Pretend play is a big part of growing up — and understanding the world around them — for a toddler. And one of the most popular pretend play toys for tots are play kitchens — but a quick internet search will render prices far beyond what you would expect, can or want to pay for a play kitchen. Check out these 5 DIY play kitchens for toddlers and get inspired to build your little one an imagination station!

Sherry and John did a terrific job turning an old kitchen cabinet into a one-of-a-kind play kitchen for their little girl Clara — for only $74! Check out all of the DIY details on their blog, Young House Love.

Living and loving the retro life! These crafty parents transformed an old tv stand into the COOLEST retro play kitchen you’ve ever seen. And they did it all for about $30. Check out more DIY details at Narrating Life.

IKEA now offers a small play kitchen but before they added it to their line of products, this clever mama made this modern play kitchen for her little girl — and we like her design better than Ikea’s! Check out all the details of this one-of-a-kind Ikea play kitchen at Baby Andoo. It’s an Ikea hack for the books!

From trash to treasure in just a few simple steps! Two old nightstands were transformed into a toddler’s dream kitchen with a fresh coat of paint, some thrift store finds and lots of creativity. Check out all the DIY details at The Farmer’s Nest.

Girls aren’t the only ones that like to play in the kitchen! Check out this modern and masculine DIY play kitchen from Small & Friendly. It was a somewhat labor-intensive transformation but the end result is nicer than most real kitchens we’ve seen. It even has a tile back splash!

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