Best Play kitchen Accessories

[SilverSabre25]

I need more/different stuff. What we have is a rather eclectic collection of, well, crap. Haha. Too many fruits and veggies, not enough of other food groups, and all of it too big for the play dishes and pans. Really, it's dumb.

In theory I like the wooden Melissa and Doug or haba stuff, but it's sooooo pricey I can't swing it right now. I'm contemplating food from Step 2 and dishes etc from Learning Resources, but I'm open to suggestions. Does anyone have any?

[tratliff]

Have you checked out the Ikea stuff, they have pots and pans, cooking accessories, and felt food for much more reasonable prices. I LOVE the Melissa and Doug ones, but after buying one set, they are pretty much useless to my son. Just to big. He plays with all the cheap crappy plastic ones we have way more. I have made him some felt food of my own that he really loves. Simple foods split into pieces and can be velcro'd together, simple fractions at work

[cheerfuldom]

I have tried a ton of different brands and what I found worked best was cheap real size dishes and baking pans from the Dollar Store. I have wooden play food from Melissa and Doug and am slowly phasing out all the plastic food (it doesnt hold up well). the kids use blocks and other manipulatives instead of play food anyway. And I like to add other Dollar Store items to the play kitchen area....aprons, sponges for washing, oven mitts, utensils, a drink pitcher, etc. The other thing that I have been adding is felt food, just the larger fruit and veggie type items and since I make them myself, its not big expense. If you have to pay for premade stuff, it can get expensive fast.

[MotherNature]

I have a ton of felt food, & want to trade out to wood. We have a Golden Retriever, and her hair & felt food are apparently having a torrid romance. They're always all over each other. I have some of the IKEA, some WAHM, & some M&D. Now I just need to get wood. I'm not into plastic, but would consider rubber, if it was a natural one..following the suggestions here.

[Childminder]

I have found that thrift stores are the best place to get household items. Most of the stuff I have bought are small versions and real, like a travel iron, toaster, curling irons, pots and pans, coffee maker, dishes, strainers, etc... just cut off the cords.

Also I have a can opener that seperates the top from the sides of a can and doesn't leave a cut edge. I open up real food cans and seal them back up, (after I wash them of course) run packing tape around the paper label and they love to play with them. I use boxes of food, like mac&cheese, and tape it back up after using. One if the favorites is a bag of marshmallows that I put packing p-nuts into and taped back up.

Oh, this stuff is virtually indestructible too with the tape on it and even if you get a destructive child you don't get upset you just save your dinner packages.

[Meyou]

My kids love the IKEA felt food and the metal pots and pans set. We have the little spatula and scooper set too. They play with it daily. I don't even have that much....3 little food sets and one pot set.

[MotherNature]

I have found that thrift stores are the best place to get household items. Most of the stuff I have bought are small versions and real, like a travel iron, toaster, curling irons, pots and pans, coffee maker, dishes, strainers, etc... just cut off the cords.

Also I have a can opener that seperates the top from the sides of a can and doesn't leave a cut edge. I open up real food cans and seal them back up, (after I wash them of course) run packing tape around the paper label and they love to play with them. I use boxes of food, like mac&cheese, and tape it back up after using. One if the favorites is a bag of marshmallows that I put packing p-nuts into and taped back up.

Oh, this stuff is virtually indestructible too with the tape on it and even if you get a destructive child you don't get upset you just save your dinner packages.

I love getting our pans from the thrift store. I also do the taped boxes. I'm going to decoupage some labels onto chunks of wood to make stuff like cereal, pasta boxes, etc.

[GabsKids]

Love those ideas!

I have found that thrift stores are the best place to get household items. Most of the stuff I have bought are small versions and real, like a travel iron, toaster, curling irons, pots and pans, coffee maker, dishes, strainers, etc... just cut off the cords.

Also I have a can opener that seperates the top from the sides of a can and doesn't leave a cut edge. I open up real food cans and seal them back up, (after I wash them of course) run packing tape around the paper label and they love to play with them. I use boxes of food, like mac&cheese, and tape it back up after using. One if the favorites is a bag of marshmallows that I put packing p-nuts into and taped back up.

Oh, this stuff is virtually indestructible too with the tape on it and even if you get a destructive child you don't get upset you just save your dinner packages.

[Jack Sprat]

I love getting our pans from the thrift store. I also do the taped boxes. I'm going to decoupage some labels onto chunks of wood to make stuff like cereal, pasta boxes, etc.

I did this!! Its part of our outdoor kitchen area. I also made food from felt and fabric. I don't sew so its all glue and a little whip stitching.

[MarinaVanessa]

I have found that thrift stores are the best place to get household items. Most of the stuff I have bought are small versions and real, like a travel iron, toaster, curling irons, pots and pans, coffee maker, dishes, strainers, etc... just cut off the cords.

Also I have a can opener that seperates the top from the sides of a can and doesn't leave a cut edge. I open up real food cans and seal them back up, (after I wash them of course) run packing tape around the paper label and they love to play with them. I use boxes of food, like mac&cheese, and tape it back up after using. One if the favorites is a bag of marshmallows that I put packing p-nuts into and taped back up.

Oh, this stuff is virtually indestructible too with the tape on it and even if you get a destructive child you don't get upset you just save your dinner packages.

I also get "real" stuff from thrift stores, everything except the play dishes since I can never seem to find plastic dinnerware sets and thrift stores. Many early childhood development professionals actually suggest that it's better to use real daily life items in classrooms and child care environments because then the children associate these props with those of the real world (real telephones instead of play ones etc.).

As for the can opener ... I have one and I can't believe that I never thought about doing this. I'm going to plan TONS of meals requiring canned food next week ::

[Unregistered]

I have found that thrift stores are the best place to get household items. Most of the stuff I have bought are small versions and real, like a travel iron, toaster, curling irons, pots and pans, coffee maker, dishes, strainers, etc... just cut off the cords.

Also I have a can opener that seperates the top from the sides of a can and doesn't leave a cut edge. I open up real food cans and seal them back up, (after I wash them of course) run packing tape around the paper label and they love to play with them. I use boxes of food, like mac&cheese, and tape it back up after using. One if the favorites is a bag of marshmallows that I put packing p-nuts into and taped back up.

Oh, this stuff is virtually indestructible too with the tape on it and even if you get a destructive child you don't get upset you just save your dinner packages.

What a great idea. I will be coping you. The best thing is you can always make more.

[misslori50]

I did this!! Its part of our outdoor kitchen area. I also made food from felt and fabric. I don't sew so its all glue and a little whip stitching.

I love the wood block idea. SO easy