For those with play kitchen sets

[misskitty100]

I want to get my daughter a play kitchen set at some point. I saw a really cute little stove and seperate refrigerator tonight that is used. They are about half the size of the "regular" play kitchens that a lot of my friends have for their daughters....but our house is about half the size of their houses too!! The smaller size would be really nice for us.

I am wondering how important is the scale of the kitchen? Will she still be playing with it when she is 3 or 4? The set I saw tonight is 2 seperate pieces and doesn't come with a sink -- will she miss that?

I also had the thought that this might be a nice "first" kitchen and maybe if she is still playing with it a few years from now, we could get her a larger one?

[Cookin4Love]

I know that our DGD played with hers all the time until she was probably six. She's 7 1/2, and still plays with it some. If the price is right, I'd get the smaller one, with a plan to "upgrade" later. She will probably play with it more right now if it's just her size. As for a missing sink, you can always buy a small plastic dish tub for a couple of dollars, and then she can put her sink wherever she wants it. ;)

[Terri_A]

I think most girls play with the kitchens for a LONG time. DD got hers around 18 months and is now 4 and actively plays with it. Hers is the traditional size I suppose, but I don't think that part matters to her, as we visit friends who have one in a much smaller scale and she plays with that one quite a bit as well. Also, I lived in a very large house when our current one was purchased and now live in a small cottage....I really wish the play kitchen was smaller now!!! I think it's important to buy something that won't drive YOU crazy too!

[cchhbb]

We have one that is a Pottery Barn knockoff. It's one piece that on one side has a stove and the other has the microwave and sink. We don't have a fridge for it. I didn't buy that piece and I don't think he misses it. I really like that I can put it in an area of the kitchen/breakfast area and he can cook along.

My son is 3 and uses it quite a bit. I don't think the scale is a real problem. You may want to buy the little one and upgrade if she is really into it later.

I run a children's consignment sale and the big items are often consigned and the people end up buying a smaller version many times. I think that people don't realize the size of things until they get them home.

[mrswaz]

Our neighbors gave us one when DD was about 18 months. She played with it all the time, just loved it. Hers is a kitchen that needs to be in the middle of th eroom, as there is something to do on each side. If I were to get one now it would be one of the ones that goes up against the wall. I just wish someone would make the kitchens a little bigger. I thought this past Christmas I would get her a brand new upgraded one that would be a little bigger for her now (5 1/2) and there was nothing. She is a tall girl, so the way the kitchens are, she's been too tall for them for some time. When we go to Toys R Us she looks at the shiny new kitchens with such a sad expression on her face. Fortunately she seems to be warming up to the idea of using Mommy's kitchen with her size cooking things.

[stacy7272]

My MIL got my daughter a kitchen. DD is 3 1/2 but she is the size of an 18-month old and we have a 1250 sq. ft. condo so we were looking for something small. We are very happy with the kitchen we have - it is the Step 2 Little Helper's Compete Kitchen. Here is a link so you can see it:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=2603664&sourceid=1500000000000001827200

P.S., Thank you for getting me to look at this description. I see that the phone makes sounds! I was thinking that ours doesn't.... Well, I just went and looked at it and saw that I could put batteries in it! I never noticed that! DD will be very surprised when her phone is suddenly able to make sounds! :D