Till What Age Would a Boy Play with a Kitchen?

This is a little off the track, but you might enjoy the book, "School of Essential Ingredients" - I forget the name of the author. It's similar to "Like Water for Chocolate" in they type of book, although much happier.

Get it! Some of the best chef's are men!
My son is five, almost six and loves watching "Iron Chef" and Bobby Flay throwdowns with us. He has a kitchen that he plays with periodically (Legos first) and the boys in his preschool all play with the kitchen set there. It's worthwhile. My son helps me cook and bake and it's great for teaching math, reading, etc. It's something that's fun for us to do together, real or play. Enjoy!!

My children enjoyed their kitchen for a long time. I would get it for him if it was me, and also teach him to help you in the kitchen. He can help you "cook" by bringing you items you need and helping mix things in the real kitchen.

lolol--- Oh, Jennifer -- unless there is someone in your baby boys' life who ''''discourages''' him- he likely will play with it for years and years -- my almost-10 year old grandson no longer tries to horn in when his 3 year old sister plays with her big, elaborate kitchen- but he has ALWAYS loved to cook--.

Now, you don't need expensive props-- you can set up a shelf in your kitchen or dining room and put pots, pans, spoons, bowl, whisks, measuring cups- and plates to serve his ''pretend food' on and he would LOVE< LOVE< LOVE it---

So-- go with your budget and your joy- and --- make a decision--- and NEVER feel badly when you buy something
expensive that doesn't really'''sing'''' ( all parents do ) - just go on line and sell it- and move on.

He'll be happyw ith such a loving Mom

Blessings,
J.

When my son was younger, he loved to cook as Dad was also a cook. We got our set from Melissa and Doug (Over the Rainbow Toys) or even Toys R Us might have them...was a complete stainless steel set, complete with apron, (looked like a chef's apron..I think it was striped)..I don't remember if it had a chef's hat..but it was very "boyish" and he played with it for years. He's nine now, so he's done with that pretty much but your son has many years to play with it yet. He will cook with them while he wants to , and eventually they become sand toys..or get passed on to another sibling. Anyway, there are Boyish sets out there. I would look for "chef set" rather than "kitchen set" and perhaps you will have luck finding one more for boys. But the Melissa and Doug brand was a godsend for us. They had SO many toys from them..and still have some to this day that have lasted since my son was born!

Cooking is a great thing to get children interested in and they will be healthier adults in the future by mastering cooking skills. Real cooking items are a lot more fun than play and will last forever. Two great sites are http://www.forsmallhands.com/store/
http://www.montessoricollection.com/?Click=9964

I know in my daughter's kindergarten class all the children, even the boys, love the kitchen. It is the most fought over thing to play with.

My oldest boy is almost 9 and he still likes to play with kitchen stuff. Him and his sister play all day with thier kitchen set. I say go ahead and buy it.

If he gets bored with it then hide it for a few weeks or months and bring it back out and it will seem like a new toy all over again. I rotate my sons toys regularly. He gets so excited when I ask him to help me pack up the toys in his playroom, he dances around saying "new toys! new toys!" even though I am just bringing his old toys out of storage.

I have four boys ages 10 to 1 and our kitchen supplies are played with on a daily basis. Even my oldest was playing grocery store with his younger brothers the other day (he was the store owner and cashier). I have made a point to purchase all wooden food food and kitchen accessories. The wooden toys last longer and definately get more play in my house. I think that imaginative play is one of the most important things a child can do. As a homeschooling mom, I have seen my children using imaginative play to reinforce skills that they are learning. A kitchen is a great way to facilitate that.

Sincerely,
N.
off-grid homeschooling mom to four boys

My son loves his kitchen. He fell in love with kitchens when he was about 1 and he is now almost 4. Of course he doesn't play with it as often now...
However, we have a used craigslist kitchen that we bought back when he was 1 for about $35. I really felt strongly that we should buy something used to try out first because I was afraid to invest so much money in a kitchen. If you plan to have another child I'd say go ahead and splurge on the nice kitchen, but if you only plan to have one child then I would go the craigslist route.

