Best Play Food Sets for Kids in 2023

Are you tired of seeing your kids play with the same old toys that don’t spark their imagination? You’re not alone. Many parents are on the lookout for toys that not only entertain but also educate and inspire creativity.

Fortunately, play food sets are a fantastic way to engage your child’s imaginative play while teaching them about nutrition and food items. As an expert in children’s toys and educational play, I have curated a list that showcases the best play food sets for kids currently delighting children everywhere. Let’s dive in!

We recently purchased this play food set for our toddler, and we couldn’t be happier with our purchase. The set is incredibly well-made, with high-quality, realistically detailed pieces that are crush-resistant and built to last. Our little one loves playing grocery store and creating meals with the different food items.

One of the things we love about this set is that it includes a variety of different fruits and vegetables, as well as other food items, such as bread, cheese, and meat. This allows for a wide range of imaginative play scenarios and helps to build vocabulary and model mealtime routines.

While some of the pieces may be a bit small for younger children, we haven’t had any issues with our toddler putting them in his mouth. The only minor downside we’ve noticed is that the paint on the yogurt cups may chip or peel over time.

• Durability 5/5
  • Made of crush-resistant plastic, this set is built for durability and safe play.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • Beyond just play, this set offers excellent educational value, teaching children about shapes, vocabulary, and mealtime routines.
• Design 5/5
  • The pieces are designed to be realistic, enhancing the play experience for children.

We recently purchased this play food set for our kids, and they absolutely love it. The set includes a wide variety of play food items that can be separated into smaller pieces, which adds to the fun and educational aspect of the set. The kitchen accessories are also a nice touch, and the detachable pizza toy is a unique addition that our kids enjoy.

The set is made with safe and durable plastic material, which is important for us as parents. We also appreciate the dull edges and vibrant colors, which make the set visually appealing and safe for everyday use.

The spacious storage bag is also a nice feature, as it allows us to easily carry and store the set when not in use. However, we did notice that the Velcro on some of the play food items may not stay as long as expected, and some of the plastic material may feel cheap. Additionally, the set may not include all the popular fruits and vegetables, which may be a downside for some.

• Durability 4.5/5
  • The Shimirth Pretend Play Food set is made of high-quality, non-toxic materials, ensuring it’s safe for kids. The pieces are sturdy and designed to withstand the rough play of toddlers. The cutting board and other accessories are also made with durability in mind, ensuring they last for a long time.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • This playset offers a rich educational experience. The realistic light and sound effects enhance the play experience, teaching kids about different foods and how they’re prepared. The act of “cutting” the pizza and other foods promotes hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Additionally, the set can be used to teach kids about food categories, portions, and sharing.
• Design 5/5
  • The design of this playset is impressive. The realistic light and sound effects add a layer of immersion that many other playsets lack. The variety of foods, from pizza to fruits and vegetables, ensures that kids remain engaged and interested. The colors are vibrant, and the details on each food item are meticulous, making it a visually appealing toy for kids.

We recently purchased this set for our child and have been impressed with the quality and variety of the play food. The fruits and vegetables are designed to be easy to cut and match together, providing endless fun for your child. We also appreciate the emphasis on safety with the non-toxic and durable plastic material.

Our child has enjoyed learning about new foods and playing chef with friends. The set is perfect for pretend play, play kitchen, and even as a Christmas or birthday gift. We also love that the set encourages cognitive development and creativity in children.

• Durability 4/5
  • Made of safe plastics, this set is designed to withstand the rough play of toddlers. However, plastic may not be as long-lasting as wooden alternatives.
• Educational Value 4/5
  • With a variety of food items, children can learn about different foods and their categories. The set also promotes imaginative play, though it lacks interactive features like cutting or assembling.
• Design 4/5
  • he pieces are colorful and reasonably detailed, but they might not be as realistic as some other sets on the market.

We recently purchased Comirth Play Food Sets for our kids, and they have been having a blast playing with them. The set includes a nice variety of food items, including fruits, vegetables, meats, and snacks. The “peel” and “shell” features on some of the items add a fun and realistic touch to the play experience.

The toy basket that comes with the set is a convenient way to keep all the pieces organized and easy to transport. We also appreciate that the play kitchen accessories are made of durable and safe materials.

