Hi Painted,
Folks around here love topics like this, but they need a to-scale floorplan drawing of the affected areas in order to help. So I suggest to draw one up on graph paper and post it.

Hi, PaintedPeggies. I'd do it in a heartbeat in the right situation, and it sounds as if you have that. It doesn't have to be either-or on seeing into the playroom, though. I grabbed this picture because it was the first smallish "pass-through" to come up. I hadn't quite realized the current version of what is being called this is typically large enough to pass a roast boar through--on a plank. Of course, a boar size communication would also work nicely.

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Williston Park Kitchen & Bath Designers Kitchen Designs by Ken Kelly, Inc. (CKD, CBD, CR)>

Also consider whether you'll be moving anytime soon. Open concept will be better for resale.

You have such a large kitchen, make sure you are designing the new space efficiently so you can tell whether you really "need" another wall of cabinets. Or play around with the design to see if you can't find a way to get a better spot for the fridge without closing off the kitchen.

I'd do exactly the opposite, but I can't tell if you have enough "other" room in the kitchen to make it work -- I'd take down the entire wall between the kitchen and the playroom (at least until you don't need the "visual" of the kids anymore). We had a wide peninsula with no uppers between our kitchen and family room the entire time we lived there (26 years). The noise from the family room would bother some, but I liked being part of the action.

I. Can give more pics/graph when I am on my computer later. I forgot to add that the countertops and cabinets in this pic are ALL I have. And no pantry. Basically, a really large kitchen 14x16, with no thought given to placement and all of it crammed onto one wall.

As far as taking DOWN the wall, it adjoins the all to my foyer, sort of an L shape, so I couldn't take it down.

The thing giving me a BIT of pause is maybe using it as a dining room in the future. The fireplace is in there...My dining room was in there at first and the playroom was part of my living/dining combo. I quickly got tired of the playroom mess being visible from the front door, so we switched them.

... so I couldn't take it down.

With very few exceptions, any wall in residential housing can be removed, and it's almost always pretty straighforward. For load bearing walls, you might need a bearing column, and you may have to decide whether to spend the extra mony to recess the beam, but still, it's not complicated. Trickiest issues are generally related to utilities in the wall, not structural stuff.

Oh, I meant from a design viewpoint, not structural! If I removed it you would walk into the house and it would be KITCHEN! right in your face.

Or more accurately, big open area that used to be the foyer, then KITCHEN!
No foyer or front hallway. To me, it would be odd looking...

If it improves a dysfunctional layout to close up a door or wall, I would do it for sure.

I try to design kitchens that are flexible with openings that can be closed off. Pocket doors or paired pocket doors over largish openings are my favorite.

The food processor, grinder, mixer, and disposal going non-stop can sometimes make other people wish you weren't part of the action, so it's nice to be able to insulate yourself for specific tasks.

That may not be applicable here, because you need more counterspace, but maybe you want to consider a counter height opening that could be closed off.

Look carefully at 2LIttleFishies remodel. She has a similar situation with a front door that opens into the living area and open concept between the kitchen and family space. Her brilliant solution was sliding glass doors which provide sound insulation when needed yet keep the space open visually.

Funny you mention this, I was thinking of how I could incorporate her idea into my kitchen. I have an identical doorway on the OTHER side, the right side of the photo I posted that leads to the living/dining combo.

this is really poorly done but you can see the layout somewhat...