Play kitchen for a 10yo

[HulaHoopingallovertheWorld]

My 10 yo DD really wants a play kitchen for Christmas. In fact for her last two Birthdays and last Christmas as well. I feel awful as I sold her lovely wooden play kitchen three years ago as she didn't seem to play with it. 10 just feels too old for a play kitchen and I worry she will be teased or disappointed on Christmas day if I do buy one. Any ideas for alternatives? Something a bit more grown up? I really am stuck! Thanks in advance for suggestions.

Cross posted - my thoughts exactly make her dreams come true and pass it down.

@UndertheCedartree

I know lots of DC that age are leaving toys behind but I have a 9.5 yo who still loves playing with her baby dolls and is getting another baby and a doll bed for Christmas. She would love a toy kitchen if we had room for it. She has a toy toaster, blender and microwave as her kitchen. She also enjoys real life baking and cooking but it isn't a replacement to her imaginative play.

This is so lovely. Kids don't get to be kids long enough in my opinion. I really hope my DDs still live to play when they're 9

@Yika

If she wants a play kitchen, get her a play kitchen and don’t worry about whether it’s appropriate. To me it sounds as though she wants her hurt feelings from the loss of the old one to be assuaged, and it might not be directly about playing with it per se. And if it fulfils that need then job done - she gets closure. why not get both the play kitchen and some grown-up cookery stuff too?

This, OP. The 69.99 kitchen above looks great, too. Hope you all have a lovely Christmas.

(If and when your DD decides she's done with her kitchen, you can always help her to sell it in and she can have the money towards something else)

I’d go with her own set of bakeware/pans/cookbooks at this age to be honest, and let her use the real kitchen! She will be using a real oven and knives etc. at secondary very soon.

Me again

This book is non-scary and it or something similar might go well with a hypothetical kitchen and bakeware set

She will have 70 or 80 years to be more grown up
Let her play
..
And let her into the kitchen as well to bake

Also - plenty of plenty of 10-year-olds are still into imaginative play. And anecdotally the pandemic has created a bit of a lost void for this sort of creative outlet with friends or alone - lots of secondary teachers say the intake of year 7 this year need more playtime, seem less ‘grown’.

Don’t be too keen to wish it away. It’s all a spectrum of developmental stages.

I would say get her what she asks for.

My DD is 10 & only wants Switch games & a scooter (to go with her skateboard for throwing herself down ramps at the skatepark).

I would get her the IKEA kitchen , op! She's only young once and who gives a flying shit what anyone else thinks? Ten is still young.

Also, my dd asked for another our generation doll for her 11th birthday and although dh and I were secretly surprised that she still wanted a doll to play with, that's what we got her. She did play with it for a while but then has naturally grown out of it and now she's 12 (almost 13), wants hair straighteners which she's definitely not getting yet

I would go with some fun cooking appliances. Just a thought how about a milk frother/heater? We got one last year and dds love a fancy hot chocolate in it! Especially if I crack out the marshmallows, flakes, and candy canes!

Maybe buy a few kitchen accessories or make one using a piece of furniture. Lots incorporate a blackboard/whiteboard to set up like a cafe or something.

Pinterest is great for this, then she gets her kitchen but it won't be so quickly outgrown. Aldi had some lovely kitchen roleplay stuff recently that would compliment it nicely!

And my dd was 13 this month, her Christmas list consists of bread, cheese, soft toys, funko pop figures and a sketching set. She isn't into grown up things and if she wants a build a bear and squishmallow thats what she's having. Who cares what anyone else thinks!!

www.wayfair.co.uk/children-nursery/sb1/8-years-play-kitchen-sets-c477003-a97736~492942.html?refid=GX423015514972.~&position=&network=g&pcrid=423015514972&device=m&targetid=dsa-19959388920&gclid=CjwKCAiA4veMBhAMEiwAU4XRr8eIVfDmt3iPsFJfSjWamwh2P6uglncFHEWa1fri8H9NZde-h2dwohoCtYwQAvD_BwE

These are for older children

I'd get her a play kitchen. Sounds like she would really like one. When my DC had one I would play along on my knees so i dont think size matters. They are fun things with the gadgets, noises and buttons, i totally see the appeal!

