Kids learn through role playing and they can start to mimic the behaviours they see form an early age
. So it is common for young children to copy their parents actions as they tend to see alot of them during the average day at home.
If your child shows interest in your activities in the kitchen and you want to encourage them without bringing them into a working kitchen, with all its hot cookers and sharp knives then a play kitchen can be a real asset for their learning.
Play kitchens can vary in size, style and price so you should do a little research before investing your time and money in purchasing one for your home. One of the first things to consider is price as some play kitchens can cost over $300.
Thankfully there are a number of high quality kitchens for under that price and they tend to be divided into two main brackets, plastic or wood. If you are considering plastic then opt for kitchens made by Little Tikes or Step2 as they produce quality products that last.
The plastic they use is durable and will spend the next few years entertaining your child, not broken and tossed into landfill.
If you are after wood then take into account the type of wood you are after. Wooden toys for kids are generally made of either solid wood or a ply known as MDF. MDF is made of particles of wood glued together with a formaldehyde resin.
This resin is known to cause respiratory problems if inhaled at the construction phase but once sealed is said to be safe, though some believe it still exudes toxins after construction. There are other solid wood options that don't contain MDF so if you are concerned check those kitchens out before making a decision.
Whichever kitchen you decide to purchase your child will love to pretend play and in doing so will learn valuable skills for life.