Boys Love Play Kitchens, Too!

I’m participating in Grace’s Kitchen over at www.feelslikehomeblog.com. If you write about kids, food, or kids and food –think about posting!

When my son was around 2 we pulled out the old Little Tikes kitchen. His sister got this kitchen for Christmas when she was 2. My middle daughter played with it as well. After almost 10 years it was in really good condition. We still had all the pots, pans, plates, food, and cutlery. I’m a little anal so periodically I would match up all the knives, forks, and spoons to make sure that we had a complete set. What can I say I’m a little quirky!

My son loved the kitchen. This kitchen was small enough that I could put it in the kitchen or the family room or the basement. Very easy to move. I placed all the kitchen gadgets in a milk crate. My son played with it while I cooked. He would bring me dinner. His sisters at 7 and 10 would also play along.

I never worried about gender issues with my son and the kitchen. He had cars, trucks, trains, and tool sets galore. No, for me the toy kitchen was a role playing toy with as much value in our house as the dressup chest, the toy cash register, and the Cozy Coupe. All kids need a toy kitchen or if space is an issue just put toy pots, pans, plates in a box and set out on the coffee table. My oldest daughter loved the Fisher Price Adventures Robin Hood’s Forest — she loved the swashbuckling heroes almost as much as she liked Barbies and Princesses!

Just before Christmas I was doing my usual perusal of the toy aisles at ToysRUs at night. Until my son was 2 I could do Christmas shopping with him in the cart until he started to realize that all the things int he cart were for him and. He. wanted. them. right. now. So no more shopping during the school day. I saw this barbecue grill from Little Tikes…

…I had to have it. Bought it. Brought it home. My husband struggled to see why we needed another kitchen when we had a kitchen. Hellooo, barbecue grill just like daddy’s! So, the grill was purchased. The old kitchen was consigned. Win. Win. The grill came with a detachable umbrella, a cute stool, ketchup, mustard, pans, and hot dogs, hamburgers, rolls, tomoatoes, and a few other things. In short…cute!

I’m struggling to understand what is happening in this photo…kind of like the many faces of Eve… My son in his Thomas the Tank Engine jammies is upset that his sisters are using the kitchen. My oldest is posing at the back. My middle daughter is hamming it up with the ketchup bottle.