While there are many benefits to children playing with a play kitchen, it’s important to realize that not all children playing with play kitchens are girls. For decades, kids have been enthralled by playing house while acting like mom and sometimes dad in the kitchen. Most parents see play activities as a good way to preoccupy the 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 raised in a home that provided at least one instance of a play kitchen realize just 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 gadgets. No matter what our preconceptions are about play kitchens, one fact is for sure: there is no longer a gender line between an Easy Bake Oven and little Johnny or little Sally. At the very least, the gender line is now blurred with girls and boys playing with these great toys. This only creates a better equipped and complete child development problem for both genders. Obviously, the benefits of children playing with these kitchens stem from the fact that they are learning to move around the kitchen.
By being familiar with the kitchen items that are replicated in a play kitchen, the child is better equipped to handle himself when the real thing 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 popular toys. There are developmental issues that arise long after children are in their teens, but none of them can be traced back to their associations with play kitchens. While it remains to be seen what the future holds for 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 have been learned for children while they are around. If nothing else, kids learn great culinary insight as long as parents remind them that real stoves are hot and boiling water can cause painful burns. It is very important that parents observe their children while they play and notice how they act and react when using the stove and/or microwave replicas. Much can be learned by watching children play, and especially while playing in a play kitchen.
