Quick question regarding 2yo and play kitchen...

[slatternlymother]

Right, we've got DS (2.3) a play kitchen for Christmas. We found on his birthday that he got quite bored of unwrapping quite quickly, and just wanted to settle and play with the toys (fair enough).

To reflect this, I've got him this play kitchen, some pots and pans, utensils and play food. He also has a stocking with a superhero cloak with his name on and a mask, some Peppa Pig figures and books etc, small stuff.

Do I just set up the play kitchen ready to go, with pots and pans and food unwrapped and set to play? Or do I wrap individually? It's just, if I don't wrap the kitchen stuff then there won't be that much under the tree for him and I don't want to feel tight.

[MonaLotte]

When we got ds a play kitchen we had it all set up and wrapped the kitchen. It took a lot of paper but you could use a sheet for the same effect. It's also worth making sure that things are detached from boxes and ready to come out as it save a lot of screaming in my experience!
Ds had a toy that was held into the cardboard with screws ffs! It was ridiculous!

[tittytittyhanghang]

we have got ds (2 next week) a kitchen for xmas. We will have it made up in advance. Nothing worse than trying to make up toys on xmas day, dp hasn't the patience and neither does ds! Plus you get to check in advance that everything is there.

[slatternlymother]

Yes definitely building the thing this week in order to check it etc. Getting pots and pans out of ridiculous packaging now and was just wondering whether to wrap or set out on kitchen.

[emsyj]

We got DD a kitchen for Christmas and didn't bother wrapping it (this was last year, she was 19 months). This year, I want to wrap everything as she understands a lot more - she's getting a balance bike so I went to Home & Bargain and bought a ton of cheap 2 x 6m rolls for £1 wrapping paper and a ton of shiny gift bows to put on it (big box of bows and ribbon for 99p). It will look horribly tacky but I don't care!

I wouldn't wrap each item individually - you could leave the pots, pans & food packaged and wrap the packages, then build the kitchen (hot tip: don't do this on Xmas Eve after a few brandies like I did last year...) and wrap it in situ.

[attheendoftheday]

We're getting a kitchen for dd (18 months). We'll set it up beforehand. In fact, I've opened her other presents too and removed tags, put in batteries and assembled, then put back into cardboard boxes and wrapped.

[snowmummy]

Have I got this right? You're asking whether you should wrap the presents?

[slatternlymother]

snowmummy yes, should I wrap pots and pans and play food individually or put it in the cupboards of the play kitchen, pans on the stove, apron hanging up etc, ready to play with?

[FireOverBethlehem]

Set it up ready, or stack pots together and wrap them as one large bundle. I certainly wouldn't leave them in the original packaging with plastic ties etc as he'll be desperate to play wit hthem whilst you're faffing about with twisty ties.

[sauvb]

Where will the kitchen be? Can you put it all ready next to the tree? We got the DCs a kitchen and set it up with all the bits ready on it that we'd got. Mum had also got them a saucepan set and couple of food sets, so we left them wrapped on the kitchen. It got the wow factor as soon as they walked into the room, they loved it, then when they'd played a while, they also got excited to find pressies in the fridge and microwave. When DS was same age as your DS, we got him a wooden train set, and we set that up on the play table next to the Christmas tree. Again, it got the wow factor, but he also got to unwrap some trains and bits to go with it. I think at 2.3 as soon as he sees the kitchen, he probably won't be concerned with how much is under the tree.

[slatternlymother]

Yes sauvb That was what I was thinking.

He's not exactly thrilled by wrapped presents, if that makes sense. He might stick with it for the first one or two gifts, but after that he loses interest and just wants to play with the gifts he's just unwrapped.

I think if I try to prise him away from the kitchen... Forget it, I won't be able to do it. We went to a friend's house for tea the other day and he tried to take her little play kitchen with him.

I thought I'd set it all up, and then when he slows down a bit, then we can unwrap the other gifts and perhaps his stocking.

[sauvb]

ahh, bless. we've got fab pics of DS in the kitchen with me that Christmas. It's the one year I haven't felt I was missing out as he was there with his little wooden chopping board and veg, chopping along side me! Sure however you set it out he'll love it.