If you’ve grown up Indian, you probably have at least one (if not more) memory about playing with a kitchen set as a kid. It’s the quintessential Indian toy/pretend play experience and for good reason! It’s play that goes a long way, your child can play kitchen as a 1 year old and still enjoy it as a 7 or 8 year old or even older. And your child can learn so much from this one play. When they cook, serve, mix, roll and cut, they pick up early math skills, everyday science, they learn planning, logical thinking, build their hand-eye coordination and they get to pretend to be grown up!
The House of Zizi Kitchen Set is one of those toys that naturally draws children in. It’s thoughtfully designed, beautifully crafted and delightfully open-ended, which means it can grow with your child and adapt to endless play possibilities.
And here’s how you can turn this joyful toy into a learning station that sparks imagination and makes sure your house rings with laughter every day.
Choose a cozy, well-lit corner at home, maybe beside a window or your reading corner. Spread a soft rug and set the Kitchen unit there. These small things can make the space warm and inviting, enticing the children to make it their place. You can add a name board to it too, to make the child feel a sense of belonging.
Set up for independence by arranging the tools and ingredients on an open shelf or on accessible height, so everything is within reach. You can also group similar things together, like placing utensils and tools like spoons, whisks ladles together; Cookware like pots, pans, trays together; pretend ingredients like wooden vegetables, grains, felt fruits.
Add loose parts for open-ended play, loose parts like pasta, beans, rice; wooden blocks and other small game parts that can be used as bread, cookies etc.
Introduce weekly learning prompts to feature new learning and experiences every week. Prompts like ‘make a rainbow salad,’ ‘try to mix hot and cold water.’ These prompts add gentle structure to play, guiding thinking without taking away freedom.
Connect books with play by exploring books that are food or cooking themed. Read it and recreate it in the play kitchen to bridge imagination and comprehension beautifully.
When we call something a ‘learning station,’ it doesn’t mean it’s about lessons or worksheets. It’s about creating learning that happens through play naturally, joyfully, and meaningfully.
And that’s exactly what the House of Zizi Kitchen set can become, not just a toy, but a small world where stories, maths, language, and love come together!