While there are many benefits to children playing with a play kitchen, it’s important to realize that not all children playing with these sets are girls. For decades, children have been captivated by playing house while acting like mommy and sometimes daddy in the kitchen. Most parents view play activities as a good way to preoccupy a child, but what are some of the child development advantages behind this play activity? To adequately answer that question, we need to think about what exactly children are learning by playing with these units.
Most of us who are over the age of 25 and have grown up in a household that has provided at least one instance of a play kitchen realize how much fun these items really are. While it is mostly girls who make up the highest percentages of households that have played in the kitchen, there are also sometimes young boys who enjoy playing with kitchen appliances. No matter what our preconceived ideas about play kitchens are, one fact is certain: there is no longer a gender line between an Easy Bake Oven and little Johnny or little Sally. If nothing else, the gender line is now blurred with girls and boys playing with these great toys. This just makes for a well-rounded, better-equipped child development problem for both genders. Obviously, the advantages of children playing with these kitchens stem from the fact that they are learning to move around the kitchen.
By being familiar with kitchen items that are replicated in a play kitchen, the child is better equipped to handle himself when the real time comes. Play kitchens have been around for so many years and there have been very few cases of manufacturer negligence and/or children learning negative behaviors while playing with these very popular toys. There are developmental issues that crop up long after kids are in their teens, but none of them can be traced back to their associations with play kitchens. Although it remains to be seen what the future holds in child development issues and playing with replica household items, the bottom line is that there are currently no negative reversals associated with children playing with plastic ovens and plastic salt shakers.
Play kitchens come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties, and some of the most popular ones are made from safe, non-toxic plastic. With years of research and observations of children playing with these stoves, there have been no signs that harmful behavioral skills for children have been learned while they are around. At the very least, children learn great culinary acumen as long as parents remind them that real stoves are hot and boiling water can cause painful burns. It is very important that parents watch their children while they play and notice how they act and react when using the stovetop and/or microwave replicas. Much can be learned by watching children play, and especially while playing in a play kitchen.