DIY Christmas: Kids Play Kitchen

Last Christmas, I was trying to think of a DIY present I could make for my 14 month daughter. I wanted to create something that both my husband and I could help make, that would incorporate materials we already had at home and that would allow for creative play as she grew. We landed on a play kitchen and today, I'll share with you a little about our process and our result. 

First of all, once we had decided on a kitchen, we started scouting out Pinterest and DIY blogs to gather inspiration from other people who had done a similar thing. There was a multitude of fancy options and before long, we decided simpler was better. My husband sketched out the design based on some lumber that he had leftover from other home projects, and knowing that we wanted there to be a sink, an oven, and a cabinet with a shelf for storage.  I wish I could give more of a recap of the actual building, but that was all him. Helps to have a handy husband!

I had fun scouring secondhand stores to find elements that would be fun in creating the illusion of a kitchen. We went to our local Habitat for Humanity's Rebuilding Center and found things like cabinet handles, towel rack, the soap dispenser that we turned into a sink, and knobs that I used as the dials on the stove. Most of these things were under a dollar each. I just had to look at them with new eyes!

Then, came time for the play food, dishes and utensils. We were gifted some play food by friends whose children had outgrown their play kitchens. In addition, as my daughter has grown, I have had fun making simple food out of felt, like tea bags, fried eggs, and pasta. Some of her favorite things to play with have been things I have found in our recycling bin, like egg cartons, baking powder tins, spice containers, and chip tubes (like from Pringles).  These are wonderful to add because they are free and It doesn't matter if they get a little too loved in play. 

For utensils and dishes, we bought some from Ikea and I continued to find others at thrift stores. Once, we were served tea while on an airplane in plastic tea cups, and I saved those. My daughter now loves to serve us tea in them! Another time, we bought a personal size pizza that came in it's own box, and it fits perfectly play pizza. I started looking at everything through the eyes of our play kitchen and was surprised in all that I found right in my  own home. 

All in all, the kitchen was a smash success that has delighted my daughter for hours and will continue to grow with her. We added a chalkboard that she will be able to use in the future to write out menu offerings and I am constantly thinking of new things to add, based on her interests and developmental level.  While it would have been simple to go out and buy a play kitchen, this was a great chance to use my imagination to create something my daughter would love, making it all the much more meaningful.