Reinventing your kitchen with Re-Play

If there is one particular toy that I could suggest for any growing family it would hands down be our play kitchen! Although some may say its quite the investment there are so many versions with price points to fit any one's budget! We love how durable this Hape one is as the wood construction helps with tough touching toddlers.  We've had this for quite sometime and both girls love it! I love the imaginary play the kids get out of it and I know it is something they'll continue to grow with! I just wanted to share three fun tips to personalize your own play kitchen space to keep it fun and interesting!

1. Play kitchens do not always have to be in a play room

It's true! We brought our play kitchen upstairs into our kitchen space to give a better understanding of what happens in the kitchen. This has helped the girls understand and respect the kitchen. They have been taught about the hot stove and how to put certain items away in cupboards. I love how they mirror what I do in the kitchen and they find it so fun to cook for us! Although some may not have space in their kitchen area, finding room in the surrounding area is also great!

2. Let them take out all the dishes!

I don't know about the rest of the world but one thing I know for sure is how much my kids LOVE to take things out of cupboards on a regular basis. To decrease this amount what I have been doing lately is incorporating real tableware for the girls to play and take out in their own little space. We have been using Re-Play dishware for a good month now and can tell you with no hesitation that they are our go-to kids dishware. First and foremost, their colour selection will satisfy everyone's colour theme! We love all of them but these pastel colours just totally jumped out at me! I love how substantial the plastic is and being made from recycled plastic is something I can totally stand behind! The kids have no issues handling all the dishware as they are easy to hold and grasp. The size is perfect for not only the girls but my husband and I find ourselves using them all the time for snacks! I'm telling you these would be perfect for camping for the whole family! They have been super easy to wash and even with the greasiest of foods the dishware has held up leaving no weird residue or re-washing required! Now the no-spill sippy cups have hands down been the most amazing and have not LEAKED! Between accidental falls and intentional ones these have been super durable and has not disappointed us! The textured cup makes it easier for the kids to grasp and for additional grip we added our fun Nomi+Sibs personalized labels (is this combo not the best?!). I'm hoping to grab a few more dishes in other colours to add to our collection for special events and holiday meals! 

3. Personal touches 

I've always been a huge fan of all holidays and really any reason to celebrate by visiting your local craft store or Target Dollar Spot! Adding these seasonal touches not only makes for an aesthetically pleasing space but gets your little ones excited for what's to come! I've used 3M command strips to help hold seasonal wreaths on the wall without giving my husband a heart attack for another hole to patch up later. Most of my wreaths and garlands have been found in craft or dollar stores but another great place to find festive things are Winners and Homesense and for those non-Canadians, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Homegoods! I have also seen amazing and beautiful garlands through Etsy! 

Another key piece I found to help create a fun space is utilizing a letter board. We love our Letterly Love board all over the house  but it especially makes for a great decor piece in the girls kitchen!  If the grande is too large for your liking I suggest their mini which now comes in 8 different colours (totally digging their new turquoise), one is bound to make your play kitchen a dream! I find most of my quotes and inspiration from good old Pinterest and if quotes are not your thing, the letter board would make for great milestones or to personalize the kitchen with your kids' names.

Last and certainly not least I love incorporating all the same fun things I would use in my own kitchen! As loud as they may sound I love the metal pots and pans from Ikea and found seasonal towels to add that extra little detail. I also love the girls' broom set which is just so darling and they actually love to clean (fingers crossed that lasts). Fake plants and rugs also look great in the kitchen and give more texture to the space. I hope you find these tips helpful and just remember to get creative and have fun with it! 

xo,

Toonny

Disclaimer: Re-Play Recycle was kind enough to send us dishware, however all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the company and/or its affiliates in anyway.