@YouHaveNoAuthorityHereJackie

I think the IKEA one would be way too small, my 2 yo plays with it quite happily. I have to say, my 9 yo son loves it though, it’s funny how he plays more imaginatively now than when he was smaller. His biggest love is his dolls house and he doesn’t care who knows! I think they’re only kids for such a short time, let them enjoy it. They don’t have to grow up as fast as many seem to nowadays

That’s lovely about the dolls house. My ds used to play with my old dolls house which he later turned into a fire station for Fireman Sam.

They are only wee for a short time, in your shoes I would get her a kitchen.

Definitely get her the kitchen! She may not ask for ‘toys’ much longer.

I would get her a kitchen if that is what she wants and you can afford it.

I’d get her the play kitchen if that’s what she really wants (I always wanted a dolls house when I was a child, I never got one and eventually found one in a charity shop for £1.50 when I was about 10. I played with it loads even though I was probably slightly too old).

If you can afford it then I’d go for a slightly more grown up looking one like this:
www.wayfair.co.uk/children-nursery/pdp/mack-milo-achille-kitchen-set-frig3602.html?piid=35844252

But then instead of buying toy accessories to go with it I’d buy a couple of real cookbooks to put on the shelves:
www.waterstones.com/book/baking-with-kim-joy/kim-joy/9781787134584
Or
www.amazon.co.uk/Magical-Kitchen-Unofficial-Potter-Cookbook/dp/8395167903?tag=mumsnetforu03-21
Or
www.amazon.co.uk/Silver-Spoon-Children-New-Favorite/dp/1838660194/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=1ZI5DCKUZLP7H&keywords=silver+spoon+kids&sprefix=silver+spoon+kids%2Caps%2C210&qsid=260-0749423-6742701&sres=0809294370%2C844813740X%2CB07K173J3R%2CB01MTQXI82%2CB01ISGECII%2C1838660194%2CB09H4PL934%2CB07SN94G15%2CB08FXBJT14%2CB01J6794PE%2CB00237RS6M%2CB002JHUCFU%2C1838662529%2C0714857467&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1637816682&sr=8-8

And then real utensils that she can actually use to cook for real once she grows out of the play kitchen:
www.amazon.co.uk/Cooking-Bakeware-Utensils-Children-Highwood/dp/B083XBB8TY/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?crid=2TZ131TRUVQFQ&keywords=baking+set&sprefix=baking+set%2Caps%2C231&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1637817057&sr=8-17

Baking or cooking kit and maybe a lesson or workshop? Like Cupcake decorating class? Have you got room to give her a kitchen cupboard and get her some real basic cooking bits? It’s cruel really but I also think 10 is too old for a play kitchen but then again, who are we to say what someone should enjoy?!?! Tough one

I have a 10yo and the ikea kitchen is very small. I'm not sure what the real answer is here. Mine is still into toys very much, but she also loves baking with me. She helps make cake often.

I bought my dd one when she was 10, she has ASD and had only really started imaginative play. I bought her the wooden one from Asda, it was a big hit but the novelty quickly wore off and it became a toy for visiting children. She’s 15 years old now and keeps eying up the big dolls houses (barbie sized) but I think if I got her one it would end up not being touched.

Thanks all for the comments and suggestions. So helpful. I think her own baking kit and book in the kitchen is a great idea and I am going to buy a second hand play kitchen found on marketplace.

Perfect solution OP! Hope you and she will enjoy it.

I'd get her some child-friendly equipment for the kitchen - and maybe a stool to stand on, and the silver spoon kids cookery book.

A play kitchen is a bit odd at 10 - but more to the point she will have grown out of it in a year. If she likes the idea of cooking but is anxious that's the thing to work on, rather than encouraging her to retreat.

Would she enjoy a dolls kitchen, such as the Our Generation one, instead of a life size?

www.ourgeneration.com/shop/accessories/gourmet-kitchen-set-red