Our only minor complaints are that some of the Velcro fasteners on the food items don’t stay attached very well, and the toy knives could be a bit sharper. Additionally, some of the smaller fruit and vegetable pieces may pose a choking hazard for younger children.

• Durability 4.5/5
  • The Comirth Kids Kitchen Playset is constructed with high-quality materials that are built to withstand the rigors of active play. The plastic components are sturdy and appear to be resistant to breakage. The electronic components, such as lights and sounds, add to the toy’s longevity, provided they are handled with care.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • This playset offers a comprehensive kitchen experience for toddlers. It not only introduces them to various kitchen utensils and food items but also incorporates realistic lights and sounds, enhancing sensory learning. The play sink with running water teaches kids about basic kitchen hygiene, while the variety of play food items can be used to teach food names, colors, and more.
• Design 5/5
  • The design of this playset is impressive. It’s detailed with a modern kitchen look, complete with a play sink, oven, and other kitchen appliances. The realistic lights and sounds elevate the play experience, making it feel like a real kitchen. The color scheme is vibrant and attractive, ensuring that it captures the attention of young children.

The Lehoo Castle Wooden Play Food Sets is an excellent educational toy that can enhance your child’s motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and logical thinking. It can also be used to teach color recognition, sorting, assembly, and grouping. This play food set is an ideal birthday or Christmas gift for toddlers and is perfect for holidays, travel time, parties, or any occasion.

• Durability 5/5
  • This wooden play food toy set is crafted with high-grade wood material, ensuring it’s both durable and safe for children. The smooth surface, curves, and reusable self-adhesive labels are designed to last, making it a resilient toy against the wear and tear of playtime.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • The set is not just a toy but a learning tool. It offers items from four food groups: Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, and Drinks, allowing children to identify and classify foods. The act of “cutting” the food items enhances motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
• Design 4.5/5
  • The design is thoughtful, with a variety of food items that look realistic, from Kiwi to Beef. The inclusion of a unique shopping bag adds to the play experience, allowing kids to simulate a shopping experience.

The JASNKKONT Play Food Set is a great way to teach children how to communicate and share with others while also making education and learning fun. The bright colors and details of the pieces attract kids to cut food pieces and match them back together, promoting cognitive development and helping to develop children’s creativity and thinking skills. The set is also fun for autistic boys and girls.

• Durability 4/5
  • The product is made of durable ABS plastic, ensuring it will last for a long time even with regular play. The materials used are free from BPA and other harmful substances, making it safe for children.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • This toy set is not just for fun; it’s educational too. It helps improve children’s recognition of various fruits and vegetables. The “peel” or “shell” feature of some items, like the banana and corn, offers a realistic play experience. This set promotes hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and counting ability. It’s a great way to spark learning through play.
• Design 4.5/5
  • The set comes with a variety of food items, from fruits and vegetables to fast food, making it versatile for different play scenarios. The vibrant colors and realistic design make it appealing to kids. It also includes a durable storage basket, making organization and storage easier.

We were impressed with the quality of the Sundaymot Play Kitchen Accessories set. The pots and cookware are made of high-grade stainless steel, which has super durability and drop resistance. All play kitchen food is made from natural wood, non-toxic, odorless, and brightly colored. The edges of all parts are smoothly rounded, making it safe for children to play with.

The set is also a perfect pretend game food for kids. It inspires kids to take on the role of a chef, cook with their parents, learn some simple culinary skills, and meet the needs of the cooking baking for preschool little kids. By learning different food categories and the names of tableware, kids can play the role of a chef, learn how to use kitchen utensils, develop their cooking habits, and imaginative game skills.

• Durability 5/5
  • The playset is made of high-quality materials. The pots and cookware are crafted from high-grade stainless steel, ensuring longevity and resistance to drops.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • This kitchen playset is not just for fun; it’s educational. Children can learn about various fruits, vegetables, and tools. The set can be used for shape matching, counting, and developing cognitive concepts.
• Design 4.5/5
  • The design of the playset is both realistic and child-friendly. The wooden fruits and vegetables come with velcro attachments that produce a “crunchy” sound when cut, offering a realistic feeling. The inclusion of an apron and chef’s hat adds to the immersive play experience.

