We’re sharing 4 tips for stocking your own play kitchen, plus we’ve included a round up of 36 of the cutest pretend food, pots, pans and cooking utensils!


kitchen | planter (similar) | print + frame | wooden utensils | faux fur
As a part of Lucy’s playroom transition, we decided it was time to incorporate her own play kitchen! Baking together in our (grown-up) kitchen is one of Lucy’s favorite ways to pass the time, and she’s happiest sitting on my hip while I stir anything in a hot saucepan. So for her third birthday, we hopped on the ubiquitous IKEA DUKTIG play kitchen train! Since then, she’s served up unique dishes, such as hot dog soup, trout salad and blueberry tea.


Tips for Stocking Your Play Kitchen
Aside from spraying the grey plastic pieces gold and undermounting the kitchen sink, we left the kitchen as-is! On the night before her birthday, Scott and I decked the kitchen with hand towels, dishes, mugs and a utensil crock. We laid a soft faux fur underfoot and hung the sweetest kitty print above. I had so much (too much?) fun stocking her kitchen, and since falling down the internet rabbit hole of ‘cute kitchen accessories’, I thought it made the most sense to share my finds with you – along with tips for stocking your play kitchen!
1| Go Thrifting!


By far, my absolute favorite addition to Lucy’s play kitchen are these thrifted vintage tea cups and plates. Lucy is very gentle when she knows something is fragile, but even if these items do break (because accidents happen), we’ll at least know that none of the breakables cost more than fifty cents. She absolutely loves these mugs and plates, and I had to restrain myself from buying more than necessary.
2| Raid Your Own Decor


Just because it’s a kid’s kitchen, it doesn’t mean that everything must be plastic and bright! We threw in a stack of these IKEA dish towels, used our own small ceramic crock for her wooden utensils and gave her a petite cutting/cheese board (this one is so cute, too!).
3| Bins and Baskets for Everything


Most of her play food came with their own bin, but they quickly overflowed and became a pain point when it was time to put things away. We picked up a couple of these rope + leather baskets and hide them away under the sink – but they’d look just as nice out in the open! (We also love and use these budget baskets all over the house!)
4| There’s No Such Thing As Too Many Hooks


She has chubby hooks on her bedroom door, a peg rail for her dress up clothes and low hooks to hang her jacket in our closet – so it only made sense to add hooks to her kitchen as well! We had a couple of these brass knobs, which felt appropriate for this application. It keeps things off the floor, and she can easily put – I mean, hang – items away!


kitchen | planter (similar) | print + frame | wooden utensils | faux fur
We’ve heard from so many of you that your kids’ play kitchens are the gift that keeps on giving, which we love to hear! Luckily, pint-sized kitchen accessories have come a long way since I was playing kitchen with my sister a few decades ago. We picked up this cooking set to get her started (also available in white!), and we’ll add items as we notice a need.
Below, I’m sharing the cutest play food, pots, pans and cooking utensils I found during my own search. Happy pretend playing!
Cutest Play Food


1. DUKTIG vegetables | 2. chef chopping board + veggies | 3. dairy set | 4. toaster set | 5. sushi | 6. eggs + carton | 7. pantry set | 8. pots, pans + food | 9. fridge + freezer set | 10. garden + crate set | 11. birthday cake | 12. basic play set | 13. milk | 14. ice cream | 15. baking ingredients | 16. salmon + pasta | 17. avocado toast | 18. fruit set | 19. chopped veggies | 20. pizza
Cutest Pots, Pans + Play Utensils


21. brass + wood | 22. wood + white | 23. birdie tea set | 24. blender | 25. les parisiennes | 26. pots, pans + caddy rack | 27. stir + serve | 28. wooden set | 29. soft blue + white | 30. tea time | 31. wooden tableware | 32. afternoon tea | 33. pots + pans | 34. stand mixer set
For our girl, we switched to a stainless steel tea set (https://www.amazon.com/Timy-Stainless-Teapot-Pretend-Kitchen/dp/B073ZCNS7F/ref=asc_df_B073ZCNS7F/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242030685807&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16047806383850484592&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013416&hvtargid=pla-495180919594&psc=1) last year so that we could drink real tea from it! Now we have full on English tea parties, which is so nice in this cold weather. I also enjoy adding someone to drink (decaf) tea with to our house. When she was Lucy’s age, I offered her “milk tea” – I brew a decaf chai tea bag in milk instead of water. 3 years later, we still call it milk tea. :)
That’s a cuuute set! Thank you for sharing, enjoy the milk tea!
I have this same set for my 2 year old daughter and she absolutely loves it! We gave it to her as a big sister gift when we brought her baby sister home. Now one of us has tea with her every afternoon as a way to give her a little extra special attention. She’s really taken to the tradition and it’s such a nice winter quarantine activity for all of us! Plus it looks super cute in her play kitchen!
My little one is still a bit young for a play kitchen, but you can bet I bookmarked this post for later down the line. I can not wait.
You’re going to have so much fun. :D
These are sooo cute! Thank you for sharing! Our 4 year old loves her play kitchen (ours is a KidKraft), and we have a lot of the items on your list but I may need to add some more! It’s so fun to watch them make food and they’re always so proud of themselves. Mine right now makes a lot bead + button soup which is just so funny to us.
Ugh, kids are so cute, I can’t stand it.
Hi Kim!
I wanted to share the adorable KeikiKauKau line with you!
https://instagram.com/keikikaukau?igshid=sd1zwujqcrnk
Hawaii-inspired adorable toy food sets and more! The lei-making one is my fave.
We have 1, 4 and 12 of your list. Such fun! My 4 and 7 years old boys still play sometimes with they stove (a wood portable one) and their large collection of play food. I did my self some felt food.
Play kitchen is such a nice toy!
This is the sweetest! Thank you for sharing! I’m definitely bookmarking this post for future use as well!
CUE ALL THE HEART EYES! My bff’s son came over for lunch one time and asked about my tea cups, and I was delighted when he said he wanted to drink out of one with lunch. God bless Goodwill China. My son is only one and we’re currently recovering from getting him way too much for Christmas/Birthday, but the play kitchen is in the near future. Are y’all planning on making it over further, with paint and a backsplash and all?
Nope! No more changes to the kitchen. Lucy is loving it so we’re calling it done. :)
Can you please share what gold paint you used?
It was Rustoleum spray paint!