An eco-friendly play kitchen set is a top notch gift for a child – boy or girl. Not only will your child get hours of playtime out of this one awesome gift, but play kitchens help encourage a love of cooking, organizing, imaginative play and can increase skills such as math, problem solving, decision making and social skills (play kitchen sets are a perfect multi-child toy).
Before you start hunting down a play kitchen set, make sure you read the following guides:
- How to choose a safe and eco-friendly play kitchen set or dollhouse
- Frequently asked questions about plywood in toys
If you’d like to go the creative route, you can also make your own DIY play kitchen set.
I update my green play kitchen guide annually. This year I’ll be breaking the guide down by price and materials. Because some parents aren’t down with plywood of any sort, first I’ll post a slew of plywood-free, plastic-free play kitchens by price. After that, I’ll post some play kitchens made with greener plywood choices in case you’re interested in those.
*NOTE: All play kitchens are listed from least to most expensive, so you can easily find an affordable play kitchen in your budget range.
Plywood-free Play Kitchen Sets
$63 PlanActivity Kitchen Center
PlanToys’ activity kitchen center is made of PlanWood, a recycled wood product made with leftover factory rubberwood. This all-in-one kitchen center includes double burner stove top, oven, sink, dishwashing unit, food preparation area, cooking utensil holder, and storage for kitchen supplies. Stove top has faucet and knobs for realistic play. There are cute cloth sides that allow for easy cleaning and all-in-all this is an affordable starter kitchen set for toddlers.
+ Buy now: PlanActivity Kitchen Center
Janod Maxi Cooker is a great wooden kitchen play set made of Lotus wood and child-safe finishes. Designed in France this set features an oven with opening door and turning dials, a stainless steel sink which can hold water, and two burners with twisty knobs. The playset offers plenty of storage in the opening cupboard and on the shelves. A stylish wooden clock with moveable hands and cute birds add to the charm. Includes eight accessories: 3 wooden magnetic spoons, a saucepan, fried egg, a pot with cover and an oven glove.
+ Buy now: Janod Chic Maxi Cooker
This awesome little kitchen has all the features of a big play kitchen set, but packed into a more manageable, portable size. This is one of the few portable kitchens that features an oven, plus there’s also four burners, made from solid red oak, a stainless steel, removable sink bowl and a handle for easy portability. The play kitchen is made with solid pine construction (NO plywood or particle board) and has a natural oil/beeswax finish. A great little kitchen for an excellent price.
+ Buy now: The Little Kitchen
This wooden play kitchen is made of Lotus wood and child-safe finishes and the colors are hyper appealing. The kitchen features a stove top, oven, range hood, kitchen sink and side table for serving with a side stool. The stove and oven have ignition buttons and the sink has hot and cold water taps. Includes: 4 piece toy dinner set, toy cooking utensils, such as a saucepan, pot, spoons, oven mitt, salt and pepper shakers.
+ Buy now: Picnik Duo Kitchen
$148-$179 Plan Toys Kitchen Center
PlanToys is an entirely eco-friendly and ethical company and they make some amazingly cute and green play kitchen sets. All of PlanToys kitchen play sets are made without heavy metals or lead, with natural rubberwood from rubber trees which no longer produce latex. None of the wood is chemically treated. Zero fertilizer is added to the rubberwood soil and PlanToys uses a special chemical-free kiln drying process. For colored products, a water-based, non-toxic finish is used and toys are assembled with certified E-Zero, non-formaldehyde glue in place of traditional toxic wood glue. Best of all, PlanToys is affordable considering the design quality.
+ Buy now: Plan Toys Kitchen Center
+ Buy now: PlanToys Refrigerator
$209 Glückskäfer Wooden Stove-Oven-Sink Combo
Glueckskaefer products are made with Linden tree wood and non-toxic, water-based coloring. This excellent play kitchen is small and makes a great starter kitchen for kids. It comes with a wooden stove, oven, and sink unit, interchangeable stainless steel sinks and wooden stove burners. It also has an easy open oven, and 5 wooden hooks to hang utensils on. If you’re looking for an even smaller, less expensive play kitchen, there’s also the Glückskäfer Wooden Stove Sink Combo in extra small size for just $116.
