Play foods are miniatures of kitchen gadgets for little kids and toddlers. If your little one is obsessed with food and likes to play with kitchen gadgets than these play foods are perfect for them. Since it is obvious you can’t hand them original kitchen gadgets because it can hurt them. They can use play food to experience and imagine the situation they like to live in.
Little kids like to play and keep on exploring things. They learn each and everything from the adults living with them. The way to speak, react to situations, favorite color and many more things which adults do become their favorite too. It also includes cooking activities which they see every day. Kids at their age always remain excited and curious about everything. Play food is perfect for kids to enjoy fake and imaginative cooking they observe every day.
Benefits of Play Food
There are numerous benefits of play foods for kids. It helps in improving dexterity, motor skills and helps in shape recognition.
1. Overall Development
The play kitchen helps with food and vegetable recognition. It also provides the kids with an opportunity to categorize the different food types and utensils. Kids when seeing various food and vegetable miniatures they get curious and eager to know what benefits they provide and how they are grown. This naturally improves their knowledge.
2. Inculcate A Sense Of Responsibility
Kids who are really obsessed with toys, play foods keep them entertained. They also learn how to keep their belongings safe and if they lose anything they are responsible for it. You tell your kids if they lose any part of their play food they are totally responsible for it and therefore they have to take care of it themselves. So kids also learn to take care of their belongings.
3. Imagination Is Everything
Even if your kid doesn’t know how to serve the meal they will learn it by using play food. They will imagine situations like cooking and serving using play food. It is always important to open the world of imagination to the kids.
4. Helps To Understand The Importance Of Sharing
Kids will share these miniatures with their siblings and friends while playing. They learn how to share and what importance sharing has. It also enhances their prudence of independence, which, in turn, increases their self-confidence.
5. Improves Communicating Skills
Food play is fun when it is played with the group. Kids while playing it with their siblings and friends work in a team and communicate. They learn what is unity and understand why family matters.
- Helps To Improve The Numerical Skills
Play food also helps to pick up a child’s numeracy ability. Kids have to find out how many plates they need to serve the food. They may have to, weigh ingredients or calculate the minutes the food needs to be in the oven (depends on the play kitchen set they have). Either way, it helps to enhance their mathematical learning while they play.
Purchasing Tips
Whenever you are buying food play for little ones make sure to read the product details. Here are some tips to follow while purchasing a food game for your child.
- Stick On To The Age Recommendation: Never ignore the age recommendation and buy food play for restricted age group kids. Some food play also includes small components which are really dangerous for toddlers because they can put it in the mouth. So always buy food play by considering the safety measures of children.
- Look Out For The Material Used: Also, read about details of what material is used while manufacturing the food play components. Sometimes kids can also harm themselves with the hard components of food play.
- Introduce The Game To The Child: Do not leave them alone with the food play until they don’t know how to use them. Explain and play along with them till they get the hang of it.
- Buy Food Game That Educates The Child: Buy a food playset which helps in teaching educational things to children. Like different types of shapes, colors, fruits, and vegetables are something that can be taught to children using food play.
Top 7 Best Play Food Sets For Toddlers & Kids
1. Sturdy, Natural Wood
Easily available on Amazon in $23.11 and can be used by kids of 3 years old and above. The total numbers of components are 19. This play food with a real look of original kitchen gadgets really helps the child in developing motor skills.
2. Melissa & Doug Birthday Party Cake
Available at Amazon in $26.51 this wooden birthday party cake for kids above 3 years old. This toy is shaped like a cake sliced into 6 pieces having a candle on each. Each piece of cake can be decorated by the child with different toppings provided. A serving knife is also provided with the set. The main feature is that this toy set is made up of wood and painted to give a realistic look.
3. Jogo Wooden Pizza Toy
The prize for this wooden pizza toy set at Amazon is $39.38 and is recommended for kids 6 years old and above. Using this toy, kids can learn about baking and slicing a pizza and how to serve it and can even get paid for it as it contains various bills set with it. Major components are plastic food toys, kitchen accessories, oven made of cardboard with bills along with it.
4. Smart Snacks Shape Sorting Cupcakes
This toy cupcake set is available at $9.68 on Amazon and is suitable for kids above 3 years old. Children can learn primary colors with the help of this toy and can differentiate between various shapes as the base of the cupcake and cupcake are of different shapes and sizes.
5. Kid Kraft Tasty Treats Play Food Set
The listed price of this product at Amazon is $24.99 and is convenient for kids 3 years and above. This toy set contains 115 pieces containing cans, bottles, sweets, vegetables, cookies and much more.
6. Hape Pop Up Toaster Wooden Play Kitchen Set
This toy from Hape is available at Amazon for $19.49. Age recommended for this toy set 5 years old. The components of this food play are toaster, plastic toy knife, bread slice, and butter. With the help of this toy, a kid can learn table manners while serving breakfast.
7. Melissa & Doug Canned Goods
This product is available on Amazon at $8.99 recommended for 3 years old and above. There are total numbers of 10 cardboard cans with removable plastic lids. Various grocery stickers are available with these cans to categorize them as per will.
Some Last Words
So, if your kid is too obsessed with kitchen tools buy them a food play and let them explore. Kids at their age are always eager and excited to explore new things. So buying them will help them to live an imaginary life their adults live in actual. Always read the food play product details before purchasing it.
