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I love it, I want to keep playing. I need to finish the laundry and then make pizza. -- 4 year old who did not want to stop playing with the Little Tikes Deluxe Wooden Kitchen and Laundry Center.
This Little Tikes Deluxe Wooden Kitchen and Laundry Center is realistic, durable, and not gender biased; a boy or girl will enjoy it for many years as s/he grows and develops. The unique laundry center includes a dryer and ironing board. The kitchen has a double burner stovetop, oven, and dishwasher with clicking knobs, refrigerator with ice dispenser, microwave, and clock. Accessories include pots and pans, spice jars, laundry basket, iron, telephone and more. Other unique features include a chalkboard and magic oven door that changes images.
Approx. Price: $199.99 Box Age Range: 3+ yrs # of Pieces: 11-50 Washability: Surface Wipe Storability: Bulky Directions: Extensive Play Locations: Indoor Adjustability: None Levels of Play: One Level Batteries: None needed
Familiar Objects/Pictures
Easy to Grasp/Hold
Provides Pretend Play Opportunities
Hands-on Approach to Learning
Provides Visual Cues
Provides Auditory Cues
Realistic
Connects/Assembles Securely
High Quality
Many Accessories
Can Be Used Independently or w/Others
Open-ended
Large Openings
Inviting Due to Uniqueness
Wide Age Range
Visually Stimulating
Tactilely Stimulating
Auditorily Stimulating
Durable
One-Piece Unit
Large Target Area
Easy to Clean
Simple
Versatile
Upright Position for Play
Fosters Imagination/Promotes Creativity
Oversized
Developmental processes promoted
Wrist Rotation
Two-Handed Play – Midline Focus and Transferring
Finger and Hand Control and Dexterity
Problem Solving
Imagination/Pretend Play
Coordinated Movement
Core Strengthening, Trunk Strength, Stability
Social Interaction
Pre-Literacy
Life Skills
Functional Finger Movement and Exploration
Reaching/Arm Extension
Spatial Relationships e.g. Under, Over, On, Off
Patience
Hand and Finger Grasp
Fine Motor
Action Concepts e.g. In/Out, Push/Pull, On/Off, Go/Stop
The kitchen offers a variety of accessories and features that can be used to start conversations.
The large play area allows for several children to play simultaneously increasing social opportunities.
The play with this toy does not have a specific duration, enabling children to play at their own pace and as their attention spans permit.
The kitchen provides opportunities for pretend play which is an important ingredient for language development.
Taking turns using different parts of the kitchen can be a building block for language.
The included pretend phone can encourage communication in the form of vocalizations or verbal exchange.
Skills
The ability to recognize, differentiate and label objects can be practiced using the accessories of the kitchen.
Parallel or cooperative play is fostered when more than one child plays with the kitchen at the same time.
Imagination is built as a child pretends to cook and launder.
Remembering and recalling sounds that come from a kitchen can encourage sound imitation.
Making a “meal” for a parent or friend can help build self esteem.
Play Ideas
Add a sensory component by using play clay, edible clay and other textures to make pretend food.
Pretend that the kitchen is a restaurant and take turns being the waiter and the customer. Involve your child’s stuffed animals in the play. Ask open-ended questions to further encourage communication.
Make 20 pieces of pretend clothes out of felt or other scrap cloth using a variety of colors. Then play a matching game. Have your child fill the washer with the clothes and turn on the timer. When the timer goes off you each close your eyes and pull out two articles of clothing. If you have a match (based on colors or type) then you keep the pair. Play continues until all the pairs have been made.
Fill the laundry center with real clothes to practice sorting with your child. Have your child sort based on size, color, or type of clothing. This will help your child with sorting and classification skills.
Adaptation Ideas
If the child has autism and/or trouble with attention, use a timer and have the child play on one aspect of the kitchen until the time is up. For example, the child can play with the laundry center for 4 minutes.
Parents may need to have a direct hands-on role during play with other children to help facilitate communication and turn taking.
Use sign language if child is unable to communicate verbally.
The kitchen is designed to fit a large age range making it appropriate for an older child.
Most children are familiar with kitchens, therefore this set is easy to understand and play with.
The kitchen is made of wood. It is durable and can withstand an active player.
The play with this kitchen does not have a specific duration, enabling children to play at their own pace and as their attention spans permit.
