Early Literacy Center– Stove Top Cooking

The addition of our Farmer's Market Stand to our Play and Learn area, made me realize I wanted to incorporate cooking into the area too. I couldn't quite figure out how I wanted to accomplish it in a cheap way though. There are adorable chair cover stove tops you can buy on Etsy, if you have a spare $50-$75.

Of course, I don't have $75 to spare. Luckily, I remembered our little table in our storytime room! I quickly made heating coils and knobs using publisher and attached them to the table using contact paper. I also convinced our manager to buy this adorable set of kitchen items.

They are tiny and perfect for little ones. They even come with a convenient little basket to store all of the items when they're not being used. 

I included a handy little parent tip and play prompt to complete the new play item.

This is truly one of the greatest things we've ever put over in the play area. It works perfectly with our Farmer's Market Stand. Little ones now "purchase" all of their fruits and vegetables from the stand, and then bring them "home" to cook. I've been offered everything from mashed potatoes, to tea, to spaghetti over the past few weeks. It's adorable beyond belief, and we've heard many parents say they're going to make their own stove at home.

There's so many opportunities for vocabulary building and play with this new item. Plus, it was extremely affordable! Go make one right now. You won't regret it.