Babble Best: Dress-Up Kits

Playful Chef Kids Cooking Set - $42.95

Mixing up some fun takes a teaspoon of this and a tablespoon of that, and the playful chef puts the recipe in their hands. Let them measure out play dough, spoon up imaginary soup or sling the apron around their neck, and they can join you in the kitchen with their own set of recipe cards and age-appropriate tools (the two versions of Playful Chef differentiate not only between apron size but accompanying kitchenware). A tool belt and see-through backpack lends find-it-when-they-need convenience for the pint-sized cook.

Get the older kids' set at Chocolate Cake Club.

Get the younger kids' set at Chocolate Cake Club.

The Imaginative Child: I'm a Doctor - $24.95

Paging imagination: We need you, stat! This mini-medical supply box is stocked with everything they need to scrub in and perform emergency teddy bear surgery. The company promises its doctor, detective, star and chef sets promote problem-solving, planning and teamwork. We're just happy it all fits back in the plastic box with locking lid.

Get it at FatBrain Toys.

Prissy Poofs: Princess Collection - $129.95

She doesn't have to be a princess to like life on the frilly side, and she doesn't have to be prissy to want something poofy. Either way, this dress-up set takes a bit of tarnish off the same old, same old princess crown. Your child will look the part of a delicate fairy, damsel or princess, but these tutus and matching headwear stand up even to the wear and tear from a toddler who needs a royal reminder that she's the bull in the proverbial china shop.

Get it at Prissy Poofs.

A Wish Come True: Boys Dress Up Trunk - $131

A Wish Come True calls this a "boys trunk" to distinguish it from their "girls trunk" (as if the pink fripperies weren't already a dead giveaway), but our little testers couldn't tell. The sturdy cardboard trunk swings open easily — no proof of gender required — and it's packed with everything kids need for scurvy adventures on the high seas or a night out in Gotham. A truly old fashioned dress-up set, it loses a few points for the Native American headdress, but the rest of the classics have plenty of imagination left in them.

Get it at Psychobaby.