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Our Top 3 Picks for the Best Wooden Play Kitchens
Best budget choice
Best splurge
Searching for the best wooden play kitchen for your family? It’s a big investment, so you definitely want to get one that will last for years. And you want to make sure you find one that will delight your kids — so your hard-earned money isn’t spent on 2 weeks’ worth of play before being relegated to the dust bunnies — and one that you won’t mind looking at in your home for a long time.
We’ve scoured the internet looking for all the best wooden play kitchens to make your search simpler. If you’re not sure what to look for, just keep reading because we break down all the things you need to know to pick the best one for you.
- Our Top 3 Picks for the Best Wooden Play Kitchens
- The Best Wooden Play Kitchens by Category
- Best overall wooden play kitchen: Teamson Kids Little Chef Upper East Retro Play Kitchen
- Best budget wooden play kitchen: Best Choice Products Wooden Pretend Play Kitchen
- Best wooden play kitchen to splurge on: Milton & Goose Essential Wooden Play Kitchen
- Best wooden play kitchen for small spaces: Teamson Kids Little Chef Florence Classic Kids Play Kitchen
- Best large wooden play kitchen: KidKraft Ultimate Corner Wooden Play Kitchen with Lights & Sounds
- Wooden play kitchen with the best accessories: KidKraft Wooden Farm to Table Play Kitchen
- Tallest wooden play kitchen: KidKraft Large Play Kitchen with Lights & Sounds
- Most stylish wooden play kitchen: Teamson Kids Little Chef Paris Modern Play Kitchen
- A Guide to Buying the Best Wooden Play Kitchens
- Final thoughts
The Best Wooden Play Kitchens by Category
Best overall wooden play kitchen: Teamson Kids Little Chef Upper East Retro Play Kitchen
Gorgeous aesthetic meets practicality in this perfect little play kitchen. Kids can easily play together in this space and there is so much storage space for all the food and cookware you know you will accumulate.
The stove and microwave both make realistic noises, and it comes with a pot and pan for kids to get cooking right away. Probably the most appealing feature is really the design. It’s sturdy and beautiful in a style that will fit into the decor of most homes and is so farmhouse trendy it would make Joanna Gaines proud.
Made with MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard, aka particle board), most reviews of this kitchen set are glowing, with the biggest negative being the time-consuming assembly, which will be the case with basically all of the choices out there.
- Dimensions: 32.5″ (L) x 36.75″ (W) x 42.5″ (H)
- Recommended ages: 3-8 years
Best budget wooden play kitchen: Best Choice Products Wooden Pretend Play Kitchen
This kitchen is a real find, and could honestly give a lot of wooden play kitchens a run for their money even though it’s at a much lower price point (under $100!).
The design is simple and minimalist, not tons of bright colors or flashy pieces, so it’ll blend into most decor nicely. The features will be a hit with the kiddos too. The chalkboard fridge alone is a huge draw (no pun intended), and the seven included accessories are a nice bonus.
While most reviewers and their kids love this play kitchen, there’re a few who said it was smaller, difficult to assemble, and the quality isn’t the best. It’s also made from composite wood and plastic, not solid wood. But because of the low price and the overall great reviews, we think it’s worth a try if you’re looking for a budget option.
- Dimensions: 31.75” (L) x 12” (W) x 33.5” (H)
- Recommended ages: 3 years & up
Best wooden play kitchen to splurge on: Milton & Goose Essential Wooden Play Kitchen
Don’t let the simple aesthetic fool you. This wooden play kitchen is a dream for parents and kids looking for a natural and well-made kitchen that will last a lifetime.
This play kitchen is made in the USA by Amish artisans from sustainable Baltic Birch and American Maple. The finishes are water-based, low-VOC, and HAPs-free. The level of care and quality in this wooden play kitchen is truly luxurious. If you want a play kitchen that is truly all solid wood without any manufactured woods or plastics, it’s going to be a splurge.
If the plain wood style isn’t your favorite, check out the gorgeous grey version. This play kitchen is a little smaller than others, but you can expand it by adding on a kitchen hood, and a refrigerator to store all your — oops, we mean your kids’ — darling play food.
- Dimensions: 31″ (L) x 13″ (W) x 26″ (H)
- Recommended ages: 3 years & up
Best wooden play kitchen for small spaces: Teamson Kids Little Chef Florence Classic Kids Play Kitchen
There is so much to do, and so many cute features on this small wooden play kitchen to spark kids’ imaginations.
