Session: Carpentry + Wood, Winter 2026
Builders: 13 middle school students
Materials: 2×4 redwood lumber, 4×4 redwood posts, wood screws, IKEA FYNDIG stainless steel sink
Tools: drill, impact driver, chop saw, jigsaw, speed square, measuring tape
Community Partner: East Bay Children & Nature

Our most beginner builders set out to construct two mud kitchens for East Bay Children & Nature in just four short weeks. Not sure what a mud kitchen is? These pieces are outdoor, child-sized play kitchens designed for sensory and imaginative play using natural materials like mud, water, sand, leaves, and sticks. Because these mud kitchens required several pieces of lumber of different sizes cut at different lengths, students had to pay particular attention to the measuring and chop saw demos to ensure accuracy. Getting those pesky stainless steel sinks secured proved more difficult than anticipated! Patty, executive director of East Bay Children & Nature, even joined and built alongside the students so she could take the skills she learned to build more mud kitchens and other projects for their organization. On our last day together, students reflected on the building process and declared their love for their new favorite tools, like the chop saw, drill, and jigsaw. In addition to the two mud kitchens, students had the time to construct a bench for another community partner. Talk about adept teamwork!