Which Play Food Is Best?

[August Mom]

Now that I have DS's kitchen for Christmas, I need food recommendations. I'm thinking that he might put the food in his pots and pans and then serve it onto plates.

I saw plastic food from Small World Living.
http://www.kidsurplus.coresense.com/images/large/sma8600105.jpg

And, wooden food from M&D.
http://www.kidsurplus.coresense.com/images/large/lig271.jpg

And, these from Constructive Playthings (anyone know the brand?)

http://www.constplay.com/constplay.com/family/product_images/MTC-402L.jpg http://www.constplay.com/constplay.com/family/product_images/SKY-90L.jpg
Any other ones to check out? Is wood or plastic better for cooking and serving, do you think?

Also, what about groceries? Do you like wood or plastic better and why?

[chlobo]

Ijust saw this new melissa & doug stuff

http://www.countrytoys.com/plfoki.html

very cute & on sale!

[o_mom]

I like the wooden food better, although some of the high quality plastic can be nice. I just saw the M&D cutting food and sandwich set at TJMaxx, they also had the Small World sets (Chinese and Italian, I think)

We have some cutting food and wooden stuff I got at Target, but it was on clearance, so I don't think they have it anymore. I wish I would have bought all the sets :-( We also have a plastic/cardboard set that was a gift and it is not nearly as nice - the banana is about 3 in long, and the plastic is very thin. I wouldn't buy plastic without seeing it first.

[annasmom]

I want to get my dd some wooden play food for Christmas as well and am interested in the replies that you get. I am deciding between getting assorted Haba food and the M&D veggie and fruit baskets. Last Christmas I got her a huge plastic & carboard set of food from Step2. I think the quality is pretty good and she loves playing with it! I gave her probably a quarter of the food that came with the set though. The rest is in storage (hiding) because I thought the other pieces were too small for her (choking hazards), and she would eat and destroy the little carboard boxes of food. I hope you find something you like. I am sure she will love it!

[LBW]

We have some Melissa and Doug food and like it. We also have Haba food, and although I love it, soje of the food is pretty small, so you have to supervise play.

I love the look of this Nova Natural food:
http://www.novanatural.com/product.phtml?pr=3484
but I'm not sure of the size.

[mommab]

The website www.creativetrains.com has a train deal of the day today - yes, I know we're talking play food - but today of all days (10/25/05) ONLY, they have featured 3 M&D food sets for $11.99 each. That is 40% off, and shipping is free with orders over $30 - so a great deal if you want all three of those sets. The sets are:

M&D Wooden Play Food Set
M&D Wooden Sandwich-Making Set
M&D Wooden Pizza Party

I ordered all three, and hope they'll list 3 other sets soon! Else, I'll check out AC Moore & Michael's with the 40%off coupon.

By the way, which kitchen did you get for your ds? I'm leaning toward getting the Costco Kidkraft kitchen, but keep holding out that something better will come along before Christmas - I know, wishful thinking!

[August Mom]

>By the way, which kitchen did you get for your ds? I'm
>leaning toward getting the Costco Kidkraft kitchen, but keep
>holding out that something better will come along before
>Christmas - I know, wishful thinking!


The reason this question arose was because of the Train of the Day deal! LOL

I actually got the PBK Metro Kitchen at the F&F Sale last week. He is always drawn to that one in the store so I finally went for it with the coupon. I hope he likes it as much at home.

[mommab]

That IS funny!!! I thought it was odd that the "train deal of the day" was food sets!! Great minds think alike - lol!!

Did you end up buying any of the sets?

Anyway, my only problem with the M&D Sandwich-Making Set is that we don't eat meat, and they have a few meat pieces in that set - but hardly a deal-breaker for me!! I would probably think twice about getting the M&D Wooden Food Groups Set and opt instead for the new vegetable & fruit baskets...which, by the way, are priced much cheaper at that Country Toys website previously mentioned than at Creative Brains! I haven't actually checked out AC Moore & Michaels for M&D food - have you? Do they carry the new vegetable & fruit basket sets?

I'm sure your ds will be thrilled with his new PBK Metro Kitchen - aren't you just dying to give it to him now??? I'm so excited for Christmas this year, because dd will really be able to express her excitement verbally - "OH WOW, Momma"!! I can't wait to see her face!! Now, I definitely have to get a kitchen!!!

[darby24]

Link to picture of Nova Natural food from Rashmi:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=12&topic_id=30761&mesg_id=30761&listing_type=search

It looks great, just out of my price budget!

[August Mom]

DS loves the M&D pizza set (but there is a whole section of pepperoni). I've seen the sandwich set IRL and I'm so-so about it. I hadn't seen the fruit and veggie baskets before the link to Country Toys. They look nice. I don't think that my Michaels carries M&D. I've never noticed it there. And, we don't have AC Moore around here. I often see M&D at Marshalls and TJ Maxx, though.

I am excited to give DS the kitchen, but I am nervous that he won't give me the reaction that I want and then DH will say "we spent how much for this kitchen?"

I'm still debating about whether to buy anything from Creative Trains. I have until 9 a.m. :)

[mommab]

Oh yes, I forgot about the pepperonis - we currently call them tomatoes when reading dd the "Pete's a Pizza" story! Maybe that will work with the food set!! :)

Thanks for the heads up on M&D at Marshalls & TJ Maxx - I'm not a big B&M shopper so will have to check them out.

I almost forgot - now we'll have to get some pots & pans to cook the food in the kitchen that we've yet to purchase! This child will have more in her play kithen than I did in my first real one - lol!

Good luck on your "grocery shopping" for ds!!

[ellies mom]

We just got the little blue enamel pots and pan set you see around for $13 at Marshalls.

[Toba]

If you look closely, it appears that the plastic food in your first and third pictures are the same. The burger, pizza, fruit tart, pie with crisscross crust and puff tarts with chocolate sauce (just to name a few) look identical to me.


~Kimberly Anne~
Noah Nevan, March 12, 2004
*the light of my life*

[mommab]

I think a trip to Marshalls & TJ Maxx (they're next door to each other here) needs to be in my plan soon to look at M&D food & now cool pots & pans!! Thanks!!

[Momof3Labs]

We got fruits and veggies that can be cut from www.discountschoolsupply.com and DS has a lot of fun with those.

[TahliasMom]

i prefer wood. we have the wooden kitchen and fridge from babystyle.com. we got it on clearance thanks to the BBB moms here ! for wooden play food, I got it from Target when it was on clearance. i forgot who makes it but it's really cute. it has veggies, fruit, dairy, meat, and something else. very similar to the wooden crate with 4 slots posted by OP. if dh wasn't with me i would have gotten different sets. i got some pots and pans(Alex) from Marshalls. I'm also on the look out for more wooden food!

[neeter]

does anyone have suggestions on a good comprehensive melissa & doug combination? we only have m&d cutting things ...otherwise still on the lookout for other m&d playfood. i'd like to get a good selection, without trying to overlap or overkill.

i'm thinking about adding the wooden groceries and fruit & veggie baskets.

thoughts?

thanks!!