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Mabster
12-07-2005, 01:54 AM
OK, I've read all the play kitchen & related posts I could find! I purchased the KidCraft kitchen from Costco and I'm currently searching out stuff to go with it. I found the M&D Pizza Set in Marshalls and the M&D Toaster set in T.J. Maxx, along with a set of Small World Living Peel 'N' Play Veggies. I'd like to at least pick up the M&D Food Groups Set and Play Food Set. My kiddo will be 2 in January.

So, my questions:

1) All food I have seen is labelled for 3+ - I'm assuming this is just because of some small pieces? I'll be removing anything that I deem too small & a choking hazard.

2) Same goes for pots & pans - evey set I have seen (some at Costco, some at TJ Maxx & Marshalls, including those blue enamel ones) are marked for ages 5+. Are there sharp edges as well? Why so high an age? When did you start using these play pots? Are there any other suggestions for small kids?

Edited to add: Does anyone have the Chef's Collection 15-Piece Set Cookware (http://www.kmart.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=134608&Ne=183&N=184&Nty=1&categoryId=184&pCategoryId=183&gpCategoryId=176&view=44)? Looks like a nice set.

3) For those of you who have kitchens already, what sets of food would you say are the most played with? How many sets do you have? While they are all so cute I realize I have to draw the line somewhere. If there are ones your kids don't find appealing I'd like to know.

4) Wood food vs. vinyl/plastic food? I see the merits of both. I'm curious moreso when it comes to items like lettuce & sandwich makings - I can't see how wood would be as desirable for some of these items, ones that will be piled on top of each other etc. How easy is it to use the M&D Sandwich box?

Edited to add: Does anyone have the 101 piece Step 2 Vinyl Assortment? (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2603670). It's a super price and you get a lot of stuff. I know it's out of stock here but if it was worthwhile I might search it out.

5) For those who know both - M&D Wooden Cutting food box vs. Small World Living Peel 'N' Play Veggies - besides the usual wood vs plastic or price points, is there any benefits of one over the other?

Forgive me for all the silly questions, but it's late & I'm delirious with visions of a stocked play kitchen... You guys are an invaluable source of info - thanks in advance!

PS - I find it amusing that this is the Baby Bargains forums yet I always end up spending tons of money after hearing about all of these cool things to buy my kid...!

annasmom
12-07-2005, 07:55 AM
Hi, I have the Step2 100+ food set and I think it is great. There is so much food though, I only gave my dd a 1/2 of it, if that. I didn't give it all to her because there was so much, but also because some of it is pretty small. Also it comes with some boxes of food, which I thought would get destroyed pretty quickly. Anyway, now we have a ton of food in storage for a rainy day!

I also bought her the Step2 pots and pans set which I also really like. If its rated for a older age, I am sure its just a legal matter. I of course cannot speak to the other pots and pans sets.

I also bought her the M&D veggie basket for Christmas. I haven't opened it yet, but the veggies look pretty substantial. I do not think they would be a choking hazard. Perhaps someone who has it already can give more insight though.

Oh, by the way, I bought my Step2 stuff directly from Step2.com. At the time I was also buying a kitchen, and they had the best shipping rate.

Have you checked out Plan's cutting food? Also, the food from Nova Natural is really beautiful! Good luck, it seems like you have really done your research!

Oh, and I totally get you on the "bargains" aspect of this board!! I was "done" Christmas shopping for my dc weeks ago, and I am still going strong!

lizamann
12-07-2005, 10:28 AM
You already have the favorite around here - the M and D toaster. It has a gravitational force that pulls in kids instantly. We have some Haba food, but not that much - eggs, food basket with fruit, cheese, sausages, and that may be it. She doesn't really use the fruits and eggs very much, but I do find them stashed all over the playroom, so they do get around. As far as imaginative play, though, she usually plays with imaginary invisible food. We do have the pots and pans set from Land of Nod, which sure look nice, but she doesn't play with them much. She always takes out the sink instead, which looks just like a steel bowl, which I use IRL a lot, so I think that's why she gravitates towards that. I think one pot and one pan, as opposed to a set, would be just fine. We need different sizes IRL so we can cook different things with them, but they can fry an egg and boil spaghetti in the same pan, you know?

I would never get a giant 101 piece set. I already feel like I'm drowning in toys with multiple parts - no need to add to it! And when I've been to people's houses who have them, the food is all thrown into a giant rubbermaid container. So if the kid wants to play with a waffle, they'd have to dig through the container to find it. Then when they what to pour syrup on it, they have to do the same. It just seems like too much clutter standing in the way of play - not to mention that I have to look at it.

I was planning on getting dd some silverware since she doesn't have any, but then I saw her using one of her longer blocks as a fork, which she then offered to me along with a "brownie" she'd made, and I decided then that I didn't want to ruin that by getting her a "real" fork.

So I guess I fall into the less is more category. Sounds like you're off to a great start. What about getting oven mits? Dd loves her oven mits (came with the LoN pots and pans).

kaileysmom
12-07-2005, 01:17 PM
I too have the Kidkraft kitchen from costco, and have been looking for pots and pans, etc. I was recommended the blue set you mentioned, but have not found it in my area. I looked at the Costco set too. I did have it in my basket when I bought the kitchen but realized it was for 8 yrs and up and put it back. The age thing made me a little nervous. But many people have purchased it and found it to be a good deal. I just looked at the LON set mentioned by PP and that looks promising. Creativebrainsonline.com is having their Toy Deal of th Day on this set http://creativebrainsonline.com/dailytoydeal.html. I guess I said all of this to say that I am in the same dilemma.