It includes five accessories and comes in three different colors — white, natural wood, or pink — and is made from MDF. The look is also a fun retro design that’s a little different than a lot of the modern-looking play kitchens, which makes it a little whimsical for kids.
Like many toy kitchens, reviewers said it was hard to assemble, and a few came with missing parts or hardware. However, with the small size comes a small price point, which somewhat outweighs the negatives for us.
- Dimensions: 21.65” (L) x 11.81” (W) x 38.19” (H)
- Recommended ages: 3 years & up
Best large wooden play kitchen: KidKraft Ultimate Corner Wooden Play Kitchen with Lights & Sounds
This play kitchen is big and just a really solid choice overall. While not cheap, it’s affordable compared to some other wooden play kitchens. The aesthetic is cute enough parents won’t want to hide it away, and it’s good quality.
With multiple play spaces, two or even three kids can play in it together. The extra features like an ice dispenser that makes noise, or stove burners with sounds of the gas being turned on are fun for kids. There’s also tons of storage space for all the food and cookware little ones could want, and it discreetly fits into a corner.
Besides it being a little tough to assemble, the biggest negative is that it isn’t all solid wood but a mix of different materials including MDF, solid wood, and plastic parts. So if you want 100% solid wood, this one isn’t for you, but for most families it’s a great fit.
- Dimensions: 42.5″ (L) x 32.5″ (W) x 36.75″ (H)
- Recommended ages: 3 years & up
Wooden play kitchen with the best accessories: KidKraft Wooden Farm to Table Play Kitchen
Parents will be happy that this set focuses on quality instead of quantity for the accessories that come with this kitchen. (It gets exhausting picking up all those little pretend pieces of food.) Instead of a hundred little accessories, there are 18 well-thought-out pieces that really give the farm-to-table experience.
The adorable flower boxes of veggies in the kitchen sink window aren’t just there for style; they are also used for play and can be “chopped” up with a play chef’s knife. Add in a cutting board, pretend ice for the icemaker, and a chalkboard, and this is a surefire win!
It’s made of MDF, solid wood, metal, and plastic. It seems to be about as difficult to assemble as other wooden play kitchens, and some reviewers said they had missing or defective parts.
- Dimensions: 44.2” (L) x 13.6” (W) x 43” (H)
- Recommended ages: 3 years & up
Tallest wooden play kitchen: KidKraft Large Play Kitchen with Lights & Sounds
It can be tough finding a play kitchen you know will work if you have really tall or older kids, but the KidKraft Large Play Kitchen is a favorite of parents with big kids.
This has a lot of features similar to our choice for overall best wooden play kitchen, and it’s made from MDF, solid wood, and plastic. But reviewers said they specifically bought this one for their older or taller children, and they were not disappointed.
Like pretty much all play kitchens, the assembly can be long and tough, though some reviewers said it was easier than expected. While some received kitchens with defects, the vast majority were well-made and in good condition.
If you need it to be even taller, we suggest placing the play kitchen on wooden pallets or a platform to give it that extra boost in height. (We recommend it for all the other kitchens on the list too!)
- Dimensions: 43.75” x 17.5” x 44.25”
- Recommended ages: 3-12 years
Most stylish wooden play kitchen: Teamson Kids Little Chef Paris Modern Play Kitchen
So stylish it could be in a home design magazine. From the sleek and modern design down to the rose gold hardware, it doesn’t get any more posh than this wooden play kitchen.
Beyond the gorgeous look, it’s still a really functional and fun kitchen for kids to play with from toddler years to well beyond. The stove knobs click with realistic sounds and the ice machine even dispenses “real” ice, not to mention all the storage that’s available.
While some decried it for being flimsy and cheaply made with particle board and chipping paint, the majority of reviewers seem to have no issues with it. Some even said it was fairly easy to assemble, though others said it took over two hours.
- Dimensions: 44” (L) x 11.75” (W) x 31.75” (H)
- Recommended ages: 3 years & up
A Guide to Buying the Best Wooden Play Kitchens
Why choose a wooden play kitchen?
Wooden toys are making a comeback after plastic reigning supreme for decades. But why?
Wood is more eco-friendly than plastic.
