Age Appropraite Toys

If the toys fit through a toiletpaper roll than they are too small. If they break too easily than she shouldnt have them especially if she puts things in her mouth. Then there are pieces that come with the sets that are cardboard to look like cereal boxes they are easily destroyed.

We got our son the Laugh and Learn kitchen/family room last year for Christmas, when he was 13 months. He loved it right away and played mostly with the buttons, noises, and shape sorter. A year later, he is playing with it more as a pretend kitchen, and we just added a set of play food and dishes. Basically, she may be able to enjoy it right away in her own way and grow into playing with it the "right" way.

Toys are marked as a guide for you. You know your child better than they do. If she is ready for her own kitchen toys, 6 months is not too far off. You just have to make sure that she doesn't get small pieces that she may put in her mouth, but they usually don't have those kinds of pieces until they are at least three years old.

Hi.
Deneen has a great point.

However, it is also interesting to know that toy manufacturers consistently over-estimate the appropriate age measure from a *developmental* standpoint (usually by about 6 months) on purpose so that an infant (or child) can play with the thing right out of the box, and the parents think, "what a great toy."--but the kid gains no developmental challenge from playing with it.

So, if the point of picking a certain toy is to encourage developmentally appropriate learning, you want to choose a toy they have to *learn* how to play with, and monitor your baby when they are playing with the toy so they don't get hurt.

Also, toys that can be played with 10 different ways (like plain blocks) will give more use and benefit than a toy you can only play with 1 or 2 ways (like battery-operated toys).
t

I'd get the toys...time flies. Kids do not always love what you get anyhow...you end up shelving some stuff and pulling it out later anyway. (I do not like to see my child overly frustrated with some thing...there is no rush in development...despite the "race" our culture turns parenting into.
Good luck!

Only you and your husband know your child. Wehn it comes to the suggested age just ask is she capable of working this item. Just by what you have stated in your post it sounds like she would have hours of fun with the item. The only recomendation I would suggest is keep small parts away if you have any worries she will put them in her mouth. Otherwise i say go for it.

I would get it now. However, as other have said, remove anything that may be too small. We supplemented our play kitchen with our own recycled kitchen containers (sour cream or yogurt containers, etc), older kitchen dishcloths. If you decide not to get it now, we emptied out a bottom drawer in the kitchen for play kitchen toys (tupperware containers, scrubbie, old small pot or pan with lid & spatula) to keep them busy while I was cooking.

There is a reason toy manufacturers put age restrictions on toys so you really should follow them. I would wait until she is the age limit listed on the toys. Since she's so little, she's not going to know the difference about anything. Just give her a plastic bowl and a plastic spoon and let her stir it up. She doesn't need fancy toys right now. Save your money and get it for her later. Good luck.

The kitchen should be fine, just check all the toys that come with it and make sure none are too small for her to play with and a choking hazard. I have a home daycare and I'm more careful about the size of toys and if the little ones can hurt themselves with them than I am about the age recommendation on the toys themselves. If you use common sense, you'll be fine.