Want to keep your little one occupied while you cook or clean up in the kitchen? There’s no better way to do that than to invest in a play kitchen with which your little one can imitate you.
However, once you buy (or make) a play kitchen, you’re not done yet. You still have to fill up the little kitchen with toy food and cooking accessories, the cost of which can quickly add up. I’ve already mentioned one way to cut the cost of play food– transform leftover food boxes into real-looking food toys – and today’s hint is one way to save on toy cooking accessories.
The cost-saving strategy: Opt for functional play kitchen accessories, i.e. ones that have other uses beyond just serving as toys.
To be sure, I’m not suggesting that you should put functioning and potentially dangerous kitchen accessories (like real blenders and toasters) into a toy kitchen. Rather, I’m suggesting that functional kid-friendly kitchen accessories can double as toys in your little one’s play kitchen.
German toy company HABA, for instance, which makes a host of play food and kitchen accessory items, also sells functional cooking accessories that can be used in both play and real kitchens. HABA’s $10 to $25 Silicone Kitchen Molds, are trays in which you can make popsicles, ice cubes, cakes and cupcakes in fun shapes resembling penguins, fish, flowers and safari animals, among other designs.
When these trays aren’t in use in the real kitchen, they can be stored in your little one’s play kitchen for fun pretend play. (Disclosure: This is precisely what I did with the two trays I received to review, both of which my 22-month-old daughter includes in her daily play kitchen cooking rituals. And you can see her enjoying a popsicle from one of the trays in the picture to the right.).
Plus, the trays will still be useful long past when your little one loses interest in his or her play kitchen. HABA is giving away $75 worth of its Silicone Kitchen Molds to one lucky Hint Mama reader – details below.
HABA’s $5 round trays, meanwhile, are safe for food contact so they too could double as real kitchen items, and other toy brands offer similar products. Melissa and Doug, for example, offers food-safe plastic tea sets that are ideal for pretend play and snack time.
In addition, you can simply take safe and kid-friendly accessories out of your kitchen (think measuring cups, wooden spoons and non-breakable plates) and put them in your little one’s play kitchen, as the sites Our Toddler Days and Apartment Therapy also suggest.
What do you think of these strategies for saving on play kitchen accessories? What are your favorite tricks for cutting the cost of toy food and kitchen items? What functional play kitchen accessories did I miss? Share your thoughts – and enter to win $75 worth of HABA’s food molds – below.
Follow Hint Mama on Facebook and Twitter, and read more about her and her disclosures.
My best tip for saving – go to a local consignment shop. You’d be surprised how many good condition toys you can find.
I always search the clearance racks and add things to my wishlists online and buy when they go cheap.
I like to find things at garage sells then just wash and play
I sew the easier stuff. Some off white fabris makes great tortillas that also double as mini pizzas. Then I cut beans, cheese, and sauce out of felt.
Your local Goodwill…cheap cheap and some great finds
I do get up on Saturday mornings & hit the yard sales. Sometimes I find kitchen accessories that my little sunshine can play with.
You can reuse packaging from real foods like egg cartons and I made some play food by painting wooden blocks
Some of the simpler food shapes (Flat or simple cylinder– pizza, cake etc) are easy to make with felt and velcro.
This is adorable, I want this for my niece and nephew
I watch for them at second hand stores and clean thoroughly.
we’ve saved by getting hand-me-downs from my sister’s older kids
I have let my kids use old measuring cups and spoons for play.
I like to buy just a few pieces that are better quality that can be used for years. I also make sure we keep up with them and take care of them so we dont have to replace them
Colanders are big in my house. They work as real use for me, play colanders in the play kitchen, and play helmets for my boys.
I love that idea – so clever!
I actually get a lot of my products with 40% off coupons or at garage/consignment sales!
Garage sales are the best place to get the best deals!Let them play with real kitchen accessories! Best way to get them to understand and learn about how we make food and get them interested in the food they eat. Really cuts down on picky eating in my opinion!
Give them old real kitchen things. –Hanna Lei