Little Bit of Wonderful: My Girl's (Someday) Retro Kitchen | KidKraft ...

My baby girl has a ways to go before she'll be big enough to play house (after all, she hasn't even been born yet), but it's never too early to start looking at options (any excuse to shop, haha)! While reading another blog, I came across a picture of a super cute retro kitchen from KidKraft, and was intrigued by the quality of the wood construction and the detail work. Not a huge fan of bright pink kitchens (I'd hate to have to buy a new one if I ever have a son, or subject my poor nephew to an uber-girly play time), and curious about their other products, I followed the link to the main KidKraft website, and discovered a whole new world of toys! My favorite kitchen is this Deluxe Let's Cook Kitchen...

I love that this play kitchen is made of wood, rather than plastic, and that it's very detailed without being gaudy or super "trendy" - there's nothing I dislike more than toys that tell kids that their parents' homes aren't good enough unless they are as fancy as the toys in their playrooms. This kitchen is simple, with a four burner stove top, an oven, a refrigerator and microwave, and a dishwasher.

I love that they color coded the hot and cold handles on the sink. What a great way to help kids learn the distinction, and reinforce temperature safety!

Aren't those little hooks over the stove a cute idea? And I love the pot holder! I hate clutter and messes (despite my tendency to create both), and I like the idea that this toy's design actually promotes order.

One of the coolest things about this play kitchen is the clock on the refrigerator door. The movable hands allow it to be used as a teaching tool for mom and dad! What better way to teach a child to tell time than to use something with which they already play? I'm not sure how I feel about the notepad, though; it seems to me that it would be awfully tempting for a little kid to actually write on it, which could be rather unpleasant, both aesthetically, and when they want to change it and discover their writing won't come off. I wonder if the paint is washable? It would be pretty cool if kids could actually write a play grocery list and then wipe it off again! Another option would be to permanently attach a small dry erase board over that decal, so they have somewhere to write without damaging the toy.

I think this is about the cutest play telephone I have ever seen. Complete with caller ID, options, and a removable handset, this feature promises hours of play!

You can view a very cute video on this play kitchen's product page here, that illustrates the toy in use, and shows a lot of the features up close (like the fully useable stove controls, and the inside of the appliances). Just click on the bright pink video symbol located under the large picture of the toy, in the line up of image thumbnails.

* This is not a sponsored post. I did not receive any product or compensation in exchange for this review, nor was I compensated in any other way. My opinions are my own, and this post is in compliance with FTC guidelines. *

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