Do you have a mini gourmand at home? A little one who loves to help come dinnertime? Or just a kid who is super excited to act like a grown up? Build a child-sized kitchen for your fledgling chef and hone those culinary interests and experiments early. Use upcycled furniture, redo an old toy, or build a toy kitchen completely from scratch. No matter which route you choose, be sure to incorporate your little one’s personality (and bonus points for matching your own home’s interior). Peruse these ten ideas to get starting making your kid’s play kitchen today.

• 01of 10Mid-Century Modern Play Kitchen  Capture one of the most major home trends with this kids’ kitchen by veering mid-century modern with your design. Brass hardware and pastel colors really help this one come together sleekly. Add a few plastic fruits and veggies for a fun afternoon of “cooking” in this designer kid kitchen. 
• 02of 10Wallpaper Play Kitchen  This eye-catching, from-scratch play kitchen uses fiberboard for its structure, which makes it both inexpensive and fun to build. Coordinating wallpaper and paint colors make this kid kitchen look almost professional—just be sure to scale down the appliances to fit your little one.  
• 03of 10Easy Play Kitchen  Use the ubiquitous cube shelves (find them at most home goods stores) as the base for this quick kids’ kitchen. Fake an electric cooktop with a sheet of plastic, some circle templates, and spray paint, and add a push light inside the oven for the ultimate teeny stove.
• 04of 10Upcycled Play Kitchen  This ultimate play kitchen looks so realistic your little one will want to take over cooking duties in your house. This tutorial uses a few clever replacements for the real deal, including Inserting a wire cooling rack in the “oven” so your tiny chef can practice baking. 
• 05of 10Painted Play Kitchen  Add a bit of cheery whimsy with bright paint and colorful, patterned contact paper with this play kitchen redo. No need to start from scratch here, just put your own spin on a pre-bought (or even better, pre-owned) playset. Easily cover any wear and tear with acrylic paint and great stickers.
• 06of 10Play Kitchenette  Pegboard: just as helpful in a kid’s kitchen as it is in an adult kitchen. Build this cute kid-sized kitchenette around a pegboard base, and hang mini pots and pans along the pegs to finish the toy. Get ready for your little one’s first (practice) souffle!
• 07of 10Pink Play Kitchen  A couple of coats of preppy pink paint over vintage furniture makes this toy kitchen set fully unique and super adorable. Scour your local summer garage sales for wooden cabinetry to keep this project affordable. Don’t worry if each piece is a little dinged up, you’ll be painting over any nicks and scrapes.
• 08of 10Mint Play Kitchen   You won’t want to hide away this good looking toy kitchen when company visits—it’s as chic as it is entertaining for kids. Go retro with the paint colors and finishes and this beauty will look great for years to come. Cherry Blossom LoveTurn a plain play kitchen into a faux restaurant by giving it a cafe-style awning and chalkboard. Kids will have a blast decorating their service space and writing daily menus. You may even be able to encourage some lunch prep help by playing cafe with your little ones.
• 10of 10Cardboard Play Kitchen  You need little more than a few empty shipping boxes to make a complete teeny kitchen for your kids. A sharp craft knife makes easy cuts for cabinets and an oven door, and duct tape can attach things together and provide a few pops of color. This project doesn’t require any power tools, so involve the kids on the creation of this one.