"Play is not optional for him. It is the work."
— Levi's mom
For many children, play is simply part of childhood.
But for some children, play is something much more.It is how they learn, communicate, explore, and make sense of experiences that words cannot always express.
Levi is one of those children.
Three-year-old Levi was diagnosed with autism and childhood apraxia of speech. He is nonverbal and communicates using an AAC device. For his family, play isn't simply a way to pass the time—it's an essential part of how Levi learns, expresses himself, and experiences the world.
Unlike many children his age, imaginative play is also one of the ways he connects with the world around him.
Why a Mud Kitchen Matters
Levi is a sensory seeker. According to his Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Erika Edgar, he has significant sensory needs and is constantly seeking sensory experiences. Without structured outdoor activities, Levi often seeks sensory input in ways that can become unsafe, such as chasing a ball into neighbors' yards or toward the road.
Through therapy, Levi's team discovered that structured sensory activities help him access the sensory input he needs while keeping him safe, engaged, and regulated.
Erika believes a mud kitchen would provide a safe way for Levi to enjoy the outdoors at home while meeting those sensory needs at home every day.
Levi's occupational therapist has also built his therapy plan around movement, tactile input, and outdoor active play. Water play, scooping, filling, dumping, and mixing offer the kind of open-ended sensory experiences that support his development and allow him to explore the world in a way that feels natural to him.
Just as importantly, a mud kitchen is already something Levi loves.
Give him a play kitchen, and he'll happily spend hours carefully slicing toy fruits and vegetables, stirring imaginary soups, mixing ingredients, and proudly serving meals to everyone around him.
Whenever he has the opportunity to play with a mud kitchen, he naturally gravitates toward it and can spend long periods of time happily engaged in imaginative play.
As Levi's mom wrote:
"For a child who can't yet tell us what he needs, the mud kitchen speaks his language."
The Family Behind Levi
Our Promise to Every Child