ETA: link to thread I mentioned http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=12&topic_id=43114&mesg_id=43114&listing_type=search

ctmom
12-07-2005, 02:20 PM
the pp's all have great ideas, so I just wanted to add one more thing. At some point, you might want to consider getting an apron/chef hat set, maybe even personalized. As soon as my girls start playing with their kitchen, btw it isn't the Costco one, although I wish it was, they get on their aprons and hats. It is adorable! My sil actually got them at Michael's craft store last year and emboridered their names on...

kaileysmom
12-07-2005, 02:31 PM
Oh I LOVE the PP's idea about the apron and the hat. Sounds a like a great use for my 40% off coupon. Too cute!!!

ett
12-07-2005, 03:57 PM
I think one of the reasons the pots and pans are rates for 3+ or even 5+ is that they can break and then the broken pieces can be choking hazards. I first bought a metal set of pots and pans for DS, but when I showed them to DH, he noticed that the handles could easily break if DS happens to step on them. (Since the handles were glued onto the pot, as opposed to one whole piece of metal.) So I ended up getting a plastic set from Learning Resouces. We're quite happy with the plastic set, although DS has already broken the potato masher when he accidentally stepped on it. I will probably take out the metal set when DS is older.

These are the sets we have:
http://www.schylling.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=LC10&Category_Code=SPP&Product_Count=1

http://www.learningresources.com/Product.pasp?txtCatalog=Toys&txtCategory=&txtProductID=9155

We have 2 wooden food sets from M&D and the cutting food set from Plan Toys. The Plan Toys set is much better quality than the M&D set, as the paint on the M&D pieces chip like crazy.

I personally would not get the 101 piece set as I think it would be too many pieces for DS.

annasmom
12-07-2005, 05:02 PM
I have to agree, the Step2 food set is too much. The food that my dd uses is great, but will we ever use the other 50 pieces?? Maybe in years to come, but not at this age.

Also, I didn't mention this before because frankly I forgot, but I did not give her certain foods because they are not very good foods IRL. For instance, I didn't give her the hotdog because, in addition to being a chocking hazard, I don't want my dd eating hotdogs IRL. My dd absolutely loves hotdogs and would eat them for breakfast, lunch & dinner. I guess my thinking is that she asks for junk food enough, I don't need her having constant reminders of all the junk food that is available.

miki
12-07-2005, 06:02 PM
Personally, I don't think you need to stock the kitchen with so many sets of food. The more play food you have, the more time you'll be spending picking up. Of course, I can't stop myself from buying new play food when I see something cute and on sale.

The favorite here are the Haba ice cream cones and grape clusters.

ethansmom
12-07-2005, 07:23 PM
We have the peel 'n play veggies as well as the M&D. I MUCH prefer the M&D. Actually, we have some non-cutting M&D that I like better than the cutting right now.

At this age, DS sort of likes to cut his cutting food, but that's all he does with it. It's the whole food that he uses for imaginary play. The peel 'n eat food doesn't get played with nearly as much as the cutting and it's just a big pain to have all of these pieces of peel on the floor.

At age 2, the biggest draw was just a variety of empty yogurt containers, etc. Oh ya, his favorite pretend kitchen "toy" was a sponge. He loved to clean his kitchen! ;-)

brittone2
12-07-2005, 08:17 PM
ITA w/ several of the PPs in that you may not want/need so much food unless you really think it will be used, have places to store it, and don't mind picking it up :) . DS (21 months) has the wooden cutting food set from M&D and he's been enjoying that for quite some time (really likes cutting it). He also has some smaller Haba fruits and veggies that he likes to cook in one of my small stainless steel frying pans (that I don't use that often, and if I need it I just re-borrow it from his kitchen). I occasionally give him an empty box from spaghetti or other pasta, etc. which he'll sometimes use, but then I can throw it away when we are finished.

I did buy him a coffee maker to go with the kitchen he already has because he loooooves to help his daddy make coffee. He's also kind of obsessed w/ the teapot lately so I may pick up a small wooden one of those down the road, but I think I can convince him the carafe to the coffe maker is a teapot if I try ;) . For his bday in Feb. I will ask my parents to get him a toaster :) I don't think he's missing any food and he's perfectly happy to stir up any old thing in his pots/pans so far.
He'd probably like the pizza cutting set because he also has a thing for the pizza cutter at our house, and it is too sharp for him to play with, so it would be nice if he could imitate that in some safe way. We certainly don't find ourselves needing more food though and I agree, what we do have (which isn't that much) is plenty to keep track of (all the pieces of cutting food which I'm constantly velcroing back together) for now. I wouldn't want to add any more to the mix for now anyway. In their world, a block can be anything they want to cook, so the food is probably more for us ;)

hellosmiletoday
12-09-2005, 10:28 PM
This doesnt address your questions, but I think a set of colorful melamine "adult" meauring cups would go great with a kitchen. I got a set at Crate n Barrel for DD to use as nesting cups a few months ago, and I recently saw some pretty ones at LnT as well ($7-9).

Mommy to baby girl 5/04