+ Buy now: Glückskäfer Wooden Stove-Oven-Sink Combo
Willow Toys adorable play kitchen is an handmade family company toy and an excellent deal. Made of 100% New Hampshire white pine and finished with a natural, non-toxic, 100% natural Lemongrass and Lime, wood finish that indulges the senses for relaxing playtime. There’s a stove with a durable fiberglass window so kids can view their meals cooking plus a cabinet and sink with real metal bowl that is removable for easy cleaning. All the knobs turn for even more imaginative play.
+ Buy now: Willow Toys Play Kitchen
$290 Camden Rose A Beautiful Hearth
Camden Rose kitchen play sets are high-quality, creatively designed, non-toxic toys that will last for generations. Plus, this company has many green and ethical practices in place. Camden Rose kitchens feature USA-made quality without any plywood, press board, or soft pine. These kitchens include creative accessories such as functional knobs and doors, a swivel faucet and removable high-gauge stainless steel sink. Kitchens come flat-packed to save on space and packaging, along with easy 5-minute snap together assembly.
+ Buy now: Camden Rose A Beautiful Hearth
$350 Camden Rose A Simple Hearth Kitchen with Hutch
This beautiful set is made from solid wood – cherry with walnut and birch accents and finished with Three BEEautitul Bees All Natural beeswax finish.
+ Buy now: Camden Rose A Simple Hearth Kitchen with Hutch
+ Buy now: Camden Rose A Simple Fridge
$400 Heartwood Natural Toys Play Kitchen Set
This is one of the best play kitchen deals you’re likely to find. The set includes the stove and fridge, both made from solid pine with paduak burners. The faucet shown is made from beautiful black walnut; also available in poplar. All kitchens & fridges are available with the options of a blue enamel or stainless sink and of solid brass or stainless hardware & handles. This kitchen play set is entirely non-toxic including the glue and finishes plus corners are rounded over and sanded for safety. All knobs and faucet move and are attached with bolts and lock nuts. This is a perfect zero paint, zero MDF, zero plywood, zero plastic kitchen set for an unbelievable price. Both are available separate, but seriously, $400 for both is a killer deal.
+ Buy now: Heartwood Natural Toys Play Kitchen Set
$450 Glückskäfer Wooden Play Kitchen with Top
Of all the play kitchens out there, this Glueckskaefer kitchen may be my favorite design-wise (love the curvy top!) ,The kitchen features a beautiful sink and cabinet on one side and a stove with oven on the other. The sink is a stainless steel insert that can be removed and cleaned and the cute wooden faucet knobs really move for great imaginary playtime. The cabinet has plenty of room to store little pots and pans and the oven opens up so little ones can pretend to bake. Glueckskaefer products are made with Linden tree wood and non-toxic, water-based coloring.
+ Buy now: Glückskäfer Wooden Play Kitchen with Top
$490 Amish Play Kitchen Stove AND $490 Amish Play Refrigerator
This is a very expensive set in my opinion (about $1,000 for both) however, this set is totally heirloom quality and is handmade in the USA with domestic kiln dried, solid hardwoods that are responsible grown and harvested within 250 miles of the builder’s workshop. It features mortise and tenon joinery and is particle board-free, MDF-free and veneer-free. Expensive, but fun, beautiful and this kitchen will last for generations.
+ Buy now: Amish Play Kitchen Stove
+ Buy now: Amish Play Refrigerator
$450 Wooden Play Kitchen + Fridge
This wooden play kitchen is made in Canada, using pine, cherry and maple. The bowl is made of stainless steel and all knobs and faucet function like a real stove and sink. Doors open and close easily with magnets. This kitchen come only partially assembled for more affordable shipping costs, but you’ll also get directions and all parts you need to assemble and will only need a hand screw driver to build this set.