I have 3 boys. Until other boys start teasing him.....about age 3 or 4...depending on who you do play dates with. My boys will play "restaraunt" with it, but then add in a "boss", a "security guard", etc.....we went cheaper, the boys are more into tool benches, action figures, etc... I've come to realize that the cuteness of products appeals more to the parents. As long as the kids have a kitchen to use, they don't care how cool it is....they haven't figured that stuff out yet.

Jennifer,

Regardless of girl or boy, babies/toddlers will play with their kitchens for a very long time. We got one for my daughter when she was 1 and she is almost 4 now and it is still her favorite toy. You can never go wrong with a kitchen and I think it is also great for their learning and development. My daughter will probably play with her kitchen until she is at least 5 or 6. The box even said it was designed for kids ages 3-8. Good luck!

Well, my 32 year old baby brother just opened his own restaurant for which he is head chef. I think the idea that cooking food is a female activity is outdated. It seems that kids can get bored with any kind of toy for any reason, but I wouldn't hesitate if you picture a lot of imaginative play from it!

Considering that many professional chefs are men, the answer could be forever... I hear Bobby Flay started with an easy bake oven.

Hello!
All young children enjoy doing what they see the adults and older children in their environment doing. A quality toy kitchen is a great item for any child. I think it would be the same with any toy, they may not be interested in it forever, but if it is quality, provides valuable learning experience and of course makes them happy and keeps them busy, boy or girl, it doesn't matter, they should have the opportunity to experience it. Though, for my own son, I try and buy quality used items since I know no matter what it is, he won't be interested in it forever, or will outgrow it.
Have fun with the new kitchen!

My son is 4 1/2 and loves his play kitchen. He too loves to cook and it's been fun fostering this interest since he was about your son's age. He now can make buttermilk pancakes and banana bread with my supervision and some help on the measurements. He played with his girl cousin's kitchen when he was about 3 and got one himself this last Christmas when he was 4. He loves it still and since he has a younger sister 2 yo I expect he'll continue to be interested in it for quite some time. Depending on how much it matters to you how the set looks, there are some cute ones that don't cost as much that you might try as an initial purchase. If your son continues to show interest and enjoy it maybe you'd feel more comfortable "investing" in the one you like so well. Someone recently mentioned that the Easy Bake Oven has come a long way since we were kids and for a child who likes to bake/cook that might be something to consider down the road. We discovered that Melissa and Doug makes some great play food toys - they're wood and claim to only use safe paints etc. A nice alternative to the plastic "junk" that's out there - especially since your son is young and no doubt still enjoys putting everything in his mouth. Good luck and have fun! PS - If you like the expensive set better and enjoy seeing it in your house then that might motivate you to use it more with him too - in that case it'll be worth every penny and you'll both be happy no matter what. It's also fun when he gets older and his friends come over to play - I suspect you'll get lots of years out of it.

We got a kitchen for my oldest son when he was two. I think he played with it until he was 4 or so and still will play with it every few weeks at 5 years old. My almost 2 1/2 year old son loves it and plays with it all the time. So I think you have lots of time.

With that said, it's been so fascinating watching my two boys - how different their interests and development have been. You never know what they'll like. But I do think a kitchen is a great toy to have - and it is a magnet whenever other kids come over.

My son is 4 and he and his almost 2 year old sister love their kitchen. They play with it all the time. We found ours used on Craigs List.

My grandson just turned 4 and he has had a kitchen playset for 2 years now and loves to play with it. His dad cooks a lot, so he sees that as an example. He also has twin brothers, 15 months, so I think his little kitchen is going to continue to be used quite a bit. Chris P

A boy will play with cooking as long as a boy will play with cooking. Kids love to play house in differing ages according to differing personalities.

If you buy this cooking set, make sure you are buying it for him, rather than buying it for yourself. At age one, it is hard to tell where his interests will lead him.

My oldest is 5 and he still plays with our toy kitchen. I think it depends of the child, and how involved the child is in the real kitchen. I always include my boys in baking real food, and I think that makes the play more fun because they have something to base there pretending on.