Skills
Pretending to cook and wash in the kitchen builds imaginative play skills which are crucial to childhood development.
Fine motor skills such as wrist rotation are developed when the knobs are turned and the accessories are used.
Setting the timer and waiting for it to “ding” provides cause and effect feedback and builds patience.
Pre-writing and writing skills are reinforced when children draw and write on the chalkboard.
Action concepts such as on/ off and in/out are learned when the child plays with the various features of the kitchen.
Play Ideas
Incorporate a cash register and pretend the kitchen is a restaurant. Take turns being the waiter and the customer.
Pretend to make a meal together. Involve your child’s stuffed animals in the play.
Make 20 pieces of pretend clothes out of felt or other scrap cloth using a variety of colors. Then play a matching game. Have your child fill the washer with the clothes and turn on the timer. When the timer goes off you each close your eyes and pull out two articles of clothing. If you have a match (based on colors or type) then you keep the pair. Play continues until all the pairs have been made.
Fill the laundry center with real clothes to practice sorting with your child. Have your child sort based on size, color, or type of clothing. This will help your child with sorting and classification skills.
Adaptation Ideas
To reinforce pre-literacy skills, label the kitchen accessories with corresponding words.
Bring in real food and cooking accessories to make the play more concrete and understandable.
Remove some of the accessories to reduce distractions.
Engaging clicking sounds are made when the knobs are turned.
Some parts of the kitchen and accessories are identifiable by touch.
The kitchen is a familiar and understandable design.
The kitchen has raised knobs and features.
The play with this toy does not have a specific duration, enabling children to play at their own pace and as their attention spans permit.
The holographic design on the oven door is visually engaging.
Skills
The ability to recognize, differentiate and label objects can be practiced using the accessories of the kitchen.
Remembering and recalling sounds that come from a kitchen can encourage sound imitation.
Making a “meal” for a parent or friend builds self esteem.
Play Ideas
Collect empty food boxes and containers to add to the kitchen accessories.
Talk about everything you and the child are doing to reinforce communication.
Add a sensory component by using play clay, edible clay and other textures to make pretend food.
Make 20 pieces of pretend clothes out of felt or other scrap cloth using a variety of colors. Then play a matching game. Have your child fill the washer with the clothes and turn on the timer. When the timer goes off you each close your eyes and pull out two articles of clothing. If you have a match (based on colors or type) then you keep the pair. Play continues until all the pairs have been made.
Fill the laundry center with real clothes to practice sorting with your child. Have your child sort based on size, color, or type of clothing. This will help your child with sorting and classification skills.
Adaptation Ideas
Add textures such as sandpaper and fabric to the kitchen and accessories.
Add foods for play that have an aroma such as oranges or apples.
Large openings in the kitchen make it easier for a child to access and place items.
The kitchen is heavy which makes it stable for a child who may need to lean on it for support. There is also an included option to attach the kitchen to a wall.
The kitchen has rounded corners for safety.
This kitchen provides an upright position for play.
Skills
Children work on balance and coordination skills as they move back and forth in the kitchen or squat down to add the laundry to the washer or food into the oven.
Fine motor skills such as wrist rotation are developed when the knobs are turned and the accessories are used.
Reaching and arm extension is enhanced as children put laundry in and out of the dryer, food in and out of the refrigerator or when moving the iron back and forth on clothes.
Two-handed play can be encouraged children iron.
While the child bends down to access parts of the kitchen, they are building leg and core strength.
Play Ideas
To build hand strength use modeling clay and have the child push the clay into the pans pretending it is food.
Make 20 pieces of pretend clothes out of felt or other scrap cloth using a variety of colors. Then play a matching game. Have your child fill the washer with the clothes and turn on the timer. When the timer goes off you each close your eyes and pull out two articles of clothing. If you have a match (based on colors or type) then you keep the pair. Play continues until all the pairs have been made.
Fill the laundry center with real clothes to practice sorting with your child. Have your child sort based on size, color, or type of clothing. This will help your child with sorting and classification skills.
Adaptation Ideas
Place Velcro on the bottoms of the pots and on the stove to help children maintain placement.
Tie utensils to the kitchen so a child can recover dropped items easily. (Ensure cords are not longer than 7”.)
