Our outdoor play kitchen invites children to get creative outdoors with endless possibilities for getting messy. Made of robust plastic or weatherproof wood, the outdoor play kitchen offers interactive features such as knobs, water tap and basin to guarantee hours of outdoor fun. It’s the perfect toy for a developmentally combo of sensory and pretend play. All that fun from skills of measuring out ingredients, problem-solving to social skills (example: role-playing making a meal and describing the muddy dish being served up). What for an active, busy toddler or preschooler is too exciting.
The best outdoor play kitchens encourage the kind of open-ended play that promotes creative thinking. It’s also give to spark the imagination but nothing too gimmicky or gadgety.
From value buys to hand-built and personalised luxury buys. We’ve taken tested a range of the best outdoor play kitchens for children of all ages. We had rated them in terms of features and accessories, size, sturdiness, assembly time, value for money and most important delivery of fun for your kids. So, let’s check out our top the best buys before spending your money on a children’s outdoor kitchen.
Having kids in the kitchen does not need to be a sport, it’s also help children develop valuable life skills and spark a passion for food and cooking. Most of kids is interesting to stirring, chopping, other basic cooking tasks and including tasting. It help to stretches a child’s imagination through role play, as they also can imitate grown-ups in different settings. The kids can transform into talented chefs, pizza makers, waiters, waitresses or any other character around them.
Outdoor play kitchens have come a long way, and buying one for your budding chef can be a fun experience. Kids can imitate the delivery experience, arrange the time properly, choose the appropriate item sizes, educational value. Additionally, functions and interactivity, robustness, materials, accessories, ease of storage, age range and value for money were all considered need to testing. So, we reviewed a range of sizes, brands and price points from national retailers. And what we looked for bellow:
1. The versatility of an outdoor play kitchen:
The tools play kitchen that work across a wide range of kid-friendly tasks and not cluttering your kitchen. An outdoor play kitchen can come with lights, twistable clicking knobs, illuminating hob rings, cooking or running water noises like real. It’s a bit more exciting, realistic and engaging. The simple designs can encourage more imaginative play.
2. Design and structure:
Where you’ll keep the play kitchen? Don’t worry! An outdoor play kitchen come in all sizes, designs, shapes and so many color schemes. You can place them anywhere your kids feel safety and comfort to play, and can display them all over their small kitchen.
These outdoor play kitchens are removable making cleaning much easier after busy role-play time in the kitchen. With larger outdoor toy kitchens with multiple countertops, built-in bars or island-style units, you will have to secure it to the wall to prevent it from knocking over on the kids while playing.
3. Accessories included:
Outdoor play kitchens often come with accessories like play food or drink, utensils, etc…but others toy don’t, so check before you buy. You don’t need to worry too much, there are many retailers sell kitchen accessories. They have a relatively lifelike shape and size so your child can interact.
4. Age range can play outdoor kitchens:
The height of play kitchens can vary, so if you have a small or taller, older child. Let’s check that your kids won’t have to bend to use the worktop of kitchen. So you like to be sure to choose something adjustable and timeless.
5. Educational value plus skill-building:
Learn through role play and imitating real life kitchen tasks like preparing food, cooking, washing-up and storing food and equipment. Cooking is inherently risky, so these outdoor play kitchens with included accessories to help them learn to tell the cooking, recycling bins to encourage good habits or chalkboards to write lists and recipes. This is an opportunities for your kids to practice counting and plussing, creativity, building vocabulary, planning, problem-solving and organizing.
6. Environmental impact and value for money:
In most cases, we would all like to be environmentally friendly. Plan to look for the type of materials used in the play kitchen, you need to sustainable, FSA-approved wood or good plastic material. Besides, we want to all your best buys offered excellent value for money, whether in the materials used and entertainment value or the range of functions or features of the play kitchen.
As a mother, I interviewed several play experts, children, and other parents to determine which outdoor toy kitchen is worth your money. I’ll help you find the best-selling outdoor kitchens for kids in 2024.
