Play Kitchens? Worthwhile present?

[WrigglyFish]

I'm hankering after a play kitchen for DD. She's 2.7 and enjoys playing with this type of thing in shops and at playgroups and I guess I want one cos it is exactly what I would have wanted as a little girl.

BUT - they are not only pretty expensive (her main present for b'day and Christmas has never exceeded £30 before), they are also bulky (and our house is tiny) and wondering how long kids play with these (and do boys play with them too? - she has a baby brother).

Any ideas from anyone else?

Also horrified to notice that the price on the one at ELC has just gone up by £20 since I last looked at it a week or so ago - just before Christmas - blimmin cheek!

www.thetoyshop.com/SuperSavings/Girls/Belling-Foldaway-Kitchen/EPN385658 We have this one. It folds away in the case when its not being played with. Grean for my small house!!

mmmchocolate - that's what the tesco one does.
this one
It shows how it packs up into a little carry case. I really like that idea for our little flat

DD1 was 2 when we got the ELC plasticky sizzling kitchen due to space issues (it's not small but is a lot smaller than the more beautiful wooden kitchens we'd seen). Nearly a year later (got it last Christmas) her and DD2 (now 1.4) have played with it every day. They get so much joy out of it - definitely worth it.

It's fab to get so much positive feedback. Thank you ladies. Really want to get something this Christmas that will last for a while and will be something DD and DS can play together with in time. Looks like a kitchen would do the trick.

(Now I just need to work on DH - it will have to live in the corner of our kitchen that he has just decided to use for his stuff. Oh and work out where we would put a train set or a dolls house when I start hankering after something else this time next year.... - Must spend less time daydreaming about all the lovely toys I would like my kids to have)

OMG, i cant believe ELC put the price up on that kitchen. I was looking at one other day.
Try GLTC with 15% off.

Definitely a good toy to have for both boys and girls.

You don't need to spend that much though. The ELC one looks nice and stylish but the DCs wont care. So long as it has lots of bits (pans, food etc) and loads of doors to open and close they'll be happy.

We have had wooden kitchen from ebay (not techie enough to provide link sorry!). dd has had it since 2.3 now 4.3. sill plays with. Only thing I'd say is that there is a washing machine side which rarely gets played with, just the cooker bit. OUrs has shelves, very useful for storing pots and pans etc. The pintoy one is good.

The Entertainer have this foldable one

www.thetoyshop.com/SuperSavings/Girls/Belling-Foldaway-Kitchen/EPN385658

at half price atm £29.99 and if you use a voucher code OOTD5DISCOUNT you will get another 5% off. If you buy something else (batteries perhaps)to take it over the £30 delivery is free too.

I think kids who like kitchens should be given real pans, spoons and bowls to play with and an improvised cooker made out of a box or something. I can't stand these huge plastic arrangements which will soon be in landfill for hundreds if not thousands of years to come.

Humbug!