I think a toy kitchen is something that kids play with in stages. It will be really cool as soon as you get it. Then it won't get touched or looked at for a while, but as long as you it's there, eventually kids will come back to it. And as long as you stock it with lots of fun food and stuff... even stuff and tape shut some of the old food boxes your son is used to eating, like snack boxes, or juice boxes. Kitchens are great imagination play. And I know I've seen kids, (even boys) as old as 5 to 6 playing with the kitchens we have had. So, I'd say go for it, just don't feel bad if they suddenly lose interest, especially at 1, it might not be the coolest toy you have, but when he gets to 3 and 4, there is a lot of imagination to be used on a kitchen!

Get it! My son is 4 and still plays with the kitchen I got him two years ago.
Kitchens are a good investment - kids will play with them during play dates, and if you have another child or friends with younger children as your son gets older, they'll play with it too.

I would go for it. My three younger kids (ages 8 (girl),6(boy),5(girl)) are still playing house and resturant. As a matter a fact I came home yesterday for doing some shopping to have my whole kitchen table filled with real food and drinks for them playing. What a mess.

My 10 yr old and his friend played with his sister's kitchen set just yesterday!! (Seriously!)

I made my kids a wooden kitchen set for Christmas a couple years ago and they both still love it and play with it a lot. My son is 5 and my daughters are 3 and 6 mos. My nieces and nephews of many ages love to play with it when they come over too. Your son is only 1 so I imagine that he would have many years of enjoying the set before it just started taking up space.

Jennifer - My son is 3 1/2 and a rough and tumble boy. He still plays with his kitchen. We got ours used off of craigslist, for free. We bought the food at Ross for about $15 (two packages). I have a four year old niece and a 2 1/2 year old girl I nanny, and I would say that it is played with almost every day.
I don't know if I would go the expensive route, but that's just me! You might be able to find a nice one for a lot less on craigslist. But, that's up to you!!
L.

I say teach that little guy everything he wants to know about the kitchen. He will love it and learn so much. What a great way for him to bond with mom. I hope he loves it and plays with it for a very long time, maybe even role playing some of the chef's he sees on TV. It's a good way for a boy to learn that a kitchen is for everyone, not just girls. After all, we all need to eat. I say go for it and foster a fabulous son who may some day do the cooking with fond memories of his childhood playset.

My son's been helping cook in the real kitchen since he was about 1 and a half...and he's six now...still helps.

Having him help with every meal not only meant that he's never been "underfoot", or wanting my attention when I'm busy cooking...but since he was about 3...he's actually helped speed up the time line! (Except for grated cheese. he loooooooves grating cheese...but it takes him f.o.r.e.v.e.r.)

We never got a play kitchen, we just backed a chair up to the counter. And he's still doing it, at every meal.

Anyhow...doesn't really answer your question...just something to think about.

As long as he wants to. I would hope that your son grows up to be a 50yr old man who knows his way around a kitchen and can whip up the most fantastic meals for his parents when they come to visit, whether he's married or not. My brothers all helped my Mom bake pies and cookies, bread and puddings. They know how to broil, fry and barbeque. My Dad made some of the most delicious stews, chowders and chilis. Get rid of the notions that there are boy toys and girl toys. If you have a little girl later, get her the trucks, the tool chest, the lego blocks and erector sets. Girls should grow up to be the most self-sufficient, highly capable, extremely knowledgeable humans on the face of the earth. It's a good thing to raise kids who can do it all, who know no limits to their creativity, their skills, their knowledge, their dreams and ambitions. Their play helps them dream, build, learn and create. Enjoy every moment!!!

My son is 4 and my nephew is 5 and they both still play with kitchen sets. Kitchen sets are great for imaginative play.

I finally bought a play kitchen for the boys this last Christmas. Everytime we would go to visit my SIL, the boys would play for hours on my nieces play kitchen! Our sons are 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. It's actually our older son that initiates the play more. I found a 50's diner set at walmart.com for about $125. I love that it is really durable, because the boys are often rough with their toys. They love that it has a little table and bench seats on on side. They like to eat their snacks there. Despite the fact that it comes with seating, it isn't as big as you may think.

