Toy kitchen Christmas fun cooks up play and learning for kids. Real kitchens are super busy now and kids often imitate what we do as they play. Toy kitchens are not just girl toys. Lots of boys enjoy playing in them as well. Since it’s Christmas, it might be elves playing in the kitchen anyway.
Toy kitchens are not just girl toys. Lots of boys enjoy playing in them as well. Since it’s Christmas, it might be elves playing in the kitchen anyway. While wooden or plastic sets will last longer, cardboard boxes can be turned into fridges and stoves and sinks. For the stove or sink, turn a box either on its side or upside down. Color or glue on the burners for the stove and cut out a door for the oven. A large plastic container set on the box will make a sink. To make a fridge, cut out the door and add a shelf or two. For a shelf, cut out two slots opposite each other on either side of the box. Slide in a piece of cardboard from one side to the other and let the ends stick out.
As kids cook in a toy kitchen, there is ample evidence of imaginative play. Wooden blocks might be getting stirred along with pretend plastic food. Sipping coffee is accompanied by slurping sounds. What we see on the outside as children play is only a glimpse of what’s happening on the inside. Just to imitate the words and actions of the adults around them, kids have to sort through all the things we say and do to find the ones that make sense for being in a kitchen. They are making countless decisions as they coordinate all the pieces. This practicing and creating requires a great deal of problem-solving, planning, and organizing. If children are playing with someone else, the interaction adds another layer to the play.
Toy kitchen Christmas fun is a simple recipe with basic ingredients: kids and imagination. What play is cookin’ at your house?