Play kitchens for toddlers are awesome. But you know what’s even better?
Functional toddler kitchens!
(That’s just a kid-sized kitchen that actually has running water.)
They’re amazing because they’re just the right size for kids to learn and practice real life skills, all while they’re having fun playing.
And it’s super easy to make your own! We recently converted an IKEA Duktig play kitchen into a functional kitchen for our 2 year old, Andrew. Check out how it turned out:
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How to create a functional toddler kitchen:
Here are the steps to follow if you want to turn a play kitchen into a functional kitchen for your toddler:
Start by assembling the Duktig play kitchen from IKEA
We decided to assemble just the bottom half of the kitchen. We left off the top cabinets and play microwave to make the kitchen smaller and more accessible.
Then we removed the shelf inside the cabinet on the right. (You’ll see why in a minute.)
Waterproof the kitchen with contact paper
We covered the entire surface of the kitchen with contact paper, as well as the inside of the cabinet on the right, in order to protect the kitchen from water spills.
Add the running water
I was shocked by how easy this was once we bought all of the right supplies. (You can scroll down to see a full supply list at the bottom of this post.)
First, we bought a water dispenser, which comes with a long tube/hose. We charged it, then threaded the tube through one of the holes that was conveniently already drilled into the IKEA kitchen. It could not have fit more perfectly!
UPDATE: After using the water dispenser shown in this picture for a while, we found that the battery was not lasting more than a day without needing to be charged. So we updated it with this one. The charge on the new one is AMAZING. We’ve used it for a year now, and only needed to charge it a few times!
Next, we drilled a few holes in the drain so that the dirty water could empty out of the bottom of the sink.
Finally, we put 2 clear plastic jars inside the cabinet: one to hold the clean water, and one for the dirty water. We placed the water dispenser tube into the clean water jar, and added a funnel to the dirty water jar to catch all the dirty water as it runs through the holes in the drain.
Here’s what it ended up looking like:
Note: If you don’t want to refill the water every time it runs out, you could definitely just have one jar, and the water would keep circulating through. Of course, then the water would be dirty/undrinkable, but it would still be just fine for playing!
Adding accessories and supplies
Now it’s time for the fun part: Adding supplies and accessories! Here’s what we used:
A cutting board: This sits on top of the play stove, and adds a little bit of extra play space. Plus, we’re eventually planning to teach Andrew some basic cutting skills (using this kid-friendly knife set) so the cutting board will come in handy.
Soap dispensers: I bought this set of 2 pump bottles on Amazon, labeled them with my Cricut Joy, and filled one with hand soap and one with dish soap. We also have this dish brush for washing dishes.
A bath mat: We bought 2 of these inexpensive bath mats from IKEA. We put one at a time under the kitchen to help with spills.
Plates, bowls, and silverware: These have been fun for Andrew to practice getting his own snacks ready, and washing his own dishes.
Cups: Little cups are perfect since your toddler will be able to get their own water now!
Extra towels: We got a dozen towels, and store the extras in a little basket in the cabinet. It might seem like a lot, but toddlers + running water = so many spills at first! It’s all part of the learning process, so towels are a must. 🙂
Flower pots and watering can: We set up a few house plants and a little watering can on the windowsill above our kitchen, and gave Andrew the job of taking care of them.
Skills that your toddler can practice in his/her functional kitchen!
A functional toddler kitchen is the perfect place to teach your toddler all kinds of great life skills. We haven’t tackled all of these with Andrew yet, but as he masters each one, we’ll slowly introduce him to new ones.
Cleaning up spills: This is one of the first things your toddler can learn to do in his/her new kitchen. Show them where the towels are, and they will quickly figure out how to mop up puddles all by themselves.
Getting a drink of water: This was the first thing we taught Andrew to do, and he caught on right away. There are actually quite a few steps (and learning opportunities) involved: Open a cabinet, find a cup, hold it under the faucet, turn the water on, and then turn it back off again.
Washing hands: This kitchen is worth it just for the fact that Andrew can now wash his hands by himself!!! What a game changer.
Brushing teeth: We still brush Andrew’s teeth for him, but we also started letting him practice brushing his own teeth. This kitchen is the perfect height for him to wet his own toothbrush and practice spitting.
Watering plants: We have four small potted plants and a little watering can on the windowsill about this kitchen. Andrew can fill up the watering can on his own, and loves to help water the plants. (He can also clean up any spills by himself with his towels.)
Washing dishes: We’ve showed Andrew how to wash dishes a few times, and he’s still getting the hang of it. He’s not quite patient enough to get all the bubbles rinsed off, but he’s learning.
Washing produce: Eventually, we’ll show Andrew how to use his sink to wash off produce like apples or berries.
Chopping: We haven’t tackled this one yet, but when he’s ready to learn how to use a knife, we’ll practice on his cutting board at his kitchen.
That’s it!
What do you think? If you have any questions about how we created this kitchen, feel free to leave a comment below. Or check out the supply list to see where we found everything.
