Iabu to ask your opinion which toy kitchen would have greater play value

[Purplepoodle]

I have 3 boys who are 2,4,6. 4 year old really wants a play kitchen as we have a cheapie that falls apart. I cannot decide which would be played with more - wooden style one from ikea or plastic one from toy shops like the one in picture or little tykes. It has to be sturdy for the boys. Please help me decide as it lots of money to me and is a joint xmas and birthday present.

The wooden one.
I have a wooden one in my kitchen it's not the ikea one but that always gets good reviews.
The ikea one also good for boys as unpainted I think.

The wooden one.
I have a wooden one in my kitchen it's not the ikea one but that always gets good reviews.
The ikea one also good for boys as unpainted I think.

We've got the wooden ikea one for our boys 3 and 1. They play with it every day. It copes really well with being climbed on and In and having water poured on it. Would definitely recommend.
We bought it separately though, they had the bottom bit for birthday in march 14 then the top bit went on sale for £4.99 online just before Christmas so we bought it as an extra Christmas present.

I'd get the cheaper one as I think they have the same play value. Or which one had the most storage. What will add to it at some pots and pans, spoons and containers of ingredients eg. Dried beans, marbles etc. to cook with.

We have a cross between the two: a wooden little tikes kitchen which is v sturdy and played with:

www.pramworld.co.uk/little-tikes-cookin-creation-premium-wood-kitchen?gclid=CIq-75eXyMUCFUbKtAodth0AvA#fo_c=743&fo_k=95b3152221a971064d2df574187d8be0&fo_s=gplauk

Wooden one. Less bits to snap off. In my experience plastic kitchens are rubbish and the more expensive/fancier they look worse they are and hard to clean. Wooden one has the potential to be repainted and used as something else too when they outgrow it.

from that choice the wooden ikea ones looks better to me, but there are other factors too - does it have to be in your living room for example? them I would choose the ikea one as it is a bit less 'in your face'.

if you are at all crafty, look on pinterest for ideas, you can convert an old cupboard etc your self, which will probably be more sturdy, and you can choose how to decorate it!

or check out e-bay etc for a second hand one

Honestly? The wooden one will look far, far nicer in your home, but the kids will play with the plastic one more. It has more features and kids don't give a shit about taste.

Not bothered about how it looks - my house is a kids zone. More about what they would play with more

P.s I bought the Ikea one for my two little ones with all the crockery, utensils and felt food to go with.
They played with it for about two days, then after that it was ignored. Three years later I ended up giving it to my friend for her little girl.

That plastic one you're proposing has light and sound effects doesn't it? I'd bet my last tenner that's the one they'd choose.

Do have to say...the Ikea one is very well made.

Wooden one. Plastic one would last 5 minutes before something snapped off. Also as the plastic one has so much stuff theres less play value to use imagination and bring other toys into play.

This is a me versus argument. He says wooden one as it's cheaper, I say plastic as it will be played with more but it is more expensive

*dh argument

The ikea one is great. Especially like the light-up hob. You can gradually build up a collection of utensils, food etc. I suspect that either would be played with a lot though.

The ikea one. We have it and it is the most played with toy in the house. It is very sturdy. Plastic kitchens are usually rubbish. The stove on the ikea one does light up too.

My friend has the IKEA one and highly recommends it.

They'll play with the plastic one more. However, I have the ikea one and it's brilliant for storing other toys underneath, the cupboards are pretty big

Ikea one. ( I actually have experience of both kitchens!)
Though perhaps look at something to "extend" the kitchen a bit Because 3 kids will not fit around either kitchen! ( shop? Cafe? Cheap kids table and chair set, till)

I don't think the Ikea one has enough to do.

We have a wooden one (can't remember where from) but it has loads more to do like a washing machine clock and phone.

So look at activities on it not wood/plastic. Ours use the pans and food. Tea making stuff and washing machine and telephone the most. Also a pad and pen then they make it a restaurant.

Get good quality wooden or plastic food and plenty of utensils.

They're both a bit small for 3 children to at with. Go with the ELC retro diner. We have it and it's great, can def recommend.

I'm going to go against the overwhelming consensus here and say the plastic one...purely because I have that Step 2 kitchen and it is incredible quality. I got mine second hand so it was already 5 years old when I got it and my son has played with it every day for the last year and a half and he's not particularly gentle with it either.

Wooden. But will the older two really play with it much longer? My 4 and 5 year olds don't play with toy kitchen any more as want to actually make proper stuff, so they bake and cook regularly in main kitchen now and we got rid of toy one last year.

They are actually really good in main kitchen now, eldest can read the recipes so they can prep most baking things themselves, I can just keep an eye from table whilst I half work, and they tell me when it's ready to go in the oven ( I don't let them use actual oven alone yet).

We had the larger step 2 kitchen and nothing ever broke on it, ever. There's not really anything to snap or break. Sold it on for a really good price as it still looked like new.
Was a pain the arse to put together though.

Wooden definitely. Its about letting them use their imagination.

But maybe I don't know as I only needed a sturdy for girls one.