Play kitchen accessories can make or break the whole play kitchen experience. Especially for us moms.
Having too many toys in the kitchen can be SUCH a pain when it comes to cleaning up. It can quickly look messy and can be difficult for little ones to clean up.
By carefully selecting the right toys to go with your play kitchen, you will not only get less annoyed by the mess, but your children will have better quality play, and they will play for longer stretches of time! Which is definitely a win for us!
I was very picky when it came to selecting the right play kitchen and the play kitchen accessories. It has paid off in dividends.
My kids play with it just about every day. It can easily be cleaned up, due to not overcrowding with play kitchen accessories.
I’ve rounded up the 26 best play kitchen accessories, that are perfect for any play kitchen!
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Hot Tip for Selecting Play Kitchen Accessories
Before we get started, I have a piece of advice when it comes to selecting play kitchen accessories that are good for your family. Pick toys that mimic things you use in your life.
Our children are constantly playing out scenes from what they see us doing. They want to be like us and do what we do.
By selecting toys that are similar to what we really use, we are giving them that opportunity.
For example, you’ll see Melissa & Doug’s coffee maker on this list. My husband and I are regular coffee drinkers, so my kids totally love being able to make their own coffee.
(My 3 year old now prefers to make her own “coffee” to take along on car rides…which may indicate that I need to dial my caffeine habit back a little. Maybe.)
But if you don’t drink coffee in your house, you might want to hold off on the coffee maker toy. (Even though it is totally adorable!)
1. The Kitchen
Okay…I know this isn’t an accessory. But I’m obsessed with our play kitchen, and wanted to share in case you might be on the search for one.
Shocking, but I was very picky when it came to selecting a play kitchen.
I wanted something wooden (particle board, at least) over plastic. This is totally my personal preference. Our dining room doubles as the playroom. Rather than a clunky brightly colored plastic kitchen, I was looking for something a little more subdued.
I was also budget-conscious, hoping to pay around $150, give or take. Quality was important to me, but I didn’t need anything over the top. I ended up ordering it on a Target Black Friday sale for $99!
Like in an actual kitchen, I wanted the storage to be sufficient. I wanted the kitchen to be able to contain all of the toys associated with it. The kitchen I selected certainly met this need.
In fact, if I felt I needed more space, I could certainly build an extra shelf or two of my own to fit in the fridge. There’s plenty of space.
We are almost two years in with this kitchen and it has been worth every penny of that bargain deal! The quality has certainly held up. All three of my cluster babies (that is, my 3 year old, 2 year old, and 1 year old) play with it regularly.
If you are on the search for a play kitchen, I can’t recommend this one enough!
2. Melissa & Doug Food
This set of wooden food covers all your needs for kitchen play. It includes a little of everything. I personally prefer the wooden food to plastic.
We’ve had ours for almost two years now, with daily use, and they are all still in great shape! They come in four little boxes with fit perfectly in our little refrigerator shelf!
3. Melissa & Doug Play Kitchen Accessories
I love this accessory set from Melissa & Doug. It has everything your child would need for a play kitchen, except for the food.
It includes everything from plates and utensils to pots, pans, and cooking utensils. The colors are plain, which I like a lot. I purchased this set when I originally purchased the kitchen.
We have since been gifted a second of the same set. With having two, almost three kids playing in it, it is a welcome addition.
If you are thinking of getting a play kitchen, this set is all you really need to go along with it…aside from some food!
4. Recycled Food Containers
I like to keep a few recycled containers in their fridge that reflect things we use everyday. Currently we have a mini-sized creamer bottle, a puffs bottle, some empty spice bottles, a peanut butter jar and a baby formula box.
Our newest favorite is a tiny milk jug. We got it from the apple orchard, filled with apple cider. It’s the same shape as the typical gallon jug, but is the perfect fit to their kitchen!
I’ll sometimes throw in a plastic butter tub or egg carton.
I usually avoid cardboard boxes. They seem to get torn quickly, and aren’t really played with. Every once in a while, I’ll try it out, though.
5. Melissa & Doug Condiments Set
The kids love and use this condiment set!
The way the ketchup and mustard work is quintessentially Melissa & Doug! When you tip the bottles over, a long yellow or red string comes out, so the child can pretend to put it on their food. When the bottle is tipped back to upright, a block tied to the string inside of the bottle pulls the string back down into the bottle! Simple, and perfect for pretend play!
The hot sauce bottle is a favorite. We don’t use hot sauce in our house, so this one sometimes turns into a baby bottle!
The salt and pepper shake, and are actually great rattles for a baby, if you have cluster babies going on, like myself.
