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Melissa J's Take:
What little girl, or even boy, doesn't want a pretend play kitchen?
One of the precious things about our children, is they imitate what they see us do as adults This is true, even when we're going through the mundane task of fixing meals.
Kidkraft, the first official sponsor of Mama Buzz, has a line of wooden play kitchens that will delight any child's heart! The entire line is awesome and has a variety of products for parents to choose from. While I love browsing the entire selection, I think KidKraft's most recent model is my favorite.
The Kidkraft Grand Gourment Corner Kitchen Set is perfect if your house in short on space. It fits snugly into a corner, and yet, has room enough for several children to play at, at one time. Accented with the colors, pink, white, and grey, it is a toy that will add to a room's asthetics, not take away from it.
This wooden play kitchen set and has "realistic" features, such as dishwasher, oven, refrigerator, freezer, and microwave doors that open. The knobs on the stove and sink can be grasped and turned by little hands, and cute, cloth curtains add special details to the window above the sink.
The kitchen set comes with four accessories, a metal pot and pan, and two spatulas.
I know alot of us are concerned about plastics and the harmful substances that are in them these days, and as a result, are focusing more on wooden toys for our children. That is why I am especially excited about this particular line of play kitchens - -they are all wooden.
I also like that fact that they aren't full of bells and whistles. While some may not like this, and long for toys that beep and have gadgets, I tend to gravitate towards toys in which my child needs to use her imagination. Again, KidKraft Pretend Kitchens deliver that.
KidKraft Grand Gourment Corner Kitchen
Retails for $194.95
Mel's Thoughts:
Pretend Play Kitchens is any little girl's dream....and little boys too. To be honest, if we were to get one of these, I'd have a hard time not enjoying it myself.:) I'd be right in there, making a play dinner with my boys.:) Not only do they have play kitchens that are suited for girls, but they also have kitchens suited for boys, in terms of color and fun. As I browsed through their site, I noticed they have many different types of layouts; for example, they have kitchens that will fit against one wall, but they also have kitchens that will wrap around a corner. There are small and large kitchen sets available, and one set even has a separate play refrigerator.
The kitchens come in different themes and colors. Available are pastel colored kitchens, as well as kitchens sporting more primary colors (which boys might prefer more over pink or purple). There were a few kitchens that stuck out to me, and here are brief descriptions of each. The Grand Gourmet Corner Kitchen is constructed out of wood, and it is made, so that it can easily fit into a corner. The kitchen even has a small window above the sink with real cloth curtains. It has appliances, such as a dishwasher, oven, refrigerator/freezer, and microwave. It is made for more than one or two kids to play with at one time....not only that, but they can stick their pretend pie in the oven and look through the door to watch it "bake." The Island Play Kitchen is set up like a small island, and it has a small stove and sink with cupboard shelves below and overhead. It sports a cordless phone, a sink that comes out for easy cleaning, and it even has a little paper towel holder. It also has wheels on the bottom, so it can move around easily, making it easy to clean underneath or even roll away, if company comes. The Red Vintage Kitchen comes with a ladle, pot, and apron, and it too sports a cordless phone. What child doesn't like to pretend they are talking on the phone when they're playing, just like Mom and Dad?:) The Cook Together Kitchen comes not only with the usual refrigerator, microwave, and oven; it also comes with a washer and a dishwasher. Even the countertop on this kitchen has a speckled appearance. It's honestly so cute! There are also smaller, less expensive play kitchens and sets available for children who don't have a lot of space.
One item I found that I would love to have for my kids is the Guidecraft Wood Kitchen Helper. Jacob has always struggled to reach up over the countertop, if I'm trying to teach him how to make something, and this would allow him to stand up on a platform to where he could easily help me and reach everything he needed. It's very sturdy and made out of wood, and it folds up for easy storage. It's also height adjustable, which is great for growing kids. Not only that, but in case Jaden would happen to be in there with us (which he would be), there is a chalkboard and dry erase board on the Helper, at floor level. This might help to keep him occupied for a few minutes, at least until he realizes he wants to be up where Jacob is.
The Pretend Play Kitchens are sturdily crafted out of wood, and their prices are really affordable, as far as play kitchen pricing goes. I would definitely consider buying from this company vs. buying from a major retailer, because I think we would get more for our money. Most of the kitchens are priced under $195, with the exception of the Complete Kitchen Center, which prices at $302.40.
Pretend Play Kitchens doesn't just sell kitchens, though; they also sell the accessories for those kitchens, such as teakettles, dishes, food sets, baking sets, toasters, etc. One of my favorites has to be the Cupcake Stand Set. It's just so cute! It even comes with its own cupcakes, which your child can take apart to mix and match. With Christmas coming up, this could be a great place to consider shopping for all those special little people in your life; especially for all those grandparents out there who have grandchildren to spoil.:)
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