Have you seen those giant islands of floating trash in the oceans? A lot of that is made up of plastic, and much of our freshwater is infested with “microplastics” now too. It can take plastic 500+ years to decompose compared to wood, which takes much less time.
While a lot of parents will insist on solid wood toys because they’re generally of higher quality and of more natural materials, there’re also wood options like MDF. Using MDF might actually be preferable to solid wood from an ecological perspective because it’s composed of old scrap wood that would have turned into waste instead.
Plastic does still tend to be more affordable, and unless you’re totally self-sufficient and living off the grid, it’s nearly impossible to go without using plastics. So don’t stress too much if plastic is the best choice for your family. But if you want to buy a plastic play kitchen in a sustainable way, you can always look for one second-hand to reduce waste.
Wood may offer better educational and sensory experiences.
A lot of parenting and educational philosophies that have become very popular tend to favor natural materials for toys. Methods like Montessori usually encourage parents to buy wooden toys over plastic because they tend to foster more imaginative and open-ended play. Plus, the sensory experience is superior to plastic toys.
Concern over plastic safety.
Headlines about unregulated or poorly regulated ingredients used in toys, like lead paint, have caused a lot of parents to worry about whether the toys their children are touching all day are safe. Some worry that the plastics being used might have carcinogenic properties that pose a risk not only to children but all those around them.
Aesthetics.
A wooden play kitchen will much more likely blend into the decor of a home and not stick out compared to brightly colored plastic toys. So parents enjoy the more aesthetic design of wooden play kitchens.
Wooden play kitchens are more eco-friendly than plastic, wood offers a better sensory experience for kids, it’s less likely to have toxic chemicals, and is a more aesthetically pleasing choice to have in your home.
What to look for when buying a wooden play kitchen?
Size
How much space do you have? There are play kitchens for everyone from larger sizes for big kids to a play kitchen that will fit perfectly into a small space. Some are portable or can be used on tabletops — like this one.
We’ve listed all the dimensions for the play kitchens we recommend here in the descriptions above so you don’t have to go searching for measurements.
Accessories
Most wooden kitchens come with just a handful of accessories if any. But what they lack in quantity, they make up for in quality like the ones in this farm-to-table wooden play kitchen.
If you want additional accessories that are not included with the kitchen, Melissa & Doug make great pots, pans, and utensils, plus wooden food!
Budget
The vast majority of quality wooden play kitchens (whether MDF or solid wood) are over $100. The price can then range up as high as you want to go after that, like our splurge pick that is handcrafted from solid wood.
But if you keep an eye out, you can find a good deal like our pick for the best budget kitchen. Amazon also sometimes slashes prices greatly, reducing the cost of a quality wooden kitchen, though around $80 seems to be rock-bottom pricing for a full-sized wooden kitchen.
If you want to grab one for less than that, check out local swaps or second-hand stores. You can usually find something gently used for a good price.
Is a play kitchen worth it?
To be honest, your mileage may vary. If you love working in the kitchen, and your children being there with you is a delight rather than a messy hindrance, you could actually skip buying a play kitchen and just involve them in your cooking/baking endeavors (with child-safe kitchen tools of course, and possibly a toddler step-stool). Nothing beats actual hands-on experience, whether it’s mixing floor or beating eggs. Who knows, your child might be on the next MasterChef Kids!
However, if cleaning up the inevitable food mess and extra dirty dishes is something you abhor with your entire heart, sticking with pretend play till they grow much older (and can clean up after themselves) might be best for your family.
What is the best age for play kitchens?
Most wooden play kitchens are recommended for kids ages 3-12.
But kids love playing with kitchen sets from the time they can stand and use it all the way up to elementary and even tween years. Though the way they play will change over time.
At very young ages they might like to play with the different features like ice machines, sorting the foods, and pretending to cook. Then as they get older, the imaginative play will become more and more complex, turning into playing “restaurant” or “cooking for family” with storylines and different characters.
That’s the beauty of toys like a play kitchen. They grow with the child and help their imagination grow in turn.
Final thoughts
Play kitchens offer so many opportunities for children to learn, play, explore, and stretch their imaginations. Finding the best wooden play kitchen for your family is an investment, so we hope our guide above has helped you with your decision!
Looking for more beautiful toys that inspire pretend play? Check out our picks for the best dollhouses.