Playground and mud kitchen

 Playground & Mud Kitchen Makeover

One of my favourite projects this year was transforming an old recycled plastic playground and building a custom mud kitchen to go along with it.

We started by picking up a used recycled plastic playground manufactured by Playground World. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find much information about this particular model online, but the structure was solid and had plenty of potential.

The restoration was a labour of love. I spent countless hours sanding, cleaning, priming, and painting every single piece—front and back. I also replaced all of the screens, 4x4 posts, and hardware to ensure everything was sturdy, safe, and refreshed.

Once all the pieces were restored, one of my dearest friends generously helped me reassemble the playground. The installation took a day and a half, but seeing it come back together made all the hard work worthwhile.

Designing the Mud Kitchen

With the playground complete, it was time to bring my mud kitchen vision to life.

I had a general idea of what I wanted, but I didn't purchase a set of plans. My husband had acquired a pile of free 2x3 lumber, and I was determined to build around what we already had on hand. Most of the plans I found online were designed using 2x4s, so I decided to wing it and create my own design.

I remember watching a YouTube video where the creator claimed it took just three hours to build her mud kitchen. Mine took closer to three days! That said, I'm incredibly happy with how it turned out.

Materials Used

For the main structure, I used:

• 2 pieces of 2x4x8 lumber
• An unknown number of 2x3x4s
• Various pieces of rough-cut lumber from our mill for the back, side panels, and bottom shelf (approximately 1/2" thick in assorted widths)
• 1½" thick mill lumber for the countertops and upper shelves
• 3/4" thick mill lumber for the stove door, cupboard door, and front panels

Finishing Touches

To add some character, I painted the countertop, upper shelves, stove door, and cupboard door with Fusion Mineral Paint in the colour Carriage House. The remaining wood surfaces were finished using Fusion Mineral Paint's End Cut stain, allowing the natural beauty of the wood to shine through.

For the hardware and details, I used:

• Four beautiful wooden knobs left over from a previous project
• Two handles from a trailer remodel we completed
• Homemade stove burners cut from a fallen log on our property

The little details are what really brought the space to life. I sewed matching curtains and aprons, while the curtain rods and many of the play accessories came from Temu. I also found several fun additions at the dollar store.

For the sink basins, I repurposed a double roasting pan purchased from Home Hardware, which worked perfectly and fit the rustic aesthetic.

The Finished Space

What began as an old, worn playground and a pile of miscellaneous lumber became a charming play space complete with the Bulldog Bay Café mud kitchen. Nearly every part of this project was built using reclaimed, leftover, or locally milled materials, making it both budget-friendly and uniquely personal.

It took a lot of time, creativity, and problem-solving, but seeing it all come together—and imagining the memories that will be made there—made every hour

worthwhile.