The Best Children’s Outdoor Kitchen in 2024
1. Little Tikes Cook ‘n Play Outdoor BBQ Kitchen:
The interactive Little Tikes Cook ‘n Grow BBQ Grill play kitchen introduces young ones to the world of cooking and lets kids embark on culinary. It will ignite your kids imagination and provide endless fun-filled play. The Cook ‘n Grow BBQ Grill play kitchen comes with exciting accessories and compacting the grill makes it just right for preschoolers. This children outdoor kitchen playset lets them have their own backyard cookout with realistic features, as duel grills or side burners. It had the perfect height for preschool or toddlers. Whether your little kids is just starting to explore the world of play, this versatile grill will adapt to their needs and provide endless opportunities for imaginative play.
It is the perfect starter play kitchen for your kid’s tiny hands so that they feel like they’re actually cooking together with you. So, unleash your kid’s inner chef and let their culinary dreams come to life with the Little Tikes Cook ‘n Grow BBQ Grill Play Kitchen.
Special features:
- Clicking knobs on grill make fun sounds.
- Extended counter space.
- Molded-in sink and cooktop for added cooking role play.
- Dual-level grill and just like real ones.
- Pegs to hang kitchen utensils and pans.
- Hard plastic material is sturdy and safe.
- Includes 10 play food accessories.
- Kitchen toy needs adult assembly.
- Kids’ BBQ grill instructions included.
Specifications:
- Play grill dimensions: 29.25″W x 12.00″H x 35.25″D
- Box dimensions: 25″L x 24″W x 11″H
2. Melissa & Doug Wooden Deluxe Barbecue Grill, Smoker and Pizza Oven Play Food Toy:
Engage in imaginative pretend toy with a perfectly kid-sized wooden Melissa & Doug barbecue grill, smoker, and wooden pizza oven play set. The little young chefs 3 age and older will love creating make believe barbecue favorites like chicken, steak, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, corn, even play pizza. Your kid’s can create a yummy wooden pizza with toppings, then slide it from the pizza paddle onto the grill through the side pizza oven opening. This grill toy includes dials to raise and lower flames, movable utensil rack, built-in timer, lid with safety-close hinge, a smoker box with chimney for play wood chips, storage shelf, side burner. Besides, it has removable thermometer can press into holes in wooden play food to test that the foods imagine are done.
The Melissa & Doug Wooden Deluxe Barbecue Deluxe Grill & Pizza Oven Play Set helps kids promotes fine-motor, sorting and counting skills, storytelling and imaginative play. This makes a great gift for 3 to 6 ages boys and girls, for hands-on. This play kitchen is certified by FSC (the Forest Stewardship Council) certification ensures that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.
Special features:
- Lots of accessories included.
- Helps kids develop fine-motor and promotes imaginative play.
- Classic wooden toys to realistic pretend play sets.
- Skill-building play.
- Realistic grill.
- Food toy pieces all store neatly on the grill and storage shelf for easy clean-up.
- FSC certification ensures.
Specifications:
- Play grill dimensions: 8″W x 16″H x 21″D
- Box dimensions: 31.3″L x 27.3″W x 12.75″H
3. TP Toys Muddy Maker Children’s Outdoor Play Kitchen:
TP Toys muddy maker children’s outdoor play kitchen is a great way of encouraging imaginative play in your kids. They are great for kids development, helping them learn and exposing them to the outdoors. Not only do TP Toys have stand alone kids mud kitchens, but they also have accessories that can be attached to your play kitchen, or even the side. It has come with lots of the same great features as full mud kitchens. This range comes with their very own mud kitchen water dispensers, a working tap and sinks, adding extra play value. Besides, they has pots & pans as accessories for little or older chefs looking to create messy mud masterpieces.
By engaging in fun, messy, mud play kids develop better motor skills and can role play in a safe environment. TP Toys muddy maker children outdoor play kitchen made from FSC certified pressure treated European timber wood. Bowl can hold 7 liters of water and 10 kg of mud. Whether it would be a bakery or a BBQ that the accessories with this set will let the little kids make the best imagined food.
This includes a starter set of stainless-steel pans with mixing whisk, generously sized splash tub, easy to remove and a big blackboard space to record recipes. A painted stove top with 4 burners and top shelf provides plenty of room to keep their ingredients close at muddy.
Special features:
- Made from FSC timber with pre-drilled holes and easy yourself assembly.
- Ideal for kids ages 3 years and older.
- Generously sized mud or water tanks.
- Features a painted stove top with 4 burners.
- Boys or girls can cooking with this wooden playset.