We were impressed by the variety of food items included in the BAODLON Play Food Set, which allowed for endless possibilities in pretend play. The bright colors and cute patterns also make it visually appealing to children. The cutting design adds an extra layer of fun and realism to the play experience.

The high-quality ABS plastic material used in the set ensures that it is safe for children to use and can withstand frequent use without breaking. The two included storage baskets are a great addition and help keep the kitchen accessories organized and easily portable.

However, some of the smaller pieces may pose a choking hazard for younger children, so adult supervision is recommended. The toy knives are not very sturdy and may break easily, which could be a downside for parents looking for a more durable play food set. A few customers reported missing pieces upon delivery, so it may be worth double-checking the set upon arrival.

• Durability 4.5/5
  • The play food set is made of high-end ABS plastic, ensuring its durability and resistance to wear and tear. The set is designed to withstand regular play, and the materials used are free from harsh substances. However, there are some concerns about the toy knives, which some users found to be less durable.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • This toy set offers a comprehensive learning experience. It not only helps kids improve their recognition of colors and shapes but also enhances hand-eye coordination, counting ability, and understanding of fruits, food, and vegetables.
• Design 4.5/5
  • The set boasts a realistic design with a variety of food items, fruits, and vegetables that can be separated into smaller pieces. The inclusion of kitchenware, plates, cutting boards, and two storage baskets adds to the play experience.

We recently purchased the Melissa & Doug Food Groups for our three-year-old daughter, and she loves it. The set is made of solid wood and feels durable and sturdy. The hand-painted pieces are colorful and realistic-looking, and our daughter enjoys pretending to cook and serve meals with them.

One thing we appreciate about this set is that it includes items from all five food groups, which makes it a great tool for teaching kids about healthy eating. The wooden crates are also a nice touch, as they make it easy to store and sort the food pieces.

• Durability 5/5
  • Wooden toys are known for their durability, and this set is no exception. It’s built to last and withstand years of play.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • The set is divided into food groups, teaching children about balanced diets and nutrition. The wooden crates also promote sorting and organizational skills.
• Design 4.5/5
  • The hand-painted details make each piece look realistic, enhancing the play experience.

We found that this play food set is perfect for toddlers and helps them act out their fantasies. It helps improve communication and language ability, emotional development, and trust on relationships with parents, siblings, and friends. It also develops a child’s mind, creativity, and thinking ability and trains their hand-eye coordination and hand flexibility by their own operation.

• Durability 4.5/5
  • The Shimfun play food set is made of durable, thick, high-quality ABS plastic, ensuring it won’t crack or break easily. The set is designed to withstand regular play, and the packaging emphasizes that it’s not made of flimsy paper or cardboard that can easily get damaged. However, due to the vast number of pieces, there might be some that are less durable than others.
• Educational Value 5/5
  • This toy set is not just about pretend cooking; it’s also about learning. The set helps promote fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, logical thinking, and color recognition. It provides an opportunity for children to act out their fantasies, which can aid in emotional development, improve communication and language abilities, and foster trust in relationships.
• Design 4.5/5
  • The set boasts a realistic design with bold colors, making playtime more engaging. It includes a wide variety of food items, from fruits and vegetables to pizza, burgers, juice, milk, desserts, and more. The attention to detail in each piece is commendable, though the sheer number of items might be overwhelming for some.

Buying Guide on Toy Food Sets

When looking for the best play food sets, there are a few features that you should consider to ensure that you get the most value for your money. Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for a play food set:

Material

The material of the play food set is an important factor to consider. You want to make sure that the set is made from safe materials that are durable and easy to clean. Look for sets made from non-toxic materials such as BPA-free plastic or wood.

Variety

Another important feature to consider is the variety of food group items included in the set. A good play food set should have a wide range of food items, including fruits, vegetables, meats, and snacks. This will allow your child to create a variety of meals and snacks, which will help to foster their creativity and imagination.

Realistic Design

The design of the play food items should be realistic and accurate. This will help your child to learn about different types of food and how they are prepared. Look for sets that have realistic colors, textures, and shapes and ensure the play food set includes different food groups.

Accessories

Some play food sets come with additional accessories such as utensils, plates, play knife and cups. These accessories can add to the overall play experience and help your child to learn about table manners and setting the table.

