I am having serious regret over not getting LO the IKEA play kitchen (already). DH is 
about a play kitchen. LO is 20 months old. What age did you buy one for your LO? When did your LO start using it?
I still have time to get one today and have it ready for Christmas if I act fast.
pear / 1622 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: we gave it to DS1 at Christmas when he was 15 months and have left it out since so DS2 (also 20 months now) has been playing with it for awhile now. DS2 plays with it a lot more than DS1 did at that age. I think we are getting a lot of use out of it.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
We got our kids a play kitchen last year. They were 3.5 and 2. It was a great gift at that age and they both still use it (now they are 4.5 and 3). So I think it would be a good gift if you did it now, but I also think if you wait until next year, it'll still be a good gift!
pear / 1974 posts
I got it as a Christmas gift for my son when he was 16 months old - it was a HUGE hit then and probably the most heavily used toy item until just very recently (he is now 3 years 4 months) - go for it!!
nectarine / 2018 posts
DD was given a play kitchen for her first birthday but we didn't build it until she was 18 months. She's three now and it has been used every day since we built it. It's been great to add more sets and accessories as we go too!
clementine / 854 posts
We got a kitchen for the my daughter's 2nd christmas. She was 20 months old and loved it right away. DD2 started using it much earlier. She enjoyed taking things in and out of the refrigerator before she was standing. Both still use it all the time. My oldest is now almost 4.
pomegranate / 3355 posts
We got DD a play kitchen for DD's second Christmas she was 13 mos old and she loved it.
apricot / 264 posts
My daughter is 19 months old and we got it for her for Christmas. Her grandparents have one at their house and all the grandkids love playing with it since they were old enough to walk.
grapefruit / 4361 posts
We got ours when he was 21 months old and it has gotten daily use. However, he doesn't play with it in traditional kitchen ways (pretend cooking, serving, and eating). He likes to open and close the cabinets, hide things in the cabinets, pull apart the fruit and stick them back together in weird combinations, and bang the pots and pans as if he is playing instruments. But like I said... Daily use! And, independently.
persimmon / 1445 posts
We got it for DD1 at just over 2 and she has played with it pretty much every day since (now 4yo). DD2 also uses it a TON at 14 months.
pomelo / 5573 posts
We got one for B when he was 23 months old, and W has been using it since before he could walk. I definitely think this is a good age for you!
pomegranate / 3658 posts
That's definitely a good age for it. DD started using the one at daycare around 14 months - though at first, just used it to stuff all the baby dolls into the oven 
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I bought a small one for my son at the age of 2 and my son had zero interest in it. It was basically a storage piece for him, I opened the oven once and it was loaded with trains.
Eventually, I brought it outside and put it poolside and it was the best thing ever. We got two summers out of it before I recycled it (plastic Step 2 variety).
pomelo / 5720 posts
I think we got our first one right around 2 and then upgraded to a nicer one when we had a second child. DS is 5 and DD is 3 and they both use it daily.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
Ok y’all have convinced me. DH be damned. 
I’m going to IKEA today!
ETA: so that big tent DH bought him that made me a little upset
If anyone is need of cool nursery or play room art, check out https://www.etsy.com/shop/JazzberryBlue?ref=search_shop_redirect
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
I got one for DD super early like some time after 1. It's been amazing to see her grow along with it.
persimmon / 1270 posts
Ds1 got the play kitchen when ds2 was born. He was almost 19 months and played with it so much. It was a life saver for me. It's still a huge hit and the boys are almost 3 and 1.5
nectarine / 2806 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: we got one for my daughter last Christmas.. she was 23 months. She loved it then and still loves it!! I’d say go for it!
pomegranate / 3438 posts
We got one for my son for his second Christmas (he was 21 months). No interest in it until he was 3. It sat mostly unused for a year. Even after 3 he didn't really play with it much. I've kept it just because the kids that come over to play love it.
cantaloupe / 6131 posts
Both my boys (3 and 18 months) play with the play kitchens a LOT at preschool and church, but it was such a big toy I didn't want it to sit around unused. But at 3, my eldest is starting to do real imaginative play and the 18 month old just likes to bang around on all the pots and pans, so I thought it was a good age to grab the Ikea kitchen for Christmas and get a few years of use out of it. To hedge our bets, we took our boys to Ikea on 2 different weekends to the kids' area and aside from jumping on the beds, they always circled back to the play kitchen and that's what helped us pull the trigger.
We got the Ikea kitchen, utensils, pots, and the little table and chair set. We asked relatives to send play food to go with it. And that is their joint big gift this year.
Also, we used this coupon:
https://cdn.cpnscdn.com/static.coupons.com/Sites/img/couponscode/offer/1532750_2_30947.jpg
persimmon / 1345 posts
get it! My son is 21month old and plays with his older sister's play kitchen. He prob started playing with it around 19 months? Also, it's always been there so maybe that's why.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@gingerbebe: darn! I totally could have used that about a hour ago. Of course I couldn’t just go in and buy just the kitchen. Thanks for looking out though!!
eggplant / 11716 posts
If someone had give it to you as a gift, I would say keep it.
