Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Learning Kitchen

As a House Party host, I was given the inside scoop on five of Fisher Price's hottest new baby toys. For those of you who aren't able to attend my Perfect Playdate, I'm sharing insider details on these great new products. Be sure to watch for my reviews on the other four toys I have waiting for you!

The Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Learning Kitchen

in the box and awaiting our attention

initial impression : I admit I'm a sucker for toy kitchens, and Hobie's only toy that he really, truly loves is the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Piano he inherited from Coral a few months ago. I was prepared to like this one.

packaging : Awesomeness. Plain and simple. Fisher Price/Mattel has finally listened to what parents have been lamenting for years and they have done away with the requires-six-hours-and-an-engineering-degree twisted ties and have come up with this super cool new fastener that you merely give a twist, and it pops off in your hand. The kitchen took me about 25 seconds to free from the packaging - four twist caps, two loose wire ties, and one plastic cover that had a thoughtful pull-tab for easy removal. I had to screw in two screws to attach the little trash can, and it was ready for play. It also includes batteries. You will be thanking the gods and Fisher Price when you're elbow deep in gifts to assemble come Christmas Eve!

the ingenius packaging design lets the average person open this toy in no time!

basic overview: The Learning Kitchen is designed for babies 6-36 months of age (although my 3 1/2 year old found it quite entertaining!). It has four interactive play modes (learning time, Spanish, musical fun, imagination) and plays more than 20 tunes. Babies can open the oven, switch a light on and off, flip the pages of a "book," and sort play food through the shape sorter. It lights up and plays happy, upbeat songs at 2 volumes.

cute, friendly design and just the right amount of accessories

pros : It's a small kitchen. Small is GOOD. It doesn't take a five thousand square foot house to store - trust me, we have not only a big toy kitchen but also a baby center, a spring horse, and countless other toys to deal with amongst our four kids. This size is perfect. It's plenty big enough for two kids to play since it has activities on both the front and back of the kitchen, and strong enough to support my nine-month-old pulling up on it. It has three food accessories, a play pan, and a play spoon, which is just the right amount for the target age of 6-36 months. I especially like that the only sticker on any of the oh-so-appetizing-and-mouth-sized accessories is deeply recessed inside the play pan. This means no stickers for baby to chew off! My little guy can shred a Dean Koontz novel in about 30 seconds with his mouthful of chompers, so I am super happy to see this attention to detail. And like the other Laugh and Learn toys I've seen, the kitchen has a ton of different interactive, fun songs and sounds that are pretty pleasing even to the adult ear.

enough fun activities to captivate pre-schoolers as well as babies

two sides means two kids can play!

cons : My only real complaint is that the kitchen folds for storage but can't be latched. I'm assuming this is to  keep from hearing over and over the screams of a child who has discovered that they can shut the toy, but aren't yet strong enough to open it back up. I would prefer a latch but the kitchen is small and lightweight enough to carry around and not have it flip open.

The Learning Kitchen will undoubtedly become a staple toy in our house!

See more information and purchase the Learning Kitchen directly through Fisher Price!

*Note: I received the Learning Kitchen free of charge through the partnership between House Party and Fisher Price. I am not being further compensated for my review*