The two-sided kitchen offers lots of opportunities for interaction. View larger.

Keep play money in the cash register's working drawer. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Interactive restaurant counter with lots of accessories The Bad: Sound effects could grow tiresome In a Nutshell: Fun features inspire hours of imaginative play At a Glance Ages: 18 months to 4 years Requires: 3 AA batteries

Once this is done, simply make sure the switch, located inside the oven, is in the "on" position and watch as children explore the restaurant and delight in prerecorded messages from their Sesame Street friends.

Detailed, Interactive Construction
With the idea of a restaurant as their starting point, kids will quickly begin role playing and inviting their friends to enjoy a piece of pizza pie or a bunch of broccoli--once they've paid with some Duck Bills or Trash Cash, of course.

Kids will love the surprise of discovering what makes their favorite characters speak. They'll hear an effect right away when play begins with taking the spatula from Elmo or picking up the menu from its resting place in Grover's hand. Opening and closing the oven prompts the hungry Cookie Monster to speak, and knobs picturing Bert and Ernie let kids know whether they are cranking up the heat or turning it down. The smart stove makes a sizzling noise when the frying pan is set on its burner. There's even a bell to ring that inspires a yell of "order's up," just like in a real kitchen. The cash register offers a drawer for stashing bills, and it includes a working microphone so that kids can hear themselves talk with the same speaker that plays all the restaurant's fun sound effects.

Room for Imaginative Play to Flourish
With a side for cooking and a side for serving, this set is perfect for inspiring cooperative play between friends and siblings, or keeping a single child with an active imagination engaged for hours. Since the restaurant only comes with one set of utensils, kids will need to get creative if there are lots of diners.

Parents will love the way all the accessories that come with this set can be neatly stored inside the oven and refrigerator. Of course, getting kids to remember to clean-up may be tough when they're having so much fun. Coming from Fisher-Price, a brand know for fun, durable toys that inspire learning, Elmo's kitchen is well-suited for the demands of active play. Parents will love the sturdy construction and the way accessories can be neatly stored inside the oven and refrigerator.

What's in the Box
Main unit, arch, and two legs. Plastic play fork, spoon, plate, cup, spatula, frying pan, menu, egg, milk carton, cookie, bunch of broccoli, slice of pizza, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, bun, hamburger patty, and 12 bills of colored paper money.