Play kitchen recommendations?

[wishIwasonholiday10]

Can anyone recommend a good play kitchen for a 2 year old that’s not too bulky but has enough features to keep them interested? prefer the wooden look over plastic. I see a lot of them are officially sold for 3 years plus but I’ve also seen them on lots of lists for best toys for 2 year olds so what is the best age to get one and are the 3 year plus ones OK to use sooner? We could either get it for DD’s 2nd birthday or for Xmas when she is 2.5.

3 plus is because of testing regulations for toys - the tests to be able to sell under 3 are more expensive and stringent so some just stick to 3+. Ultimately it’s your decision, mine loved the play kitchen from about 14 months and I haven’t seen anything harmful on it for them! We had the ikea one and it’s been well loved and used for 5 years and counting.

Ikea play kitchens are great.

I got a wooden one from Asda George

See what you can find 2nd hand my in-laws picked one up for my daughter for £25 full of food and pots and pans that alone would be over £25. It's wooden and had slightly chipped paint work that easily touched up.

We have the Aldi one, which is brilliant and very good value - but I’d suggest to look online as I don’t know if they sell them at this time of year. They have a very extensive wooden toy range in the run up to Christmas, including the kitchen and lots of kitchenware toys. But I’d start with local Facebook/selling sites as they’re often very lightly used and you can easily pick them up secondhand.

We just bought the little Dutch one as it is taller than some of the others to last my tall 3 year old a big longer. It looks lovely and feels sturdy. We had a 2nd hand one for a while but she only was interested in it after she turned 3, it started to get a bit tired hence replacing it.

George at Asda do a lovely one with an attached fridge but it is smaller.

We would have gone for the ikea one as you can add risers to the feet, but it's now red and I'm not keen!

The basic IKEA one is definitely the best and you can always find them going second hand on Facebook marketplace. I got one for £20 in immaculate condition.

Son has various kitchen utensils, plates, cups and pots, some lovely wooden play food (cost more than the second hand kitchen!), and a couple of toy appliances like toaster etc. He also has a little shopping basket, trolley, and an IKEA till to play shops with.

I think we got it for him when he was about 1 and a half and he's going on for 3 now. Great purchase but wouldn't buy it new.

Forgot to say, the IKEA kitchen comes with leg extenders so that you can make it taller for them as they get older.

Something to watch out for if you're buying second hand. Not sure if you can get replacement leg extenders from IKEA.

We got the ikea play kitchen off marketplace. My son loves it. It's stood up really well considering the previous people owned it eight years and my son is a typical not gentle toddler.