+ Buy now: Wooden Play Kitchen + Fridge
Eco-plywood Play Kitchen Sets
$79.99 Treehaus Wood Play Kitchen
The Treehaus Wood Kitchen is a classic play kitchen featuring a stove, oven, pantry cabinet, and removable sink basin. It’s made with wood and some plywood. Beware of one thing – this play kitchen has about half shady reviews on Amazon and other places I looked, so be sure to look up reviews
+ Buy now: $79.99 Treehaus Wood Play Kitchen
$82 Hape – My Creative Cookery Club ( Educo )
Hape and Educo are two brands from the same company and their joint My First Kitchen is an adorable role-playing kitchen for one or more chefs.There’s a see-through door, cupboard or “refrigerator”, cook top, sink and utensil rack. You also get a 30-piece kitchen set that comes with slice-ready vegetables, bread, pots, pans, utensils, and salt and pepper. Made with Baltic Birch plywood and durable non-toxic child safe finishes.
+ Buy now: Hape – My Creative Cookery Club ( Educo )
Made with Baltic Birch plywood and durable non-toxic child safe finishes, this play kitchen packs a ton of fun into a small space. The contemporary cabinet-style kitchen is accented with red, orange, black, and grey to highlight a perfectly sized compact oven, stove top, cabinet, or fridge, rotating dials, hutch, and sink. You can also snag the Hape Gourmet Fridge if you’d like to have a complete kitchen. The fridge is hyper cute and even has a wooden “ice maker.” This gourmet kitchen set comes in white, as shown or in an adorable green color
+ Buy now: Hape Gourmet Kitchen
+ Buy now: Hape Gourmet Fridge
$189 Elves & Angels Christina’s Wooden Play Kitchen
The all-natural Wooden Christina’s Kitchen has a stainless sink for washing dishes, plenty of space for cutting wooden veggies and a four-burner cook top. Open the cabinet or oven door to find a divided cupboard with one shelf for baking in the oven or storing pots and pans. Made in the USA with mostly Northern white pine and a natural linseed oil finish and formaldehyde-free birch plywood back.
+ Buy now: Elves & Angels Christina’s Wooden Play Kitchen
+ See More Elves & Angels Play Kitchen Sets
$211 Little Colorado Kid’s Kitchen Center AND $170 Little Colorado Kids Play Refrigerator
This kitchen center comes with a stove top with faucet and knobs that turn for realistic play. The stainless steel sink is removable. Cabinet doors open to reveal storage for pots, pans and kitchen supplies or pretend oven. Available in natural unfinished, solid white or soft pink/pastel green. The cute matching refrigerator features separate freezer and refrigerator compartments each with shelves on the doors. All Little Colorado products are manufactured in their own facility, start out as raw wood like knotty pine and/or CARB phase 2 certified Baltic birch plywood. The kitchen center is shipped fully assembled and an anti-tipover kit is included.
+ Buy now: Little Colorado Kid’s Kitchen Center
+ Buy now: Little Colorado Kids Play Refrigerator
$212 Sproutz Toddler 2-in-1 Kitchen
Sproutz Toddler 2-in-1 Kitchen is an interesting option. It comes with a sink and stove combined into one natural kitchen, four “burner” stove, turn controls, plus sink has a faucet and pull out “sprayer”. The set is made with pre-consumer recycled wood residuals, formaldehyde-free adhesive system, is CHPS compliant, made in the USA and is available with edge-banding in one of four colors.
+ Buy now: Sproutz Toddler 2-in-1 Kitchen Caramel
$219 – Elves and Angels Julianna Kitchen Set with Broiler Toy
This is a beautiful little play kitchen with a handy shelf above the cook top for storage and knobs to control the cook top and oven. There’s a broiler (or pizza oven!) for added fun. The set is made in the USA of real pine wood with a linseed oil finish and formaldehyde-free birch plywood back. It ships flat to save on packaging and costs and easy assembly required.
