Cynical Parent
Kids love imaginary play. Whether it’s playing “house”, driving a racecar, or building a fort, they love anything that seemingly connects them to what they see from adult, in books, or on TV. Our kids absolutely love their play kitchen, which prompted us to do a little bit of research on the best wooden play kitchen for kids.
Why wooden? Wooden toys have a few key benefits over plastic or metal:
They are more durable and last longer, they are safer for kids, they’re environmentally friendly, and over time, wooden toys are less expensive (because they rarely need to be replaced).
Let’s take a look at what’s out there.
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The Best Wooden Play Kitchen for Kids
We took a look at a few different wooden play kitchens and took into account key factors such as quality, price, and features. Here’s what we came up with.
Best Wooden Play Kitchen: Highest Rated
If you’re looking to get your kid the absolute best, highest rated wooden play kitchen, this is it: the KidKraft Ultimate Corner Play Kitchen Set
It is a bit more expensive (as expected), but worth every penny if you decide to go this route due to the size, complexity, and quality (KidKraft is one of the best in the business for play kitchens).
Honestly, this thing has more features than my real kitchen.
It has everything that a typical play kitchen has (oven, stove, sink, refrigerator), but there are a few features that really make this one shine:
Reviews of this play kitchen rave about it being one of the best available. It’s extremely sturdy and durable (a benefit of most wooden play kitchens compared to plastic) and kids seem to love playing with it for hours at a time.
There aren’t too many drawbacks, but here are a few worth mentioning:
Also, if white kitchens aren’t your thing, this one also comes in a darker “espresso” style.
Click here to read more about this play kitchen.
Best Wooden Play Kitchen: Most Unique
This is another highly rated wooden play kitchen that doesn’t look like most others you’ll find: the KidKraft Farm To Table Play Kitchen Set.
It’s not as large as the first KidKraft kitchen we wrote about above, but this one is actually slightly more expensive (as of the time of this writing) due to its unique design.
If you’re looking for a play kitchen that isn’t like all the others, this one is probably for you.
Click here to read more about this play kitchen.
Best Wooden Play Kitchen: Small Kitchen / Space Saver
If space is an issue, this is a highly rated play kitchen that has a fairly small footprint (compared to most other play kitchens): Hape Children’s Wooden Play Kitchen
And just in case it’s hard to tell from the picture, this is a dark gray color.
Click here to read more about this play kitchen.
Best Wooden Play Kitchen: Budget
If you still want a really nice wooden play kitchen but price is an issue, you don’t have to sacrifice quality. This is a more simplified play kitchen that sells new for <$100.
Like some of the others on this list, it’s another KidKraft: KidKraft Little Cook’s Work Station Kitchen
It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles. However, it is still highly reviewed and functions really well as a play kitchen.
Click here to read more about this play kitchen.
Which wooden play kitchen is best for your kids?
That’s it for our roundup of the best wooden play kitchens – now it all depends on what you’re looking for. Our pick is still the KidKraft Ultimate Corner Play Kitchen Set but as mentioned above, this kitchen may not be for everyone (due to price and size).
Fortunately there are a lot of options available. Just prepare yourself for an intense evening of assembly. 🙂 And if you can find it, this is also a great product to buy second hand somewhere like Facebook Marketplace. You’ll spend less money AND won’t have to assemble it yourself.
(Looking for another good imaginary play option? Check out our Nugget couch review!)
Let us know which wooden play kitchen you like best – leave a comment below!
