Deluxe Homemade Toddler Kitchen

Andrew Hook made an awesome pretend kitchen as a gift for his son’s second birthday. It started out as an old entertainment center from Goodwill.

Hook replaced the door glass with plywood covered in chalkboard paint. The sink is a metal dog dish. And the burners actually work! Well, they don’t get hot, but they light up from coils of Electroluminescent wire that turn on and off with the stove knobs.

See the entire build process in an album at imgur. Oh yeah, his son certainly loved the gift.

You see these used entertainment centers in thrift stores all the time, because 1. they’re cheap (so you may as well buy a new one for the living room), 2. as TVs get bigger and flatter, the cabinets become obsolete, and 3. used entertainment centers don’t sell as fast as necessary items like beds and dressers. However, their size and shape makes them perfect for a toddler’s pretend kitchen. Several other redditors shared their entertainment center conversions.
 

Redditor diggexpat found an entertainment center with a DVD storage cabinet on the side. Enzo loved it.

Redditor cwagdev made one as well. I think he used the original doors turned sideways, but they sure look like stainless steel now!

Redditor flowebb’s sister made one, too. With gas burners.

Redditor _as_you_wish_ made one for his son, Odin. I could use lighting like that over my sink.

Children see delicious food being prepared on these big appliances they aren’t allowed to touch. Bringing them down to the child’s level and making them safe can make a kid feel so grown up while they learn about food and its preparation. -via Buzzfeed