Thanks for reading!
-Laura
Supply List:
Here’s a list of everything that we used to create Andrew’s functional toddler kitchen:
From IKEA:
From Amazon:
- Updated water dispenser
- Set of 2 clear plastic jars
- Funnel
- Bamboo cutting board (we used the large one from this set of 3)
- Pump bottles
- Kid-sized mugs
- Dish brush
- Flower pots
Other supplies to consider:
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Luminarc Quadro 16.75-Ounce Jug/Pitcher… |
$31.40 |
Buy on Amazon |
|
Update International B000K7IHDU Wood… |
$11.50 |
Buy on Amazon |
|
Tovla Jr. Knives for Kids 3-Piece… |
$9.95 |
Buy on Amazon |
Our favorites for kitchen play
Here are 4 sets that my kids absolutely love, and play with all the time in and around the play kitchen:
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Melissa & Doug Wooden Slice & Stack… |
$36.39 |
Buy on Amazon |
|
Melissa & Doug 11-Piece Coffee Set,… |
$11.33 |
Buy on Amazon |
|
Melissa & Doug Wooden Scoop and Serve… |
$36.39 |
Buy on Amazon |
Save Functional Toddler Kitchen to Pinterest:
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Stephanie says
I absolutely love this idea! I want to make one for my daycare. 🙂
admin says
The kids would love it. 🙂
Shay says
Hi! This is amazing!
Where in the house is it at? The kitchen or the bedroom/playroom?
admin says
Thanks! We have it in the dining room, very close to our kitchen sink for easy refills. 🙂
Cee H. says
Can you please provide a link to the white basket with the towels?
admin says
Hmm, I’m not sure of the exact link for that one- it’s one that I’ve had for a long time, and just repurposed for this project. But it looks very similar to this one from Target: https://www.target.com/p/y-weave-half-medium-decorative-storage-basket-room-essentials-153/-/A-52649009?preselect=52107440#lnk=sametab
Areeba says
What’s the height of the kitchen without the hutch on top?
admin says
About 21.5″ 🙂
Danica says
How do you keep the water faucet on top from moving?
admin says
The tubing going through the hole right below keeps it pretty secure. We have no trouble with it moving around.
Dena Seals says
I bought all of the items recommended for the hack. Does the water dispenser just sit on top of the counter? My son is really into seeing how things are put together and has already removed the sink, so I am worried that he will just pull off the dispenser. Am I missing something that keeps it from staying put? Thanks!
admin says
The dispenser sits on the counter, but when you thread the tube through the hole it’s pretty tight, which holds it in place pretty well. Of course, you can still pull it out (which is what I do to charge it.)
Hattie says
Does the cutting board slip around on top of the stove when being used? Or did you have to secure it in some way?
admin says
We didn’t secure it at all, so that Andrew can take it on and off and use the pretend stove underneath. He hasn’t had any trouble with it slipping off while he’s been cutting, or anything. It’s pretty much the same as setting a cutting board on your counter when you use it. 🙂 If you did want to secure it, I’ve seen people use velcro before, though!
Chels says
Where did you find the plates and bowls? Or what’s their diameter? They fit so well! Do you know where you got the silverware tray, or it’s size? Thank you!
admin says
I’m not quite sure where I got the plates and bowls- maybe Target or Ikea, but I can’t seem to find them there available anymore. The bowls are 5″, the plates are about 7.5″, and the silverware tray (which was from the dollar store) is 4″x10″.
Erin says
Hi, do you have an issue with water not fully draining from the sink basin? For us, there’s a smidge left after it drains and it just pools in the sides… otherwise this was such a great hack!!! Thanks so much for sharing your products and instructions!!!
admin says
Yes, there is always just a little bit left, but it doesn’t bother us. 🙂
Amy says
Hi there! Do you have away to keep the sink in place? My toddler just picks it up and throws it!
admin says
Hmmm, good question. Maybe some command strips or sticky tack? (If anyone else has a good idea, feel free to chime in!)
Kate says
How do you apply the contact paper?
admin says
It was peel-and-stick. 🙂 We just peeled off the back, lined it up the best we could, and stuck it on!
Lindsey E says
Any update on the battery life of the replacement water dispenser?
admin says
Almost one year with the new dispenser and the battery is AMAZING. We hardly ever have to charge it! I’ll update the article. 🙂
Asma Kayal says
Thank you so much for this post! I have been wanting to do this for my toddler for months. Just ordered all the essentials, so excited!
admin says
I’m so glad! I hope he/she loves it! 🙂
Jill says
Can you share the files for the dishes and hands to make cricut stickers for the soap dispensers? Thanks!
admin says
I’m so sorry- I don’t have those saved. But I think I just did a quick clipart search to find them, if I’m remembering correctly. 🙂
Sasha says
HI! Thank you for sharing. Question: did you lock up the cabinet where the two plastic jars are kept? was it necessary?
admin says
I didn’t need to, but it would be easy to install a childproof cabinet lock if you’re having a lot of spills!