6. Melissa & Doug Cutting Food
This is a great set to practice cutting and fine motor skills. It would be a wonderful addition to any play kitchen! The large wooden box holds all of the pieces and still fits in our kitchen cabinet!
7. Melissa & Doug Grilling Set
This grilling set includes a “grill,” spatula, tongs, and grilling food. The grill is a colorful cardboard box with Velcro. The food has Velcro, so it can stick to the grill. The box is small enough to fit in our kitchen, and gets good use!
My personal favorite out of this set is the tongs. I use them for everything with the kids. They’re great for sensory bins or other fine motor play. If I could find these tongs sold individually, I would be stocking up!
8. Coffee Maker
I was so excited to give this to my kids, knowing how much they’d like it! If you are a Keurig user, then this is a must for your child’s kitchen!
It comes with three wooden k-cups that fit into the coffee maker. It also includes two wooden coffee cups, wooden sugar packet, milk carton, spoon, a laminated coffee ordering card, and an ice cube for your iced coffee, of course!
Kids can put in the k-cup, press the button and turn the dial, to get the coffee just right!
9. Table and Chairs
Having a child-sized table and chairs near the kitchen is a great addition. Your kids can make the food, then sit down to eat it!
Or sometimes my kids are like their mother, and just need a larger space to work!
We love this set from Amazon. We’ll just need to get an additional chair for our youngest!
10. Melissa & Doug Cleaning Set
It’s always shocking how much kids love to pretend clean! Especially considering how much of a mess they can make!
Both my kids at 2 years old, have loved to sweep when I sweep. To be honest, that situation can sometimes make more of a mess. But it is so sweet. And good practice!
The other day, my 1 year old got into the onions in the pantry. The dry outer onion skins were everywhere. Without at all being prompted, my 2 year old got the broom and dustpan from this set, and swept up the onion skins and put them in the trash! #proudmommoment
It’s nice that they are functional, so I can teach my kids how to clean up after themselves.
I also love the cleaning rack. It doesn’t take up much floor space at all! It keeps the cleaning tools in reach and organized.
11. Baby Doll High Chair
If I had known how much use this high chair would be used in our play kitchen, I probably would’ve gone for a wooden one that wasn’t bright pink. Like this one. Personal preference!
My kids use it all. Of. The. Time. They love to feed their babies and stuffed animals in it! (Especially when I’m feeding the real baby!)
12. Measuring Cups and Spoons
So these aren’t even technically toys. I added real measuring cups and spoons to my kids’ kitchen. They can pretend to cook and bake using them, just like we do when we cook and bake together.
Also, I always pull these for sensory bins, so it’s the perfect spot to store them!
Even More from Melissa & Doug
If you haven’t caught on, I’m a huge fan of Melissa & Doug products. They’re always high quality at a reasonable price point.
They are very much the modern day toy makers that utilize the simplicity of toys from long ago.
Anyhow, huge fan.
The following products, I haven’t tried yet, but there might be something in here that is just right for your family!
13. Melissa & Doug Sushi Slicing
14. Melissa & Doug Smoothie Maker Blender
15. Melissa & Doug Salad Set
16. Melissa & Doug Taco & Tortilla Set
17. Melissa & Doug Pasta Set
18. Melissa & Doug Cake Mixer Set
19. Melissa & Doug Pizza Set
20. Melissa & Doug Toaster Set
21. Melissa & Doug Birthday Cake
22. Melissa & Doug Sandwich Set
23. Melissa & Doug Pancake Set
24. Melissa & Doug Cookie Set
25. Melissa & Doug Magnetic Ice Cream Set
26. Melissa & Doug Tea Set
Play Kitchen Accessory Organization
The organization of the play kitchen accessories was important to me from the getgo. Having taught kindergarten for years, I have become very accustomed to the organization and very likely disorganization of a play kitchen.
I wanted to keep it simple, but organized. I believe my kids should know where everything goes so they can clean up independently (or somewhat independently, depending on the age).
The freezer compartment is for spices, condiments, and kcups.
The top shelf in the fridge is for our recycled containers. The food goes in the little Melissa & Doug boxes on the bottom shelf.
In the oven, the top shelf is for pots and pans, while the bottom shelf has the grill and the large Melissa & Doug box with the cut-apart food.
The “dishwasher” has a large bin on each shelf. The top bin contains all utensils like forks, spatulas, and measuring spoons. The bottom bin contains plates and cups.
Having an organized kitchen actually makes their play better. Keeping things fairly organized leads to high-quality (i.e. very imaginative and for long stretches) kitchen play.
Conclusion
Having just the right play kitchen accessories can add to your children’s experience in high-quality play. Having too much can be overwhelming, so be picky in what you select for your child’s play kitchen!
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