DIY Play Kitchen

Our little guy is the best "helper". He always wants to do what we're doing - cleaning, vacuuming, laundry, cooking... the list goes on. He and his dad cook together before I get home from work, and it's their special time together. C cooks our dinner (our real dinner), and A pulls up a chair to the counter, and makes his own meals... car soup, cinnamon and cheese tea, and iced coffee with a dash of animal crackers. He insists that we try it all, and if we tell him it needs to be cooked a bit longer, he goes right back to using the coffee pot as his stove.

So way back in January, C and I started planning his birthday present, which we knew would be a play kitchen. I had looked everywhere for one that fit our decor, and could withstand constant abuse, but came up empty handed. The ones I really liked were either out of our budget, or too large. The ones that fit our budget were too flashy, and didn't look durable. Next step? A DIY kitchen.

I found these plans in The Handbuilt Home by Ana White, and C agreed that it seemed easy enough to tackle in a weekend. So we brought A to Lowe's (by far, his favorite place on earth!) and picked out all the wood. Then I started searching for all the "fun" stuff: faucet, sink, pots & play food!

This was A upon seeing it the morning of his birthday!

He made us breakfast that morning, and has been cooking on it (and in it!) every day since. I think he likes it :)

Oh, and just to keep it real around here: this picture was taken before A ever played with this. It N.E.V.E.R. is this clean or organized. What can I say? He cooks like his momma!

Sources:
Oven Mitt & Pot Holder:  Lil' Kingdom on Etsy
Play Food: Melissa & Doug Food Set & Food Groups
Pots & Pans: Amazon
Burners: paint can tops (quart size)