All three of my kids have always loved playing with pretend food. We’ve bought a variety – Melissa and Doug sets are always the kids’ favorites, but we’ve done the cheapo McDonald’s toys, etc.
Kids don’t even need to have a kitchen to enjoy these. My kids loved their shopping carts and then they’d place the food around the house and stroll through the “store aisles” to put it in their cart. Fun!
Here is a list of the top 10 bestselling toy food sets for kids:
#1 – Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Cutting Fruit Crate
Toys that allow a child to mimic mom or dad in the kitchen are always a hit. This wooden set allows children to play pretend food, but while playing, the set teaches them about different kinds of fruit.
It also teaches counting and halves. The set comes with 7 different fruits to be sliced and a wooden knife. Kids enjoy cutting the fruit and then making them whole again. Velcro inside the fruits enable the pieces to stick together time and time again.
#2 – Melissa & Doug Food Groups
Play time can be a great opportunity to teach young children about healthy nutrition. This 21 piece set has pieces of food from each of the 4 food groups. Each of the 4 food groups are separately stored to make it easier for your child to learn them.
The foods are durable wood and come in a wooden crate to separate and store the foods. Kids can use this set to play lunchroom or set up a pretend grocery store. This set also works great with the other Melissa & Doug food sets.
#3 – Melissa & Doug Birthday Party Cake
It’s birthday party time! There’s so much kids can do with the Melissa & Doug Birthday Party Cake. They can have a party for their friends or dolls, pretend to be a baker or have fun in their little kitchens. This 35 piece set has 6 cake slices that kids can decorate with various toppings.
The toppings include both fruit and candies. The cake comes with a bright red serving platter. The wide spatula with the set easily slides under the cake to free a slice. There are 7 candles included as well as a storage box with dividers for the toppings and candles. When it’s time to put the cake back together, the velcro in the cake slices keep the cake whole.
#4 – Melissa & Doug Wooden Sandwich-Making Set
This imaginative set sparks a child’s creativity. Kids get a handy box to keep all their sandwich ingredients neat and the box also houses the wooden knife that comes with the set.
The set has meats, cheese, tomatoes and more. Kids love creating a variety of sandwiches from the combination of choices they have. The velcro on the pieces hold the sandwich together. The set has 16 pieces in all.
#5 – Melissa & Doug Cutting Food
This wooden food set comes with 25 pieces for long lasting fun. Kids can play picnic or restaurant and make pretend soup for their friends! The set comes with an assortment of fruits and vegetables as well as bread.
There’s also a wooden slicing knife and a cutting board. When the food is cut, it makes a noise just like real food does. This set helps kids to learn about fractional parts of whole items when you break the items down with the cutting. Watch this video about it – she shows you many ideas for playtime with this set:
#6 – KidKraft Tasty Treats Pretend Food Play
With this huge 125 piece set, your child can set up a pretend grocery store or a restaurant. The food is in bottle, carton, box and can form. But there are also fresh vegetables and fruits as well as delicious looking bakery treats like decorated donuts.
Your child will have fun serving up a slice of people or putting together a hot dog lunch. Afterward, she can share a pretend ice cream cone with a friend. With this amount of play food, your child will never run out of food to play with!
#7 – Melissa & Doug Fridge Food Set
This set has pretend food that kids can keep cold in their play refrigerator or freezer. Each piece is constructed of durable wood and painted with a colorful design like the real food product. Your child will get 9 pieces in all. For their freezer, kids get frozen vegetables, waffles and ice cream.
The set also has butter, yogurt, cheese, milk and orange juice for the refrigerator. This set is a good way to help your child learn about dairy products and why certain foods have to go in the freezer rather than the refrigerator.
#8 – Melissa & Doug Felt Food – Sandwich Set
The felt food set is a great gift idea for kids 3 years old and older. The set helps kids learn memory skills and food identification. By mixing the ingredients, your child can learn how to make a variety of sandwiches. She’ll learn about the different kinds of break (pita, white or wheat or a hoagie bun) as well as various meats and cheeses.
To top off the sandwiches, there are plenty of vegetables like lettuce, pickles and onions. There is also felt eggs and bacon or the old family favorite, peanut butter and jelly. The set even comes with condiments for the sandwiches!
#9 – Melissa & Doug Playtime Fruits
Stocking a child’s play kitchen with foods helps them to learn shapes and colors as well as being able to tell foods apart. But it also gives them tools for creative play. These durable toys are made to look like real fruit.
You’ll get apples, oranges, peaches, plums, pears and more in this set. There’s also a wooden fruit box that comes with the fruit and kids can set it up to pretend that they’re going to the market to get fresh fruit.
#10 – Melissa & Doug Playtime Veggies
Kids love the shape of these vegetables and the bright colors. They have fun going to their ‘store’ and picking out which vegetables they want to bring home. This set comes with 7 different vegetables and has a handy storage crate.
Play vegetables are great for teaching your child where and how some vegetables are grown. This set goes well with the fruit set and is a good addition to any child’s kitchen.
Which one do you want to get for your child?
Tiff 😉