used: FSC Certified | Accessories: Yes
Pros:
- Very sturdy frame
- Multi-purpose playhouse and mud kitchen
- Lots of space as your child grows
Cons:
- Too big for some gardens
- Self-assembly required
This impressive design doubles as both a mud kitchen and a wooden playhouse. The generously-sized hut has a pitched wooden roof, a window and a working door, so your child can spend hours treating it as a café, restaurant or clubhouse, with room inside to store and serve all those muddy creations.
The mud kitchen itself is attached to one side of the playhouse, and is actually the same design as the playhouse accessory featured above, with accessories like pots, pans and a whisk supplied, plus a good-sized sink for mixing and exploring mud.
The playhouse itself is made from FSC certified wood and has been designed to be easily assembled by an adult in around 2 hours.
6. TP Splash & Play Wooden Picnic Table, £69.99
Best two-in-one mud kitchen
Available from: TP Toys
Age: 2+ | Size: L94cm x W89cm x H50cm | Kind of wood used: FSC Certified | Accessories: No
Pros:
- Very sturdy frame
- Multi-purpose bench and mud kitchen
- Working tap
Cons:
- No kitchen space or accessories
If you're looking for something that acts as both a mud kitchen and a handy picnic / activity table, this is the one for you.
The most impressive feature is the working tap, which pumps out water from a reservoir below, before rotating to empty the sink. That means fewer refills are needed during play, although the pipes may get clogged if too much thick mud or leaves / plants are added. For this reason, to use this for mud play we'd suggest teaching your child to keep the sink for water only, and provide tubs, bowls, pots and pans in which to experiment with texture.
With a maximum weight limit of 50kg per seat, this is designed for children or very small adults only, but there's plenty of room for 4 small children to sit and play, snack or splash around.
7. Giant bean Mud Kitchen, £95.99
Best mud kitchen for small gardens
Available from: Amazon
Age: 3+ | Size: D35cm x W73cm x H92cm | Accessories: Utensils, pots, storage containers
Pros:
- Colourful design
- Lots of storage
- Blackboard sign
- Working tap
Cons:
- Quite small
- No oven
If you've already got lots of accessories and want a mud kitchen with plenty of storage, this one from Giant Bean may be right up your street, with storage baskets provided in addition to the large lower shelves, upper spice rack, and tool hooks.
Although it only comes with a few accessories of its own, the mud kitchen does have a working tap – although parents will need to keep filling the small reservoir above. Below this you'll find a big sink next to two hobs and a fun griddle feature that'll no doubt inspire some hilarious kebab creations.
The kitchen itself is made with solid pine that's been treated with an anti-rot coating. Although on the smaller side (depth-wise in particular) the space is used well and this is a great option if you have limited space.
8. Costway Mud Kitchen with Canopy, £109.95
Best mud kitchen with a roof
Available from: Amazon
Age: 3+ | Size: D43cm x W100cm x H125cm | Accessories: pans and hooks
Pros:
- Protective canopy
- Large size
- Lots of shelves
Cons:
- Plastic knobs
- Not many accessories
- Difficult to assemble
Made from a distinctive dark fir wood, this large mud kitchen with a built-in canopy definitely delivers in the looks department, and it also ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to functions too, with an oven, 4 toy hobs, a sink and a blackboard.
It's relatively low on extras, with just a couple of pans provided (plus some hooks to hang them on) but there's plenty of storage to add other items scavenged from around the house.
Parents do report that this is a tricky one to put together, but once assembled it looks smart, and the canopy helps protect the kitchen itself (and its small occupants) from the elements. That said, the fabric is polyester, and though the manufacturer claims it's sunproof and wear-resistant, it'll still need covering to help prolong its life.
9. TP Toys Deluxe Wooden Mud Kitchen, £99.99
Best adaptable mud kitchen
Available from: Amazon and Very
Age: 3+ | Size: D40cm x W96cm x H96cm | Accessories: Pans and whisk
Pros:
- Sliding cover for sink
- Working tap
- Sturdy build
Cons:
- Not many accessories
- Hobs are only printed on
As you've seen, TP toys really does offer everything when it comes to mud kitchens – from compact ones to huge playhouses. But if you're looking for a classic mud kitchen that'll last a while childhood, this is the one to go for.
With an oven and four hobs, a big lower shelf, multiple blackboard spaces and hooks for accessories, it delivers on all the basics. However, where the "deluxe" aspect comes in is with the sink/splash tub, which has a working tap and a sliding cover that creates more 'counter' space for mixing and playing.
It's made of quality FSC certified wood, but does require time and elbow grease for assembly.
10. Big Game Hunters Large Triple Mud Kitchen, £159.99
Best triple mud kitchen
Available from: Big Game Hunters (stock coming soon)
Age: 18 months+ | Size: L43cm x W111cm (extending to 143cm) x H91cm | Kind of wood used: Treated fir wood | Accessories: None | Assembly time: 4 hours
Pros:
- Very sturdy frame
- Treated wood
- Great water feature
- Water butt, play hob, chalkboard and extending worktop
Cons:
- May be too large for some gardens
- Long assembly time
- No utensils
This chunky design gives you a lot of mud kitchen for your money: it is quite wide already but extends even further when you slide the worktop out to the left to reveal the large plastic splashtub under the taps. This extension makes it easily large enough for 3 children to play comfortably alongside each other, so it is great for siblings and playdates.
