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Author Topic: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?  (Read 7771 times)

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Offline Mashi

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Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« on: October 15, 2009, 12:40:05 pm »
DH and I are debating getting a play kitchen for DS for Christmas.  Just not sure if at 18 months he will "get" it and get the use out of it? We are (well, I am) hoping to move back home to Canada next summerish (although doubt it will happen, sadly) and I don't want to spend 100+ Euros on a toy that he won't use for the 6 - 8 months that he has it. If he gets lots of use out of it then I don't mind spending the money and then getting rid of/donating it, but I just don't know what age play kitchens tend to be aimed for.

He spends hours in the tupperware cupboards (always has), loves to help me unload the dishwasher and put things away, can put most of the grocery shopping away by himself when we bring it home (!), and this week we bought him a plastic tea set and he has been making cups of tea for us non-stop for 3 days.  So he's sort of into that kind of thing.

But I just don't know, so thought I'd do a little check to see how old your LOs were when they started enjoying the play kitchens!
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Offline RachelC

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2009, 13:11:07 pm »
My DD1 got hers at 18 months and loved it.  You don't have to get the one with all the bells and whistles, keep it simple and get an extra bag of play food to go with it.
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Offline aisling

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2009, 13:15:48 pm »
No way, go for it, DS got his at 1 yr! It is a gift that lasts and lasts, still very popular! Cousins as old as 10 yrs will play with N in his kitchen. We also bought him some Rubbermaid tower storage bins, so they could be like extra cupboards/drawers to put all his cutlery/cooking utensils, fake food etc in. Great for busy LO's who like to do things the adults do! We brought it outside this summer under cover so he could play with it there this year, which was great as he had his play cottage, bbq play set along with it and felt he had his own house/restaurant/hotel/pizza shop etc...hours of play. Neighbour kids come over and they have a blast with the set up now.

I love it too and play quite a bit with DS with it. We bought a Step 2 and I am sure they have great ones as well now.  Ours has a clock, light, phone, cupboards, drawers, fridge, microwave, stove/hob, oven all with sound effects.

A x
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Offline mama T

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2009, 13:33:10 pm »
My friend whose little boy is 2 has one and my son who just turned 1 loves to play with it so I would go for it.
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Offline Mama2boys

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2009, 14:08:47 pm »
yup DS loved it then
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Offline Idahomom

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2009, 15:41:54 pm »
DS doesn't have one but plays with one at a friend's house and at preschool......"mommy, I played housekeeping today!" so cute  ;D  He was exactly 18 mo when he started having playdates with this friend and going to this daycare when I went back to work.  Agree with PP about the play food - especially plastic or rubber fruits and veg, you can use your own boxes of cereal, pasta, etc.
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Offline momtonb&ab

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2009, 15:44:32 pm »
we got ours at a year and they loved it!!!!!!!!!!!we moved, got rid of that one and ended up within weeks buying an ikea one that they LOVE...at 2.5 it is still one of their favorite toys, played with every day!!!  where in canada are you hoping to move to?
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Offline Mashi

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2009, 16:01:19 pm »
Quote from: momtonb&ab on October 15, 2009, 11:44:32 am
where in canada are you hoping to move to?

Oh there is nothing planned at all....I'm from Ontario, outside of Ottawa, and I've been abroad with my DH for 9 years, and I only intended to go for one. I've had enough, and want to move home home home home.  There are no official plans or anything, we can't afford it, really, and haven't even got leads on employment or anything at the moment, so who knows.  I just know that I want to go. And at the end of the day a play kitchen isn't the end of the world is it!
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Offline momtonb&ab

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2009, 17:00:43 pm »
oh, we moved to ottawa last year!!!!!!!  starting to setting in and thinking we really like it.  the job market is looking up here, so keep your eye out!

enjoy kitchen shopping - the ikea one is FANTASTIC! and can easily be taken apart to move hoem with :)
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Offline Mum to Ella Rose

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2009, 17:06:24 pm »
wanted to add my yes go for it! :)  We got one for both kids last Christmas.  Ds is 18 months now and he adores it.  Makes food for all of us, his sister's ponies, the dolls, his cars, etc etc.  And this is a kid who doesn't really even eat solids. lol
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Offline Mashi

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2009, 17:24:28 pm »
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Offline aisling

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2009, 17:26:07 pm »
That is EXACTLY the one! Party time!
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Offline Mashi

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2009, 17:48:35 pm »
I love it!  The ones I can find here are not really that "style" and that's  (i/e yours) the type I had pictured.

Here they are really separate, not so much "shove against the wall" type units.  Think "island in the centre of the room" I suppose. Except the first one, which is a bit more what I had pictured I think.  I guess I am just worried because they all picture older children playing with them and I am afraid something like this is just too "old" for him?

http://www.amazon.de/Red-Box-22718-Elektronische-Zubeh%C3%B6rteile/dp/B0012KHNDO/ref=sr_1_46?ie=UTF8&s=toys&qid=1255628253&sr=1-46

http://www.amazon.de/Theo-Klein-9096-international-Ger%C3%A4usch/dp/B00151U35K/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=toys&qid=1255628368&sr=1-18

The wooden ones seem more common, at least there are a hundred different varieties and styles of this kind of thing
http://www.amazon.de/Elka-Toys-GmbH-Kinderk%C3%BCche-Spielk%C3%BCche/dp/B002GC6YHI/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=toys&qid=1255628588&sr=1-11

If those are my best options, do you all still think that it's appropriate for an 18 month old?


(Wait, found one at the baby store.  Cheapy model, but in some ways seems the best one?)
http://www.baby-walz.de/Spiel-Spass/Kinderspielzeug/Bunte-Spielsachen/dmc_mb3_search_pi1.pos/1/group/228/ordernumber/Spielk%C3%BCche/product/222265/L/0/Produktdetail.a833.0.html

Appreciate opinions, and whether or not you still think they are suitable?
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Offline Giorgina

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #13 on: October 15, 2009, 18:38:27 pm »
We got one for my son last year and he absolutely loved it.  He was very much in the mimicing phase and pretended to do what we did.  He is now 2.5 and he still loves it!  I say yes!!  He is still "cooking" food for
« Last Edit: October 15, 2009, 18:41:16 pm by Giorgina »
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Offline Bryony

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Re: Is 18 months too young for a play kitchen?
« Reply #14 on: October 15, 2009, 19:09:24 pm »
We were given one from a friend (whose daughter is now 16 so they figured she probably didn't need it any more!) when K was about 1 year old. She started using it once she could stand unaided at around 14 months as it was the perfect height for her to see when she was standing up. She also loved playing with the plastic food. She still loves it now.  So definitely go for it!!
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