Tips for Stocking Your Play Kitchen + 36 of the Cutest Accessories!

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!

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!

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