+ Buy now: Elves and Angels Julianna Kitchen Set with Broiler Toy
+ See More Elves & Angels Play Kitchen Sets
$229.00 – $249.00 Kids Kitchen Appliances Set – White Kitchenette & Fridge
The wooden play fridge and kitchenette feature separate freezer and refrigerator compartments with shelves on each door, play stovetop and removable, stainless steel kitchen sink with turning knobs. The set comes with a Tip Restraint Kit for securing Kitchenette and Fridge to your wall to prevent tipping and is made in the USA with solid pine framing and Baltic birch low emission engineered wood.
+ Buy now: Kids Imaginary Play: Kids Kitchen Appliances Set – White Kitchenette
+ Buy now: Kids Imaginary Play: Kids Kitchen Appliances Set – White Kitchenette & Fridge
$69.98 – $349.00 Magic Cabin Pretend Kitchen
This play kitchen is made of Rubberwood and some pressed wood, with realistic details that inspire young chefs to play all day, every day. The fridge features two pull-out shelves and separate freezer compartment while the stove and sink set has four burners, movable knobs, under-sink storage compartment, removable plastic sink basin and removable oven shelf.
+ Buy now: Magic Cabin Pretend Kitchen
Made in the USA Sproutz Play Kitchen has KYDZHinged doors held shut by magnetic catches, four “burner” stove, wooden turn-button controls and the sink has a realistic pull out “sprayer.” Made with pre-consumer recycled wood residuals, formaldehyde-free adhesive system and is CHPS compliant.
+ Buy now: Sproutz Kitchen Set
This is a very expensive set considering that it’s not made with all real wood, but it’s very inclusive for hours of fun and stylish and modern to boot. The design was created by renowned modernist designer, Edgar Blazona, featuring lovely anodized aluminum feet, handle cutouts and control knobs with a sleek, grown up look and feel. See-through doors let young chefs keep an eye on baked goods in the oven. The set is Greenguard certified, CARB II compliant and hand crafted in America of Baltic Birch plywood. You can buy this as an entire set or for a much lower price, simply get the TrueModern Play Kitchen alone.
+ Buy now: TrueModern Play Kitchen
This kitchen set was designed by Natural Pod and made on Vancouver Island, British Columbia with a combination of environmentally responsible FSC certified Maple Europly, Pure Bond, Oak and Fir and finished in natural beeswax. Europly is a ply wood, but an eco-ply made a urea-formaldehyde adhesive that meets the U.S. HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) emmissions standard of 0.3 ppm or less. Learn more about this kitchen set.
+ Buy now: I’m not sure how much this play kitchen is running for now, but in the past it ran around CAD $630.00, so yes, a lot. They no longer list prices at Natural Pod though. You can contact them to order and to get more price details.
Cardboard Play Kitchen Sets
$32.00 Kidsonroof Cocorico Cardboard Play Kitchen
This cute cardboard kitchen is lightweight, mobile and eco-friendly, made with recycled cardboard. This is a nice starter set for a child who may (or may NOT) like a paly kitchen. You can do a test run with this play set before investing in a much more expensive, long-term kitchen.
+ Buy now: Kidsonroof Cocorico Cardboard Play Kitchen
For an affordable price, your child can cook up sizzlin’ hot creations in this amazing flat-pack kitchen. You simply unfold the flat-pack set and all kinds of cool kitchen features come alive including cabinets, countertops and appliances. My favorite thing about this kitchen is its ability to be custom colored and designed as your child sees fit, encouraging imagination and creativity. Starting with a blank cardboard slate (as shown below), your little one can add color with crayons, paint, stickers and more to create his or her dream kitchen. The entire kitchen is made in the USA with recycled materials and both the product and packaging is 100% recyclable. The set is large and very affordable.
+ Buy now: Pop N Play Kitchen
