Playtime: The Benefits of Pretend Play
Make the most of children's play time by encouraging both make-believe and real-life situations. Open-ended play, such as that in a play kitchen, can encourage children to exercise good communication and problem-solving skills, and it can foster a desire to try new, "grownup" things outside of play time. Most of all, it stimulates the imagination. Just wait and see what your kids will cook up in their play kitchens.
While the food and cooking in play kitchens may be pretend, the recipes children devise in their minds and the sequence of events they must follow to complete a task are all very real. These exercises will carry over to your children's daily lives, manifesting as a heightened sense of creativity and an ability to think critically.
Play kitchens also present a value opportunity for cooperative play. Involving friends or siblings will teach kids not just the importance of sharing, but the fun of it- whether it's sharing tasks or sharing toys. During sessions of cooperative play, your children will also learn essential social skills, which- when developed throughout childhood- can lead to success later in life.
Play Kitchen Accessories
Most play kitchens are equipped with major "appliances" such as stoves, microwaves, sinks and refrigerators, but your kids can't really get cooking until they have the materials to do so. Here, we take a look at some of the essential play kitchen accessories.
Top Play Kitchens
Today's toy market offers so many play kitchen varieties, choosing one seems almost as difficult as choosing an adult kitchen. We take a look at some of the top play kitchens available, including those that feature deluxe accessories, beautiful craftsmanship and beloved children's characters.
Play Kitchen Buying Guide
Creating your dream kitchen is, for many adults, an involved process of cookware, appliances and modern design schemes. It might seem, then, that a child's dream kitchen - dream play kitchen, that is - has the potential to be just as difficult to serve up. With our play kitchen buying guide, though, finding and accessorizing the right kitchen for your children's needs and desires is far easier than baking the perfect souffles. All you really need to consider are the number of children to be using the kitchen, the space it'll occupy in your home, the age of its users and the accessories required to make it top-notch.
Playtime: 5 Kids Tool Picks for Your Child
Play kitchens aren't the only beneficial pretend-play toys available to kids today. One of the oldest, simplest and most loved types of pretend-play toys is blocks, but in the 21st century, they've been taken up a notch. Now, kids' building materials include a range of realistic tools, some with moving parts, lights and sound effects. Here are some of our favorites.
Customer Service:
8AM-10PM ET, Mon - Fri
11AM-6PM ET, Sat
Sales Assistance:
8AM-10PM ET, Mon - Fri
9AM-10PM ET, Sat- Sun
Call: 1-866-530-4152 or
email us