There is also an oven with opening door and peek-through window, a 4-ring hob with turning knobs, a chalkboard, a cupboard and shelves, but there are no utensils included so you'll need to find those yourself.
How to choose a mud kitchen
When picking out a mud kitchen for your child(ren) here's what you should consider:
- How big is it? – Mud kitchens can really vary when it comes to size, so check the dimensions before you order anything and make sure not only that it's the size you think it is from the picture but also that it's the right size for your child and that there's room for it in your garden.
- How sturdy is it? – Generally speaking, the more expensive the mud kitchen is, the better the quality of wood in it and the sturdier the build. However, these more expensive mud kitchens are generally much bigger too – so space can be an issue, even if the price isn't.
- Does it have a water feature? – Most mud kitchens have a sink or splash tub but, if you want to fill it with water, you'll have to bring your own in a bucket or hose. However, some kitchens do have running water included – whether from a water butt, an under-the-sink reservoir or a tap with an attachment you can connect to your garden hose.
- Are utensils included? – With some mud kitchens, you'll get a whole set of pot, pans and other accessories with your purchase; others will come with nothing else included. If the mud kitchen of your choice doesn't come with accessories and you don't already have suitable accessories at home, you'll need to factor in the cost of buying these for your child to use when playing with the kitchen. We've included some suggestions below.
- Is there storage space? – Some mud kitchens come with lots of shelves and cupboard to store your pans in and/or rows of hooks to hang utensils from; others just have the odd shelf or a couple of hooks. If you pick one which has very limited storage space, think about where/how you will store the (mud-spattered) pots, pans and utensils when they're not being used.
- Has the wood been treated? – Your mud kitchen is going to get covered in dirt and, if it is left out in the garden, it will have to survive wind, rain and possibly even snow as well. Check whether the wood has been treated with several layers of weatherproof varnish. If it hasn't been treated or there's only a thin layer, you may want to varnish it yourself or add a couple of coats of durable waterproof paint. You can also cover it with a BBQ cover or similar.
- How it is assembled? – Unless you order a handmade kitchen, you're going to have to put your child's mud kitchen together yourself. Be warned: there will be a lot of pieces! Assembly will definitely be easier if you have an electric screwdriver, and remember if you buy it as a gift to give yourself ample time to put it together before the big day.
What mud or soil should you use for mud kitchens?
Provided your child is dressed appropriately and they wash their hands really well (under supervision) after playing with their mud kitchen, you can decide what in your garden is safe to use as "mud". However, since you may have had visits from local cats, foxes and other wildlife, and old soil may be full of stones and debris, it's often safest to provide a fresh bag or two of compost or topsoil from a garden centre or DIY store as the main ingredient.
Sand is also a good addition to your child's many kitchen creations: non-toxic play sand designed for sand pits and sand tables is perfect for this.
What are the best mud kitchen accessories to add?
Whether or not your mud kitchen comes with some pots or pans, you’ll probably want to add some toy kitchenware to give your child even more to create mud masterpieces with:- Pots, pans, the lot: This 25-piece Accessory set, £14.99 has all you could possibly need
- Watering can: A simple watering can, £12.49, can be especially useful if your mud kitchen doesn't have a water feature.
- Recipe inspiration: This clever Mud Kitchen Recipe Book, £6 is a fun way to suggest ingenious additions to the regular lumps of mud.
- Name sign: A Personalised Mud Kitchen Sign, £8, will add the kind of wow factor that usually only comes with hand-built mud kitchens.
- Improvised water feature: If your mud kitchen doesn’t come with a water butt or working tap, you could put a filled Jerry Can, £20.99 on a shelf above the sink for some running-water action.
How we chose the best mud kitchens
When choosing and testing these mud kitchens we considered size, price, robustness assembly, durability, accessories, features, style and play value.
Out 10 of the Best lists are compiled by qualified and experienced parenting journalists. They rely on a number of sources, including our testing during the MadeForMums awards and feedback from our home testing panel and Top Testers Club.
Each year, 1000s of products are put through their paces by hundreds of parents across the country on behalf of MadeForMums, to ensure we’re bringing you honest and true reviews and recommendations.
Our list is not an ordered ranking from 1-10, but instead a carefully selected group of tried-and-tested products, each of which we believe is best for a different situation or requirement. We don’t just tell you what is best, we aim to help you discover what is best for your family.
About the author
Helen was Deputy Editor of MadeForMums, the author of Parenting for Dummies (Wiley, £17.99) and the Head Tester for our MadeForMums Toy Awards. She has written about parenting for Mumsnet, Pregnancy & Birth, Prima Baby, Boots Parenting Club and She Magazine and she's also been Consumer Editor of Mother & Baby. She has 3 boys and a heavy-duty washing machine.
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Authors
Helen is author of the classic advice book Parenting for Dummies and a mum of 3. Before joining MadeForMums, she was Head of Community at Mumsnet and also the Consumer Editor of Mother & Baby.