I vote that you buy a kitchen, new or used - whatever you want. But, I'd also encourage you to let your son help in the real kitchen. One of the first things our sons learned to do was unload the dishwasher. They learned words for things by handing us something, and we'd say "fork", "plate", etc. Pretty soon, they were adding their own descriptions, "mommy's coffee cup", "mickey mouse fork". Too cute!

my son is almost 4 and still plays with our kitchen. He also plays with the kitchen at my parents' house and the one at his cousins house. The important thing is that it has doors to open, and knobs to turn...it doesn't need to be anything fancy. We spent 40 dollars on ours and they love it.

I think he'll get years out of playing with it. My kids played with their kichen,workbench and beauty salon until about 4. Then they became outside toys,giving them a whole new life and finally ended up in a garage sale.So I more than got my moneys worth.
How expensive is it?

It does depend on the boy of course, but my friend still has her little kitchen up and her youngest boy is 8. Kids, boys and girls, have a great time preparing "food" until at least 5 or 6. A kitchen is a great investment. We've had a play kitchen around since our oldest was little (she's 12). My son is 3.5, he plays with it all the time. I also have a 7 year old girl and she and friends (boy and girl) will play "restaurant" or she will play with her brother. Even if they aren't playing with it alone all the time, it's a great interactive activity when friends come over. Make sure to get the make believe food/fruit/plates/utensils even pots and pans.

Maybe a future sibling could use it too?

We received a cute kitchen set when my daughter turned two years old. She played with it off and on. At one point, I thought about giving it away, but she now plays with it more than ever. She is now 4. When her friends come over-- boys or girls-- they gravitate towards the play kitchen. I wouldn't worry about whether it is a girl or boy thing. I think all children love to cook if given the opportunity. It is really about emulating the adults and thinking through the science of cooking as well. I say go for it and keep the kitchen as long as he likes.

Best of luck to you!

My first response is, "It depends on the boy."

But I can tell you that we bought one for my oldest, now 13, and his younger brother, now 6+, still ocassionally plays with it.(And sometimes talks his 2 older siblings to do so with him :)Iron Chef, anyone?) That's a 12 year investment.

I would say the average age is sometime between 4 and 6. It's a GREAT investment. When you go to buy "food" for it the Melissa and Doug wooden stuff is the best. The other plastic stuff ends up breaking and cracking.

Have fun with your new kitchen!

I'm not sure it is a gender issue, but probably more of an age issue. My son just turned 4 and seems to be losing interest in the play kitchen.

My almost 4 year old son LOVES his kitchen.

My son is four and still plays with the kitchen we have although I'm not sure he is playing "kitchen" with it. I would say your son will probably really enjoy it for a couple years. Just remember the kitchen is for him, not you so don't buy the most expensive one just because you really like the looks of it. If you want him to really enjoy it make sure it has the things that attract him to it. If you can take him to the store and have him play with it first and see if he really likes it and it hold his attention. Good luck!

I didn't read all the responses, so maybe you said this...but I'm interested to know the one you found and purchased? We're looking for one for our son too...but I haven't found a nice one that I like yet. Curious to hear about yours! Thanks...

K.

I think it's a purchase well worth making.My niece got a kitchen when she was about 2-3 and @ 4 welcomed a baby sister so at some point it was passed down to her baby sister because she became interested in My Little Ponies.My friends youngest and mine are 5 weeks apart (3 in June/July) and LOVE the kitchen and even now at 6 my niece will join them and even wants it moved back to her room sometimes.

I'd "let" him (as if you can tell a child they can't play with something in the house like that, lol) until he can use my kitchen and start making meals for the family!

We could not afford a kitchen set for our son when he was young. I was a stay at home mom and loved to cook. I had my son helping me in the kitchen, playing with safe items, pouring measured ingredients, playing in the sink with bubbles, etc. He still loves experimenting with cooking. However, this might have helped with his career decision, he has become a chemist and is currently working on his Phd.
When he visits some of our best talks are in the kitchen working together on a meal.

My boys are 2 and 4 and they LOVE to play with their kitchen. I think that as long as he is interested, let him play. He may grow up to be a chef! Imaginative play is so good for them. And it gives you another way to play with him. I think that you should go for it. Even if he doesn't play with it as long as expected, there is always Craigslist or Ebay.

