Gear to get kids cooking — for real or for play

Introducing kids to cooking can be more than fun. It can teach skills and perhaps set children up to be healthier eaters. Temporary mess in the kitchen, lifelong payoff.

Here’s a look at some of the latest gear for budding chefs, from toys to the real thing.

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Play kitchens were a coveted toy at least as far back as the 1950s, when Sears’ catalog offered the all-steel Rite-Hite range, fridge and working sink for just under $30. Little Tikes toy company introduced their Efficiency Kitchen in 1977, with a microwave, range, fridge and sink, and followed up with the 1980s Party Kitchen, featuring a jaunty green canopy, fold-down peninsula, sink, two burners, cupboards and a wall-mounted phone.

If you’re feeling nostalgic, there are loads of vintage play kitchens for sale online. And Little Tikes is still in the marketplace, with the Home-Grown Kitchen, a corner-shaped unit with battery-driven