- It comes with a set of stainless steel pots and pans and various mixing utensils which complete the outdoor play kitchen.
Specifications:
- Play toy dimensions: 17″W x 37.4″H x 38.9″D
- Box dimensions: 44″L x 38″W x 43″H
4. Little Tikes® 3-in-1 Garden to Table Market Pretend Garden Food:
The Little Tikes Company can emphatically say: “We know kids”. They’ve made many outdoor play kitchen that many families favorite. Little Tikes realistic 3-in-1 Garden to Market Table is inspired by those wonderful stands at the farmers market combined with a side grill. It has realistic accessories to make play creative and kids’ imaginations develop. The more 30 accessories included to allow kids to really see themselves in a variety of roles.
Multiple kids can play at once and take turns growing, cooking, buying orr selling, all the wonderful creations and enjoying the delicious goodies. Special additional features come with interactive flower garden where kids can plant and pick flowers or customize the pot to their liking.
Besides, kids or toddles can also personalize the pot the flowers go in. Helping the bees pollinate and make honey or planting and growing fruits like real. They are can grill up some pretend meals on the side grill.
Special features:
- Inspired by the stands at a farmers market.
- Multiple kids can play at once.
- Come with many realistic accessories.
- Grow their own fruits and veggies or sell them.
- Encourages imagination with over 30 accessories included.
- There is plenty of storage in the bins.
Specifications:
- Play toy dimensions: 14″W x 18″H x 25″D
- Box dimensions: 36″L x 13.50″W x 41.30 “H
5. Little Tikes® 2-in-1 Café Cart Pretend Food Cooking Toy Role:
The Little Tikes 2-in-1 Café Cart is great for indoor or outdoor play, engage real fun with making and cooking up delicious playtime. It had inspired by a real street food cart and traveling café. Come with over 25 interactive accessories to help creative and children and kids’ imaginations soar. Many kids can play at once and take turns making coffee or pretending they are a barista, a customer enjoying the delicious treats. The coffee grinder or wheels that really roll and a bell all add to the excitement for your toddlers or oder (2 ages and over).
Little Tikes realistic 2-in-1 Café Cart is plenty of storage with hooks for hanging cups and lots of storage under the cart. It’s store all the accessories after playtime and also clean up easy.
Special features:
- Perfect for children 2 years and over.
- Encourages Imagination with over 25 included and interactive accessories like a coffee press you can push down on, coffee grinder.
- Multiple kids can play at once.
- Hooks for hanging cups and lots of storage under the cart so kids can store all the accessories.
- Fun to play indoor or outdoor.
- Requires 2 “AAA” alkaline batteries.
- Personalize the name or menus of your cart with the included chalk.
Specifications:
6. Step2 Fixin’ Fun Outdoor Grill, Plastic Toy:
Have a pretend play backyard cookout with the Step2 Fixin’ Fun Outdoor Play Grill. With its life-like outdoor brick design, little chefs will love filling burgers and hot dogs on the barbecue grill play set with realistic clicking. Knobs, lift-up grill lid sounds, oven door or sink station that all mimic amenities of a real kitchen and grill space. Enhance imaginative play role with the children’s outdoor play kitchen grill as kids pretend to cook up a meal for their family or friends.
With space to spread out as we grill, this pretend outdoor grill play set mimics the capacity of a real. Besides, it has included a 10 piece stack and stay hot dog set which can be stored in the oven beneath the grill. This kids’ kitchen grill play set is a great addition to any play area.
Special features:
- Grill knobs make realistic clicking noises.
- Plenty of counter space to prepare the meal.
- Lifelike brick design and realistic flip up grill lid.
- Material Roto-moulded plastic.
- Accessories can pack up and store in the oven beneath the grill.
- Side bunner for extra cooking area.
- Wash up after your cookout with the play sink.
Specifications:
- Play toy dimensions: 24.8”L x 11.7”W x 26.3”H
- Box dimensions: 20.00″L x 8.00″W x 18.00″H
Final Thoughts:
We are valuing self directed exploration and hands on learning, that effortlessly echoes through Montessori-an principles. The children’s outdoor kitchen can be a fantastic addition to your kid’s Montessori influenced play environment. By considering these features, you can choose an outdoor kitchen that suits your kid’s age, budget, and outdoor space, ensuring hours of imaginative play and funny.