Children learn a vast mix of skills through play and make-believe activities. Cooking toys and games that encourage children to use their imagination and promote interaction with other kids are an essential part of this mix. When your child spends a few hours with their friend in a play kitchen cooking a make-believe meal for teddy’s tea party, they are learning all sorts of useful life skills: sharing, taking turns, and being part of a team. They are also having a whole pot-load of fun!
A toy kitchen is a great play and learning space for younger children, both boys and girls. While these miniature replica kitchens and their world of kitchen accessories are nothing new, but whilst the kids of today are always keen to play with their electronic devices, it is worth remembering just how much fun you had cooking in a pretend kitchen all those years ago!
So if you want to teach your child how to use their imagination without a keyboard in sight, here are ten of the best kitchen toys for boys and girls.
Crafty Kids Kitchen Sets
 | Little Tikes Super Chef Kitchen | Check price at |
 | KidKraft Uptown Espresso Kitchen | Check price at |
 | KidKraft Vintage Kitchen | Check price at |
 | Little Tikes Cook N Grow Kitchen | Check price at |
 | Melissa & Dougs Wooden Play Kitchen | Check price at |
 | Hape Gourmet Kitchen Lowest Price | Check price at |
 | Step2 Cozy Kitchen | Check price at |
 | Step2 Grand Walk-in Kitchen | Check price at |
 | American Plastic Toy Deluxe Custom Kitchen | Check price at |
 | KidKraft Uptown Pastel Kitchen Playset | Check price at |
1. Little Tikes Super Chef Kitchen
Little Tikes is one of the best-known brand names for kids’ toys. The company specializes in well-constructed, inexpensive toys made from sturdy plastic and their Super Chef Kitchen is no exception. It is compact, stylish, and should slot easily into the corner of any play room. It also comes with lots of cool accessories, including plates, cups and cutlery.
Accessories: Open and close oven, refrigerator, cabinet and microwave. Stove top with electronic cooking sounds. Coffee pot, phone, frying pan, plates, cups, forks, knives and spoons.
Ages: 3+ years
2. KidKraft Uptown Espresso Kitchen
If your child wants a super-modern kitchen just like mom and dad, the KidKraft Uptown Espresso is one of the most deluxe play kitchen sets around, with lots of interactive features. The Uptown Espresso is more expensive than some other kitchens, but you get what you pay for. It features a refrigerator, microwave, freezer, oven and dishwasher and is large enough for several kids to play at once. This pretend kitchen has been precision designed by engineers, so it is built to last and could easily be used in a busy kindergarten setting.
Accessories: Refrigerator, freezer, microwave, oven, dishwasher and a neat usable chalkboard mounted on the on the freezer.
Ages: 3+ years
3. KidKraft Vintage Kitchen
The KidKraft Vintage kitchen is almost too attractive to play with. It comes in a choice of colors and the cute vintage style is simply adorable. Knobs click and turn and the sink can be removed. In fact, the number of interactive features is endless. Kids will have a ball making pretend meals for their friends. Make no mistake: this is probably better than your real kitchen!
Accessories: Open and close refrigerator, freezer, microwave, cabinet, oven. Stove top and removable sink.
Ages: 3+ years
4. Little Tikes Cook N Grow Kitchen
The great thing about the Little Tikes Cook N Grow kitchen is that it can be reconfigured to suit two different age grades. The first stage is perfect for pre-school kids but once your little ones grow a bit, you can add the extras for greater role play opportunities. The kitchen can also be reconfigured to suit taller children. The Cook N Grow kitchen comes with loads of accessories, which will help your child learn about shapes and colors as they engage in imaginative role play with their friends.
Accessories: Configurable for different ages. Open and close oven, refrigerator and microwave. Stove top with electronic cooking sounds. 26 assorted play accessories.
Ages: 18+ months
5. Melissa & Doug’s Wooden Play Kitchen
The award winning Melissa & Doug brand specializes in educational, classic toys. The company started off in the garage of Doug’s parents’ home, but today they are one of the most popular brands in the U.S. The Melissa & Doug Kitchen is exceptionally well designed. It is solidly constructed from wood and very easy to assemble. The kitchen has been rigorously tested to ensure it is 100% safe for young children to use. It is bright, fun to play with, and a great wooden kitchen to feed your child’s imagination through independent learning.
Accessories: Open and close refrigerator, cook top, oven and removable sink. Fully functional timer.
Ages: 3+ years
6. Hape Gourmet Kitchen
The Hape Gourmet kitchen is a gorgeously simple all-in-one design that is ideal for toddlers and younger children. It features an oven, hob, and sink. There are big red knobs to activate the burners and a shelf to store kitchen utensils. This toy kitchen is constructed from sustainable Baltic Birch plywood and finished with child-safe paint. The design is strictly gender neutral, so boys and girls can both have fun playing pretend restaurants or cooking dinner for mom and dad.
Accessories: Open and close oven and cabinet, stove with turnable knobs and sink. Hape kitchen accessories are sold separately.
Ages: 3+ years
7. Step2 Cozy Kitchen
The Step2 Cozy Kitchen is compact but fun. It features an oven, refrigerator, storage cabinets for kitchen accessories, a sink and a moveable faucet. The stove top looks realistic enough to cook dinner on and the knobs all make click sounds. This play kitchen is ideal if you don’t have lots of space, plus it comes with tons of accessories to make playtime more fun.
Accessories: Open and close oven, refrigerator and cabinets. Sink with movable faucet. Includes 21 piece accessory set.
Ages: 2+ years
8. Step2 Grand Walk-in Kitchen
The Step2 Grand Walk-in kids play kitchen is one of the more expensive pretend kitchens for children, but it looks fabulous and includes an amazing 103-piece accessory set. There is even an attached dining area where your child’s guests can sit while their food is prepared. The overall design is super realistic and even includes replica stainless steel appliances.
Accessories: Attached dining area. Electronic sounds and lights in the grill, stove top, and phone. Includes a 103-piece accessory set.
Ages: 2+ years
9. American Plastic Toy Deluxe Custom Kitchen
The American Plastic Toy Deluxe Custom Kitchen comes with realistic lights and sizzling/bubbling sounds. Made from pink plastic, it might be a better girls kitchen set, but this play kitchen has lots of great features, including removable ‘wicker’ baskets, and all the main kitchen appliances. It isn’t as large as some pretend kitchens, but is a good size for toddlers and smaller children. It is also light-weight and therefore easy to move around.
Accessories: Open and close microwave, refrigerator, oven, and dishwasher. Stove burners with lights and sounds. Includes 22 play accessories.
Ages: 3+ years
10. KidKraft Uptown Pastel Kitchen Playset
The KidKraft Uptown Kitchen is ideal for older children. It is made from wood and is large enough to allow several children to play in the kitchen at once. There is a cordless phone and a chalkboard for creative play, knobs turn and click, and the oven and microwave door have see-through panels. The design is bright and cheerful – kids of either gender will feel right at home: baking, taking orders for their pretend café and cooking meals for friends. The KidKraft Uptown Kitchen is definitely a popular kitchen that younger children will grow into.
Accessories: Open and close refrigerator, freezer, microwave, oven and dishwasher. Cordless phone and usable chalkboard.
Ages: 3+ years
BONUS: Bringing it to life
A play kitchen just isn’t a kitchen without some play food to cook and… eat? Play doh or even real food (if you are gain) is a great way to bring a kitchen and cooking to life. Here’s some pretty incredible ideas from Rainbow Learning.
If you think there are any other amazing kitchen sets for kids out there that deserve a shout-out, let us know in the comments!
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, TinyApartmentCrafts.