A mother in Utawala has just measured her daughter against the kitchen door frame: 97 cm, and growing. Before she orders a play kitchen, she wants to know how that number compares with the kitchen's height, now and in a few years.
Height is the first measurement to check, because a child has to reach the stove, the sink and the buttons to play on their own. This guide puts play kitchen sizes beside real child heights, so you can see how a kitchen will fit your child now and in a few years.
How tall are children at each age from 2 to 8?
Children grow from about 86 cm at 2 to about 128 cm at 8, according to the World Health Organization and CDC growth charts. That is a growth of more than 40 cm across the years a play kitchen is used. The table gives the average height at each birthday, for boys and girls together.
| Age | Average height | Chart |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | About 86 cm | WHO |
| 3 | About 95 cm | WHO |
| 4 | About 103 cm | WHO |
| 5 | About 110 cm | WHO |
| 6 | About 116 cm | CDC |
| 7 | About 122 cm | CDC |
| 8 | About 128 cm | CDC |
The figures under 5 come from the WHO child growth standards, and those from 6 to 8 from the CDC growth charts. Every child grows at their own pace, so your child may be a few centimetres either side.
What height should a play kitchen be for my child?
A play kitchen should be about as tall as your child is at the age they start using it, or a little shorter. At that height, every part of the kitchen is within reach and in view. A 90 cm kitchen fits that rule for a 3-year-old.
As your child grows, the kitchen becomes relatively lower. That suits the older games well, because a 6 or 7-year-old running a restaurant looks down into the pots and works the counter the way a grown-up does at home.
How do you measure your child for a play kitchen?
- Stand your child against a wall or door frame, heels touching it, without shoes.
- Lay a flat book on their head, level with the floor.
- Mark the wall under the book with a pencil.
- Measure from the floor to the mark with a tape measure.
- Compare the result with our set's 90 cm height.
Write the date beside the pencil mark, and you have the start of a growth record on the wall.
What sizes do play kitchens come in?
Play kitchens come in three broad sizes: small tabletop sets, tall stand-up kitchens and wide multi-level units. Each size suits a different kind of play and a different amount of space. The table compares them, with our set shown for reference.
| Type | How tall | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Small tabletop set | Low, sits on a table or the floor | Anywhere, packs away |
| Tall stand-up kitchen | About 90 cm to a metre | Against one wall |
| Wide multi-level kitchen | Often taller and much wider | A playroom or large sitting room |
| Our wooden set | 90 cm high, 79 cm wide, 30 cm deep | Against one wall, even in a small flat |
Tall stand-up kitchens suit children of 3 and up, because they put a whole kitchen within reach without needing a playroom.
How much floor space does a play kitchen need?
A play kitchen needs floor space for its own footprint plus room in front for the child to stand. Ours covers about 0.24 square metres of floor, at 79 cm wide and 30 cm deep. Add a clear patch in front, and the whole play corner fits inside about a square metre.
For room-by-room ideas in flats and bedsitters, see our guide to fitting a kitchen set in a small space.
What should you measure besides height?
Besides height, you should measure the wall the kitchen will stand against, the depth it will take from the room and the space your child needs to stand in front. These measurements decide where the kitchen goes. Check them once, before ordering, and the kitchen fits on the first try.
- Wall length: at least the kitchen's width, 79 cm for ours
- Depth: the kitchen's depth, 30 cm for ours, plus skirting boards
- Standing room: about 60 cm of clear floor in front
- Door swing: room for the cupboard doors to open
- Nearby doors: a room door that opens without hitting the kitchen
Why does a 90 cm kitchen work from 3 to 8?
A 90 cm kitchen works from 3 to 8 because it starts close to a 3-year-old's height and ends well below an 8-year-old's shoulders. Both positions suit the play of that age: reaching and exploring at 3, and organised cooking and serving at 8. The kitchen fits each stage without changing.
A much taller kitchen would leave a 3-year-old stretching, and a much smaller one would leave a 7-year-old bending low. So a height close to 90 cm covers the widest range of ages.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is the average play kitchen? The average full-size play kitchen is about 90 cm to a metre tall. Tabletop sets are much lower, and wide multi-level kitchens can be taller.
What height play kitchen suits a 4-year-old? A play kitchen of about 90 cm to a metre suits a 4-year-old, who is about 103 cm tall on average. Every part is within easy reach.
How tall is a 5-year-old on the growth charts? A 5-year-old is about 110 cm tall on average on the WHO growth standards. Individual children vary by several centimetres either way.
Will my child grow taller than the play kitchen? Your child will grow taller than a 90 cm play kitchen by about 3, and that suits the older games. Children of 6 to 8 look down into the pots and use the counter like a grown-up.
What is the standard size of a toy kitchen? The standard size of a full toy kitchen is about 90 cm to a metre tall. Ours is 79 cm wide and 90 cm high.
How deep is our play kitchen? Our play kitchen is 30 cm deep, so it stands against a wall without reaching far into the room.
Should a play kitchen be taller than my child? A play kitchen doesn't need to be taller than your child: about your child's height, or a little shorter, works best when they start using it. Much taller, and the upper parts are harder for a young child to reach.
Do the WHO growth charts apply to Kenyan children? The WHO growth charts apply to Kenyan children, because they describe how healthy children grow in any country. They were built from children in Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the United States.
How much does a child grow between 3 and 8? A child grows about 33 cm between the ages of 3 and 8, from about 95 cm to about 128 cm on the WHO and CDC charts. A kitchen that starts at a 3-year-old's height still suits an 8-year-old, who cooks from above with every part in view.
