The Sweetest Play Kitchen Refresh with Little Tikes Sweet Spaces
There is something so sweet about watching your child get completely lost in pretend play. One minute they’re making you a cup of coffee, the next they’re running an entire restaurant, and somehow you’ve already placed your fifth order of the morning. Our almost 5-year-old has always loved this kind of imaginative play, so recently we decided to give her play kitchen the sweetest little refresh — and her reaction made it completely worth it!
We added some adorable new kitchen and pretend food pieces, including items from the Little Tikes Sweet Spaces collection at Target, and they instantly brought new life to a space she already loved.
A Little Play Kitchen Refresh
I’m a big believer that you don’t always have to completely redo a playroom or buy an entirely new setup to make something feel exciting again. Sometimes adding a few new accessories to toys your kids already own is enough to make everything feel brand new.
That was definitely the case here! Her kitchen has been a favorite for a while, but adding new pretend foods, kitchen accessories and appliances gave her so many new ideas for how to play. Suddenly her kitchen wasn’t just a kitchen anymore — it was a café, bakery, ice cream shop and restaurant all rolled into one. And if you have a preschooler, you know they take their restaurant jobs VERY seriously.
The Cutest Little Retro Kitchen Pieces
One of my favorite things about these pieces is the adorable retro-modern design. The soft mint green, pink and pastel details are SO cute and give everything that fun vintage diner and ice cream shop feel. We added pieces like the retro-inspired stove and refrigerator along with some of the cutest pretend treats. There are colorful cupcakes, donuts, popsicles, ice cream cones and other little foods that are basically made for setting up your own pretend bakery or café. And honestly? They’re cute enough that I don’t mind having them sitting out in the playroom! The little details are what make everything so fun. She can open things, arrange her food, “cook” meals on the stove, serve desserts and create completely different scenarios every time she plays.
The Pretend Café Is Officially Open
Of course, it took approximately five minutes before our kitchen refresh turned into a full-service café. Coffee? She has you covered. Cupcakes? Absolutely. Breakfast? Coming right up. A completely made-up meal consisting of a donut, an egg and whatever else she finds in the refrigerator? Apparently that’s the chef’s special. I love listening to the conversations that happen while she’s playing. There are lots of:
“Mom, your order is ready!”
and
“What would you like?”
followed by very detailed explanations about what she has prepared. Watching her create her own little world is easily my favorite part.
Why I Love Open-Ended Kitchen Play
As cute as everything is, what I really love is how much imaginative play comes from something as simple as a pretend kitchen. There isn’t one “right” way to play with it. Kids can pretend to be a chef one day, a baker the next, run an ice cream shop, open a café or prepare dinner for every stuffed animal in the house. They’re creating stories, practicing conversations, making decisions and using their imagination without even realizing it. It’s also the kind of toy that can grow with them. The way a toddler plays with a kitchen can look completely different from the elaborate restaurant scenarios a four- or five-year-old dreams up. And around here, elaborate is definitely where we’re at right now!
An Easy Way to Make Old Toys Feel New Again
If your child’s play kitchen hasn’t been getting as much attention lately, try giving it a mini refresh before replacing it. Add a few new foods. Bring in some café accessories. Switch around the setup. Add a cute new appliance or two. You might be surprised by how quickly they rediscover it. That’s exactly what happened here. A handful of new pieces sparked a whole new round of imaginative play, and now we’re getting coffee orders, baked goods and restaurant meals served to us on repeat.
Shop Our Magical Play Kitchen Favorites
If you have a little one who loves pretend cooking, baking, cafés or restaurant play, these pieces are such a fun addition to a play space.
You can find the Little Tikes Sweet Spaces collection at Target stores and Target.com, including the adorable retro-inspired kitchen pieces and pretend treats we added to our setup.
I’ve also rounded up the pieces from our Magical Play Kitchen so you can easily find the ones we’re loving.
Whether you’re putting together a brand-new play kitchen or simply want to give one you already have a little refresh, adding a few special pieces can bring so much new imagination into the space. And if you need me, I’ll be over here waiting for my next coffee order.
