This works well and they love stacking the stuff in and out of the cupboard. Pans are also fantastic if you can handle the noise they might make banging on them with a spoon but the plasic tupperware and a plastic or wooden spoon can still get a wicked beat happening with the safety of our kiddies in mind. :)

I think that parents get so much thrown at them these days that sometimes it can be easy for them to feel like they have to lock down the whole house. It makes for a very sterile and limiting environment for a curious baby.

We have actually taken this just a step further and we didn't baby proof for either of our daughters - not in the sense people think of it in these days, anyway. We have outlet covers, and a lock on the cabinent where I keep cleaners (even though they are all all natural and non-toxic it's the principle of the mess they would make) and a lock on the bathroom cabinent where I keep my cosmetics, hair dryers, etc (again what a mess!) other than that we have lived by the principle that they need to learn how to get along in the home environment and what boundaries are. There is nothing horribly dangerous about a picture frame here or there. Baby proofing, imo, is becoming increasingly about the parents' convienence and that is ok to an extent (as I mentioned I use a couple cupboard locks to deter big messes) but when it comes to the point where the child can't explore it's gone too far. IMO, if it's not a blantantly dangerous area - let them explore. That's what growing up is all about - and when they find something they can't play with teach them their limits.