But since you are contemplating buying it yourself--definitely wait. We got a play kitchen and a ton of accessories last Christmas for my girls, who were then 3.5 and 1.5. My youngest has spent most of the last year just "dumping" the bins of food constantly. I have to put them out of her reach. She wasn't really old enough to play with them, only dump/spread/scatter/throw. Just now at 2.5 is she starting to play. My 3.5 year old was the perfect age.
Most of my mommy friends bought kitchens early and many were selling theirs by the time I was buying mine. They said their kids don't play with it--but I think our kids were all just too young. My kids still play with the kitchen now at 2.5 and 4.5.
Of course, if you have a ton of space and don't mind keeping it around the next 3 years, buy away. But don't expect him to do much more than dumping and scattering and opening/closing doors for a while. =)
grapefruit / 4291 posts
We bought a Hape play kitchen for our daughter’s first birthday and four years later it’s still one of the most played with items in our house. Ours lives adjacent to the kitchen and the kids love spending time there!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
We got one for DD1 last Christmas when she was 14 months old. She plays with it often!
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@Anagram: ha! Yeah, he has rarely used any toy the way the baby models seem to do on the boxes.
blogger / apricot / 482 posts
We got it for our oldest for his first birthday and he loved it. Our second has been playing with it since he could pull himself up to stand (really, before that, since he wanted to be near where his brother was). It's used every single day in our home.
nectarine / 2797 posts
Do it! DD got one for xmas at 18 months and loved it and still plays with it four years later, and 20 month DS loves it too!
clementine / 935 posts
Glad you decided to get it! We got DD's at 17 months and she loves it and has played with it every day (she's 2.5 now).
honeydew / 7463 posts
Never mind I see now you already decided. It’ll be used whether now or a year from now so it won’t hurt to have one.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@SweetiePie: Yep, I went for it! Melissa and Doug fruits & veggies arrive just in time for me to give it to LO for Christmas morning. Of course I have a very basic mini hack that I will attempt, although I doubt I’ll be able to get that accomplished Christmas Eve.
coconut / 8472 posts
I agree with @Anagram: about the age. Kids don’t really start imaginative play until sometime around 3. So until assume that he’ll mostly open and close the doors, turn knobs, and dump stuff out of it.
hostess / papaya / 10219 posts
Our 23 month old has been using our ikea kitchen daily since he was about 18 months. Loves to “cook”.
hostess / papaya / 10219 posts
@ShootingStar: I guess it depends on the kid because both of mine started imaginative play before two. Both have used the kitchen a ton and actually pretend to cook. My 23-month-old loves to put the toast in the toaster and cook with the pans. He pretends it’s too hot to touch and loves giving you food and seeing your reaction. He especially loves if he thinks the combination is gross and you will go ew!
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@travellingbee: Which toaster do you have? I was thinking of getting him that since we let him “help” make his Eggos on the weekend. So far I just have the IKEA utensils, pots & pans, and ordered the Hape fruits and veggies that he can cut.
clementine / 806 posts
Ikea kitchen and pots/pans, and some wooden food from amazon for his 2nd birthday. He is now 3y3m and I think he has played with his kitchen ever single day since he got it.
hostess / papaya / 10219 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: We got it from Pottery Barn a few years ago for big brother
https://www.potterybarnkids.com/m/products/chrome-appliances/?kwid=productads-adid%5e213818382694-device%5em-plaid%5e346281158135-sku%5e2761161-adType%5ePLA&cm_cat=Google&sku=2761161&catalogId=10&cm_ite=%5b%5bBP%5d%20-%20Overlap%20Mobile%5d&gclid=CjwKCAiA1O3RBRBHEiwAq5fD_ElrepbnqmfdXB_8p78xwzqg0Iz61NLfqne7hYeBw6ROTlcZowuGRRoCNk0QAvD_BwE&cm_ven=PLA&cm_pla=Toys%20%3e%20Kitchens%20%26%20Accessories
pea / 8 posts
I got my 21 month old the ikea play kitchen for Christmas. He has a play kitchen at daycare and like 90% of the time when I go pick him up he’s playing with it so I figured it was time for his very own!
I ‘hacked it’ but still need to add the backsplash.
pomelo / 5524 posts
I think you made a good choice! Anytime we go anywhere with a play kitchen, my kids gravitate towards it. They're 5 and 2, and my parents got them one for Christmas this year. They're going to love it.
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
@theocdmama: you did such a great job! I love the new hardware and all over clean color. My mini hack will just involve adding a wrapping paper backsplash and maybe adding stove knobs since LO is obsessed with the real ones.
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