S01 Eco-Kitchen

The ingredients in this kitchen don't come from a shop - they lie around the playground and change with the seasons: flower petals in spring, sand and mud in summer, leaves in autumn, snow in winter. On the same worktop a child scoops earth into a pot, adds water and stirs until the mixture holds together, and at other times a drawing or a simple experiment takes shape here. The idea itself is not new: it runs from Montessori's vessels of 1907, through the Reggio Emilia pre-schools, to British messy play. Natural material never behaves the same way twice - sometimes runny, sometimes thick - so the child tests it afresh instead of repeating the same movement.

For this play to go on for years, the kitchen has to withstand any weather. The steel frame is protected by galvanising and powder coating, and the basins are made of stainless steel, which does not rust and washes clean. The worktop is finished with HPL board, an exceptionally tough material: it does not absorb water or scratch, and it withstands rain, frost and sun. The Eco-Kitchen works outdoors all year round, winter included, and is covered by a warranty. The manufacturer is EduPlayground, and the kitchen is made in Poland.