Age Range

Make sure to check the recommended age range for the play food set before purchasing. Some sets may contain small parts that could be a choking hazard for younger children and for this guide we have ignored interactive play food apps.

Developmental Benefits of Playing Play Food Sets

Play foods have always been some of the most popular children’s toy accessories. These toys make role playing as chefs or bakers more fun and realistic. Toy kitchens are not fun to play without props and play food sets also keep things new and interesting for the kids.

These toys are more than just simple toys. Playing with these toys bring a whole lot of positive developmental benefits and learning. Children who regularly play with educational toys often reach developmental milestones faster than those who don’t.

Children love playing different kinds of roles based on their experiences and interests. They often act out scenarios in an imaginative way. Play food sets are a familiar resource for pretend play because children deal with food everyday. Whether they are playing as chefs or a parent at home, play food sets are fantastic toys for imaginative play.

It is important to expand a child’s imagination and spark her creativity at an early age. Having a good imagination and creativity helps children think better cognitively. Children discover new things and learn about new ideas through the use of their imagination and creativity. When they play with play food sets they come up with numerous recipes of their own and explore different kinds of ingredients. They will find enjoyment and excitement from experimenting with various play food to create delicious home-cooked meals.

Play food sets are also good toys for developing a child’s communication and language skills. Children will definitely learn new words and expand their vocabulary. If they are playing with children their own age, they will have fun interacting and communicating with them as they play. When playing with others, children will learn how to be patient in taking turns and how to play with others. Learning how to play with others is important in developing teamwork and various social skills.

Playing with play food also improves children’s relationship with food. There are different kinds of food included in play food sets like vegetables, fruits, baked goodies and more. When children understand more about food, they would develop healthy eating habits. You can use your child’s play food to teach him about what nutrients they get from eating fruits and vegetables and about what kinds of food they need to eat in moderation like cakes and other sweets.

Most play food sets are designed with children’s tiny hands in mind. This means children can easily pick them up and manipulate them with their hands and fingers. When children use their hands and fingers to play, they develop fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are abilities that often involve precise movements of the muscles in the hands and fingers. Children need to use fine motor skills to perform purposeful actions like cutting a paper using a pair of scissors or writing using a pencil. They will continue developing fine motor skills well into adulthood but it is important to start developing these skills at an early age.

Frequently Asked Questions on Play Foods

What are the best play food sets for toddlers?

When it comes to the best play food sets for toddlers, we recommend sets that are made of non-toxic materials and have easy-to-grasp pieces. Some of our top picks include the Hape Healthy Basics Kid’s Wooden Play Kitchen Accessories Food Set and the Learning Resources New Sprouts Munch It! Pretend Play Food Set.

Which play food sets are most realistic?

If you’re looking for play food sets that are realistic, we suggest sets that resemble real food and have details like texture and color. Some of our favorite realistic play food sets include the Melissa & Doug Food Groups, the Learning Resources Fresh Picked Fruit & Veggie Tote, and the iPlay, iLearn Cutting & Cooking Toy Kitchen Playset.

What are the top-rated Melissa and Doug play food sets?

Melissa and Doug are known for their high-quality play food sets. Some of their top-rated sets include the Melissa & Doug Food Groups, the Melissa & Doug Slice and Bake Wooden Cookie Play Food Set, and the Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House! Grocery Cans.

What are the best play food sets for 2 year olds?

For 2 year olds, we recommend play food sets that are easy to hold and manipulate. Some great options include the Fisher-Price Butterbean’s Cafe Fairy Friends Figure Set, the Battat Farmers Market Basket, and the Hape Garden Vegetables Wooden Play Food Set.

Which play food sets are made of silicone?

Silicone play food sets are great because they are easy to clean and durable. Some of our favorite silicone play food sets include the Hape Homemade Wooden Pizza Play Kitchen Food Set, the Melissa & Doug Sushi Slicing Wooden Play Food Set, and the Green Toys Sandwich Shop.

What are the best play food sets for 1 year olds?

For 1 year olds, we suggest play food sets that are soft and easy to chew on. Some great options include the Sassy Fishy Fascination Station, the Infantino Squeeze and Stack Block Set, and the Nuby Garden Fresh Fruits and Veggies Set.

Little ones tend to love cutting food sets, but tea sets and picnic baskets are also very popular.