He'll play with it until he moves on to something else or until he moves into real food preparation in a real kitchen. When my sons were young we had little funds. I made them a play area with a cardboard box stove, sink, oven, etc, with toy cooking utensils and dishes. I wanted them to enjoy creative play and not have gender specific roles foisted on them. When my oldest was 11 he told me just wanted to prepare food when he grew up. Then, when he was 19, he apprenticed to a chef for 3 years. No, he does not work in that field now, he doesn't care for fish and most places that have chefs serve fish dishes. The smells and tastes nauseated him. What he does do now is prepare the family meals. He and his wife/son live with us, (by choice- not necessity), and he prepares the family dinner most nights, with the rest of us pitching in. We have wonderful meals and it's a family oriented time of the day.

Never discourage your children from exploring what interests them, you never know what might launch from those early explorations.

Keep plugging that kitchen and the cooking skills. Men who are chefs can do very ashed potatoes. He would peel them with ae peeler. I cut then til I felt it was safe for him to use a knife. Then he mixed all the butter and milk asnd salt and pepper. He also loved making pizzas. now he gets into trouble making too much food when he's home from school. He also learned to sew and makes a cute pillow. He even can use an industrial machine which sews much faster than a home machine. It doesn't make them gay or promote that life style.
Both my sons can and do cook. My daughter in law didn't even know how to boil water and stated years ago it was a good thing Mike knew how to cook or they would have starved.

I have not read the other responses because I did not want them to influence what I say to you. I also know that your question has more or less been resolved in your mind.
Ok...that being said ....lol
I have seven children, five sons and two daughters. Needless to say there was a huge amount of work that needed to be done on a daily basis.
I thought about traditional boy/girl chores, toys, clothes, ect..and decided to ignore the gender classifications.
I thought about the boys growing up, being on their own before settling down. And realized that they could greatly benefit from being able to take care of themselves.
All my sons are good to fantastic cooks, can sew a button on, do their laundry, clean their living quarters, change a bed.
The girls worked at the boat yard with their dad just as the boys did. They can manage minor repairs in their homes, change washers for plumbing, change oil in their cars ect.
As the children grew older I thought they would gravitate towards the boy./girl toys on their own. To a certain extent they did but mostly they played with what interested them.
We were fortunate to have a European toy store not too far away and those were the toys they liked best.
Couple of the boys went to building models and such but then, one of the girls did too.
In my opinion your son may well enjoy the kitchen set, my grandson plays with his outside one off and on all summer.
Try not to decide what to buy for a toy based on gender, but take him to a toy store and see what he likes and is interested in.
Best wishes and God bless
Grandmother Lowell

my 3.5 year old son still cooks everyday! I think that a kitchen set is a wonderful gift - don't know that the money spent on a fancy or extravegant on is necessarily the best way to spend the money - but that is your choice. We have a plastic "stainless steel" one by FP, and my son loves it - not "girly"...he NEVER uses the sound effects on it - he just likes playing with the food and pertending he is a chef at different restaurants that we frequent.

I had a kitchen set in my kitchen for my 2 sons to play with also. Now they are ages 28 and 24, and they are both excellent, excellent cooks who do cook every chance that they get the opportunity and thoroughly enjoy it and have really good instincts with experimentation (making their own recipes or altering recipes created by other people). I am extremely grateful for that, and very proud of them for that.

I also got each of them dolls to play with, when they were little. The older one got an anatomically-correct wetting doll that could be bathed in the bathtub, when his little brother was born (plus 2 dinasaurs, in case the baby doll idea didn't fly, but both kinds were well-loved). Then later on they both got some Cabbage Patch boy dolls. And although I don't know if there is a connection, throughout their lives they have both been very fond of and sensitive to babies and children, which I am also very, very grateful for. I suspect that the fact that their father is also very fond of babies and children and was very attentive to them and involved with them has something to do with it as well. Our church also has been very inter-generational, frequently including children in church activities and inter-generational meals and situations and conversations, so I suspect that that has something to do with it as well.

But all of that is to say that there can be many positive results to allowing boys and girls to play however fits for them (aside from violent behaviors), regardless of how that may challenge our ideas for gender-appropriate toys.

Best wishes,
J.