Recommend your Play Kitchen (16 months)

[PMJ]

1) Please recommend your play Kitchen. I did a quick search on Amazon and boy they are quite pricey!

2) Would also love to know where you bought play food or other accessories that go w/the kitchen?



3) Silly question, but please share why you think the Kitchen is a valuable toy in your home!

Many thanks. You guys are great !

[citymama]

Educo play kitchen is *perfect* for that age! We got it for my DD at 18 months, and she still uses it at almost 5. It is gender neutral, wooden, not too big, and comes with pots, pans and play food - and it's under $100 shipped! We got ours at a local toy store but it's available at oompa.com and moolka.com for $99 shipped.

ETA Yes, we love the kitchen, and so does every other kid who visits!

[SnuggleBuggles]

We bought ds1 a Step2 Lifestyle kitchen when he was 18mo. It's served us well for 7+ years now.

Etsy and IKEA are great places to get food. I like felt food. The Step2 kitchen comes with pots, pans and utensils.

I love open ended, pretend play. Kitchens are great for that! Every kid that has come over has played with it. The kitchen and our Geotrax collection get the most love from guests. My kids also play with both of them most days.

Beth

[zag95]

1) Please recommend your play Kitchen. I did a quick search on Amazon and boy they are quite pricey!

We bought the Step 2 Lifestyle Kitchen from Costco for DD's christmas for 2009- she was almost 2. I think it was about $120.


2) Would also love to know where you bought play food or other accessories that go w/the kitchen?
Dishes and some food came with the kitchen. We also bought some play food from Learning Resources that was also at Costco- it focused on healthy meals. Ikea would also be a great place to get "cooking" utensils, pans, play food, etc.


3) Silly question, but please share why you think the Kitchen is a valuable toy in your home!

DD enjoys creative play- she makes things in her kitchen and serves them to her animals/dolls/us. She is able to practice what we model- and becaues of her interest in the kitchen, she has been working with me in the kitchen baking things, helping to "make" a cheese quesidilla for lunch etc. When friends come over for a playdate, several kids can play with the kitchen together, so it promotes some cooperative learning skills. Ours is fun because there are authentic sounds- beeping of the oven/microwave and a sizzling on the burner! I highly recommend adding a kitchen to your toy repertoire!

[LMPC]

1) Please recommend your play Kitchen. I did a quick search on Amazon and boy they are quite pricey!

We bought this one for DD for Xmas -- I think it was about $113 at the time.
http://www.amazon.com/Kidkraft-Retro-Kitchen-Refrigerator-Pink/dp/B001706BRI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1297821047&sr=8-6
It's not a big set but she loves it!

2) Would also love to know where you bought play food or other accessories that go w/the kitchen?
I bought the M&D cutting food set. We had a couple of Under the Nile sets from when DD was little -- I think they were sold as teethers but they are food shaped. The other food we bought from Ikea...it's awesome and cheap -- I would recommend it highly! DD steals my dish rags LOL and has taken my oven mitts for her kitchen. Other bits and pieces she plays with are from our real kitchen....plastic butter dish, for example.

3) Silly question, but please share why you think the Kitchen is a valuable toy in your home!
I felt that the kitchen was going to be good for creative and imaginative play. It gets daily attention. DD will "make" food for her babies, for herself, for me...she identifies veggies and fruits...I hear her telling her babies to "be careful! The oven is hot!" She's in her own little world!

[katydid1971]

1) Please recommend your play Kitchen. I did a quick search on Amazon and boy they are quite pricey!

We bought this one for DD for Xmas -- I think it was about $113 at the time.
http://www.amazon.com/Kidkraft-Retro-Kitchen-Refrigerator-Pink/dp/B001706BRI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1297821047&sr=8-6
It's not a big set but she loves it!

2) Would also love to know where you bought play food or other accessories that go w/the kitchen?
I bought the M&D cutting food set.

3) Silly question, but please share why you think the Kitchen is a valuable toy in your home!
I felt that the kitchen was going to be good for creative and imaginative play. It gets daily attention. DD will "make" food for her babies, for herself, for me...she identifies veggies and fruits...I hear her telling her babies to "be careful! The oven is hot!" She's in her own little world!
:yeahthat:
My parents bought that set at Costco. It is a good size, not too big or too small. It is played with everyday and the play food is her favorite part. My dad got DD a set of cheap plastic Walmart food. I hate it but DD LOVES it and makes us meals all the time. I really like the M&D food sets, they are very popular in our house. I plan to get the Ikea food sets next time I'm there (its 2 hours away)

[newg]

we got our step 2 play kitchen from walmart.com . It was actually a combo pack with some step 2 play food. I think we payed $86 for everything and it was free delivery to our local walmart.

It's a great little kitchen with a stove, oven, fridge and microwave. It has pretty nice storage too. DD1 love love loves it!

[katydid1971]

we got our step 2 play kitchen from walmart.com . It was actually a combo pack with some step 2 play food. I think we payed $86 for everything and it was free delivery to our local walmart.

It's a great little kitchen with a stove, oven, fridge and microwave. It has pretty nice storage too. DD1 love love loves it!

DF have a step 2 and my kids love to play with it. It makes cool sounds and is more modern with phones and microwaves etc. I think it comes down to personal preference and the best deal. Both the Step 2 and Kid Kraft are good and your child will enjoy them.

[elephantmeg]

we have the stept 2 partytime kitchen. DD is almost 3 but I think it would have been fine if she was younger-maybe some trouble with the microwave. It's this one but I paid $100 for it at walmart.com right before Christmas

http://www.amazon.com/Step-2-LifeStyle-PartyTime-Kitchen/dp/B001TALRGQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1297824561&sr=8-3

I made a ton of felt food but really she loves, loves, loves the melissa and doug cookie set. We also have the green toys dish set and tea set and they fit great in the kitchen and work well. They are dishwasher safe which has been great. I also have a wire cart next to it that holds the food/hotmats/aprons etc which has bene great. I just throw all the pieces in!

ETA the M+D bottles with the magnet lids are super popular as are the plan toys cutting fruit set.

[twowhat?]

We have the M&D corner kitchen and love it. It's quite compact if you are short on space. Love that you can play from ALL sides - you could float it in the middle of a room if you wanted. Quality is nice.

http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Corner-Wooden-Kitchen/dp/B003KYTT7S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1297828968&sr=8-1

We have IKEA pots and pans, IKEA felt play food, and a Green Toys dish set, all of which are great quality. The IKEA pots and pans are great because they look and feel so REAL and fit perfectly on the burners. The Green Toys stuff is impressively well-made - I couldn't find any plastic seams! And the IKEA play food is totally cute, and machine washable.

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Toys-Cookware-Dining-Set/dp/B0015466LM/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1297829071&sr=1-2

The only drawback (because it is compact) is there's no fridge/microwave/dishwasher like you would find on the larger sets. But we don't miss those things:)