The Kitchen Nook

The house I grew up in holds a huge place in my memory...
my bedroom was probably a sewing room for the previous owners, but I still found room to dance to the radio and make funny faces in the mirror..
You had to cross through my mother's bedroom to get to the only bathroom in the house.
We didn't have a dining room, but we did have a gigantic kitchen. It took up more than half of our first floor.
It was a great space; light and airy,well travelled and used.
It's where we ate dinner. Where I sat and struggled to figure out my math homework. Where I sat on a chair when I was naughty.

My mother, the fantastic natural chef, made delicious meals in that space..it always smelled amazing.
The house I call our family home today has a large kitchen where we spend most of our time...
I wanted this important space to be laid out in a manner which welcomes imaginative play and a sense of togetherness.

Our children's kitchen area is one of the most loved spaces in our home. The playschool children enjoy "preparing snacks" and W is just starting to imitate some of my actions while cooking. His favorites seem to be the sink and shaking spices from a jar...

I try to keep the playfood and accessories to a minimum. A few wooden plates, a cutting board, some wooden fruits and veggies for slicing, and some handmade felt food are what I have chosen for the time being. The children also have access to four of my bottom cupboards where they will find measuring cups, utensils, and containers.
I searched for a long while to find a handmade wooden kitchen that suited both our needs and budget. The best value I have found has been Willow Toys.

Ironing has become a favorite past time in our house for the children. They enjoy ironing silks, handkercheifs, and all of my kitchen linens. It is one of our most used playthings! I found our set on ebay for $15. The brooms and featherdusters always come out after lunch when it's time to clean up the crumbs. The canvas bag holds aprons and smocks:)

We enjoy our snacks together while at the table in the "sunny part" of the kitchen.

The wooden bowls were a steal at a thrift store outlet (yes, outlet! amazing!) for 0.15 each!

Unfortunately, the ants still love our kitchen as much as we do...!

I'm looking forward to sharing more photos of our playspaces as I finish a few projects.

Happy Homemaking:)