Looking for that perfect summer distraction to get the kids out into the backyard? Learn how to set up a simple and inexpensive children's mud kitchen in a day, allowing your children or grandchildren endless hours of plain and dirty backyard fun. Follow one father's entertaining and informative attempt to get his children outside, offline, and into the mud. Author Jason Runkel Sperling takes us inside his experience creating a backyard mud kitchen for his two small children. Full of humor, parenting insight, and in-depth research, Sperling's account will inspire you to create your own mud kitchen in a day, maximizing family fun, bonding, and creativity. This easy-to-follow guide is appropriate for parents of any skill level and backyards of any size. Forgoing complex design, Sperling's mud kitchen guide focuses on the essential components of a mud kitchen using simple resources, allowing just about anyone to create a stellar children's mud kitchen in only one day. Dozens of additional resources are included, such as: Where to get supplies, whether by making, finding, or buying them Outdoor play and its value to child development The value of dirt in building strong immune systems Comprehensive list of inspiring case studies, articles, and photographs of mud kitchens from around the world