The Connection Between Real and Imaginative Play in the Kitchen

When I first introduced my toddler to cooking, I wanted to nurture a connection with real food and the process of preparing it, while also making space for his natural imaginative play. Like many parents, I found myself trying to strike the perfect balance between real-life experiences in the kitchen and the world of pretend play. What I didn’t realise at the time was that these two seemingly separate activities were more connected than I could have imagined.

As time passed and my little one grew, so did his play skills. Recently, at age two, he went through a huge developmental leap in imaginative play, and I had an "ah-ha" moment. I saw the direct link between what we were doing in the kitchen and the way he approached his pretend kitchen play.

His play was a mirror of our real-life cooking adventures, with a little bit of creative flair thrown in. He would grab wooden blocks and treat them as food, taking them through a sequence that closely resembled the steps we take together when cooking in the real kitchen. He would pretend to turn the oven on, fry the “pasta,” then pop it into the oven to finish cooking. Once it was “ready,” he’d pull it out, wave his hands over it, and say, “It’s a bit too hot!” before waiting patiently to “serve” it to us.

It was in this moment that I realised how valuable these dual experiences were. Real cooking and pretend play weren’t separate—they were working together to help him process and understand the world around him.

Why Real and Imaginative Play Work Hand in Hand

By introducing him to real cooking, I wasn’t just teaching him about food. I was giving him the tools for storytelling, problem-solving, and even patience (well, a toddlers version of!). Through play, he was able to work out the details of real-life cooking and make them his own in a way that allowed him to experiment, make mistakes, and find joy in the process.

In our everyday kitchen, he’s learning new words along with experiencing textures, smells, and tastes—all the sensory experiences that come with handling food. But in his pretend kitchen, he gets to test out scenarios, try new roles, and dream big in a way that is safe and pressure-free. Together, these experiences feed into each other, encouraging development in both cognitive skills and creativity.

Encouraging the Balance

If you’re a parent trying to strike that balance between the real and pretend worlds, know that both are valuable. Letting your child be involved in real cooking tasks—whether it’s stirring a bowl or washing a vegetable—gives them a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. Meanwhile, their time spent pretending in an play kitchen helps them process those experiences and turn them into imaginative play.

What I’ve learned from this journey is that there’s no need to choose between real cooking and imaginative kitchen play. They’re both opportunities for connection, learning, and creativity. Whether your little one is “cooking” up a storm with real ingredients or whipping up a wooden block stew in their pretend oven, they’re growing and developing valuable life skills.

So next time you're in the kitchen, invite your little one to join—knowing that the magic of cooking goes beyond the real world and into the wonderful, imaginative space they create for themselves.