Holiday Gift Guide 2012: Little Tikes Cook n' Grow Kitchen ~ Review & Giveaway

Both Kaelyn and Kaden are at an age where they love to engage in pretend play. I love to sit back and watch their creativity and imaginations at work. They never cease to amaze me with the dramatic play ideas they come up with, and I want to help encourage that in any way I can. And, when it comes to companies that offer high quality toys for kids, Little Tikes comes to mind right away!

Since 1970 Little Tikes has been offering families an amazing selection of innovative children's products that encourage them to get up and be active while playing. Offering everything from baby toys and children's furniture to riding toys and workshops...they have created a line of products that parents can trust and turn to time and time again.

Over the years we've owned several Little Tikes products and have always been impressed with the quality, educational value and overall appeal. That's why I was happy to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review one of their great toys this holiday season, the Cook n' Grow Kitchen!

 

Features/Benefits:

• • Kitchen has 2 age grade configurations
       1) Kitchen is expanded and the height is just right for toddlers
       2) Compacting the kitchen makes it just right for preschoolers
    • Electronic cooking sounds
    • Hooks for hanging cups
    • Molded in slots to hold plates
    • Oven, refrigerator and microwave doors all open and close
    • Shape-sorting lid for pot helps develop fine motor skills
    • 50+ accessories included
    • Requires 2 "AA" batteries (not included) 

When the Little Tikes kitchen playset arrived, the kids were SO excited (including my almost 1 year old at the time!). Out of the box there was some assembly, but like most Little Tikes products...was very simple to put together thanks to the user-friendly instructions! I appreciated that it didn't take long, as I had three very anxious little ones waiting to play with it!

Once it was put together, I was impressed with the high quality right away. Once again, Little Tikes did not disappoint! I could tell this will be something that will last a long time. YAY! Not only that, but the overall modern look was also something caught my attention. It's very realistic looking, which makes it that much more fun for the kids. Our kitchen is even red, so Kaelyn thought that was a fun similarity to "real life" as well!

To get the most fun out of a kitchen playset like this, little ones need accessories so that they can connect with their world through creative play, imitating life as they see their parents do it. That's why I LOVE the fact that the Cook n' Grow Kitchen from Little Tikes comes with 50+ accessories including plates, cups, pots, etc!

Not only that, but of course there's also many features that make playtime fun, including an oven, refrigerator, and microwave...all with doors that open and close. Kaelyn and Kaden love to bake us up goodies in them! And, when it's time to cook at the stove, the electronic cooking sounds are a lot of fun too!

There's also hooks for hanging cups and molded slots to hold plates to help keep everything organized.

Aside from all of these features that are fantastic, the one thing that stood out to me most as making this kitchen playset so unique from others I've seen, is that it has 2 age grade configurations. 1)Kitchen is expanded and the height is just right for toddlers and 2)Compacting the kitchen makes it just right for preschoolers. 

Kaelyn and Kaden both like it compacted so that's it's more at their height, but when Caysen wants to play, the expanded height works out great for his age/height! I love this feature because most kitchens would still be too tall from him to really get the most out of playing with it, not this one though! He is able to play right along with his brother and sister, and has a GREAT time too! The fact that this kid's kitchen playset grows with children is just another reason why I think it would make a fantastic gift for young children. It's something that families can be certain will last them for many years, remaining a source of fun the whole time!

 

Although Caysen is a bit too young to engage in role play like his siblings, he does enjoy the included shape-sorting pot with lids. It helps a child his age develop fine motor skills, matching and more! I truly appreciate that Little Tikes thought of various ages when creating this fun kitchen playset, it's perfect for the age range our kids are (1-5 years old)!

 

I also appreciate that it's very easy to expand or make compact. By simply sliding in a piece between the two sides to hook them together, and securing a hook on the back, you can go from one stage to another very quickly. 

 

As you can probably see, we are thrilled with how versatile, fun and engaging the Little Tikes Cook n' Grow Kitchen is for our kids! I would definitely recommend it as a must-have Christmas gift this holiday season.

Buy It: Recommended for ages 18 months+, the Little Tikes Cook n' Grow Kitchen retails for $109.99 at LittleTikes.com.

Win It: One VERY lucky reader is going to win a Little Tikes Cook n' Grow Kitchen! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter Giveaway below. If you don't see the form, click here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end December 10 and is open to US Only.

**The product for this review/giveaway were provided for free, however all opinions are my own.