KidKraft Grand Gourmet Corner Kitchen

This adorable Kidkraft Grand Gourmet Corner Kitchen (as pictured above) is the newest model released by KidKraft, leading manufacturer of high quality pretend play kitchens. It's currently on sale at Pretend Play Kitchens for $194.95 ($105 off regular price).

Here are its major features listed on the website:
* Made of sturdy WOODEN construction!
* See-through doors on oven and microwave
* Turning Knobs on the oven and sink
* Dishwasher, oven, microwave, refrigerator and freezer doors all open and close
* Cloth curtains behind the sink
* 4 metal accessories: a pot, a pan and two spatulas
* Removable sink for quick and easy cleaning
* Large enough that multiple children can play at once
* Convenient storage below the microwave and washer
* 36.22"W x 12.32"D x 36.02"H
* Wood, Plastic, Fabric
* Recommended for children ages 2 to 6
* Assembly required (Easy Instructions included)

My favorite part of the KidKraft Grand Gourmet Corner Kitchen is the pink color scheme. It's a perfect gift for little girls and it's awesome to have during October, the month of Breast Cancer Awareness. The Kitchen is wooden rather than plastic and therefore more eco-friendly. The unique corner kitchen design makes it easier to fit in a smaller room and is a great choice for families that are tight on space.

Pretend play kitchens like this provide parents with an ideal tool to foster their child's imagination and creativity. Kids can have hours of fun creating recipes and cooking like mom and dad. The Kitchen can be a valuable learning tool too. Since it has many components and features that replicate a real kitchen, kids can explore the uses of kitchen utensils like pot and pan, and appliances like oven, microwave, fridge and washer. By interacting with the play kitchen, your child may develop an interest in helping mom and dad in the real kitchen.

The play kitchen may also help teach kids to stay organized and clean up after use. For instance, your can encourage your child to use the cloth to wipe surfaces, wash the pot and pan in the sink, and dry them afterwards. Your child may learn to put groceries in appropriate sections of the fridge, and keep utensils in an orderly fashion.

Since the kitchen is big enough for several kids to play together, it can help develop teamwork skills and encourage altruism. The little players may pretend to perform different tasks to prepare a meal, including grocery shopping, preparing ingredients, creating recipes, cooking, serving food, and cleaning. They may imagine cooking for someone that is sick or baking cookies to sell and raise money for a charity.

Although I haven't get the chance to try this new product with my child, I love its attractive design and many neat features. I'd recommend it as a valuable imaginary play and educational toy.

Note: I have not been provided with a sample product for review, but I'm being compensated for writing this feature based on site description and what I know about pretend play kitchens.