Have you ever wondered why we look upon our days of childhood in such a nostalgic manner? Just look at children now, and you’d realise the answer lies in play. Playtime is everything: the time to have fun, learn new things, make new friends, and avoid naps at that. Now as parents we often seem to forget what being a child is like, so it’s not unusual to overlook the importance of play in the proper development.
It’s plain and simple: if you want your child’s proper growth, motivate as much play as possible. If there’s a game that makes for as much fun and learning at the same time, it has to do with cooking. Since there’s a wide range of wooden kitchen set for kids of all ages, and homes of all sizes, from tabletop stoves to BBQs, and free-standing models, you can count on a purchase of value.
Why cooking and kitchen sets exactly? First of all, these are toys that actually grow with your child, so even if you buy them when your child is still a toddler, don’t worry, as they would still make for a fun play by the age of 9 or 10. Playing with a wooden kitchen set for kids has its effects in setting the imagination and creativity loose, and letting pretend play take over. You’d be surprised to see your child impersonate you as you prepare the meals and try out new recipes.
In relation to this, it’s the opportunity for your child to learn more about the kitchen, cooking, and the processes that happen when preparing meals, chopping ingredients, mixing them, baking, frying, or blending juices, and eating healthy in general. As a result he or she gets to expand their vocabulary with each ingredient they learn, every colour, including numbers (counting ingredients), and depending on the number of children playing, there’s the chance to work on the social skills as well.
Though it might not appear so, cooking is essential when it comes to problem solving also. Learning every dish doesn’t fit every cupboard, or not every ingredient is present for the preparation of a certain meal, makes a child come up with proper solutions. At the same time, handling different items enables the development of fine motor skills; picking up utensils, fruits, and veggies, placing them in dishes, and panels, it all makes for use of the fine motor skills.
As your child grows, pretend playing with a kitchen set turns to be helpful with writing skills too, as there’s the opportunity to create menus for a restaurant. Don’t forget maths either when it’s time for the bill and leaving a tip.
