EDWARDSVILLE – James Williams and fellow Boy Scouts recently built a mud kitchen for the playground at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Early Childhood Center after two teachers asked whether he could build something for the outdoor space.
Williams, who attended the center from ages 2 to 4, said he wanted to give back to the program.
“I went to the ECC when I was younger, and I wanted to give back,” he said.
The mud kitchen gives children an outdoor play station where they can mix water, mud, and bubbles, wash pots and pans, and use imaginative play.
Williams and the other Boy Scouts are definitely Difference Makers in their community.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville said the open-ended play supported by the mud kitchen helps build motor skills, spark creativity, strengthen social skills, and connect children with nature in a way screens cannot replicate.
The university thanked Williams and the other Boy Scouts for the addition to the playground.
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