Best Play Food Sets for Kids

Play food sets are one of the most popular toys among boys and girls over the years.  Kids love to pretend to be real master chefs and cook, grill, or even wash the dishes, like mom and dad. As cooking is our everyday duty, it is not a surprise that toy food is often the first kids’ imaginative game! Playing with your children it is not just a way to share your passion for cooking but also a great way for your children to learn different colors and different types of food.

There are a big variety of toy food sets on the market. We would like to offer you a review of the best play food sets as it is very important that a child can really enjoy it. We hope that you will find toy kitchen food that is right for your children!

TOP 12 Best Play Food Sets Review

Food Groups – Wooden Play Food by Melissa & Doug

It is a sturdy wooden play food set that comes with four storage crates.  Here you can find there play food from four food groups for healthy pretend day. The kit includes bread, cheese, milk, tomatoes, bananas, and many more other products. With the help of this cooking play set, you can teach your kids early number skills, color recognition, sorting, and grouping. The kids can use four wooden crates to sort the food into groups – dairy, produce (for fruits and vegetables), grains, and meat and fish. Or you can offer your child different criteria to sort toy food in the craters, for example by color. Your children will be delighted with it! The manufacturer claims that they design every toy to the highest quality standards, and to nurture minds and hearts.

This kids wooden play food set is one of the best in our top. Made with high quality and realistic, reminiscent of real food. But in addition to the advantages of this set, there are also disadvantages. The main drawback of this play food set is the paint’s quality as it starts chipping quite fast. And the other drawback that is mentioned in feedbacks is that play food is too heavy and not very functional for a child’s play.

Pros:

1. Four storage crates included.
2. Made of wood.
3. Safe for kids of all ages.
4. Four major food groups are represented in this toy food set.

Cons:

1. Low-quality paints.
2. Heavy kids toy food.

Tasty Treats Play Food Set (115 Pieces) by KidKraft

This kids play food is made of BPA-free plastic. It comes with 115 play food pieces including fruits, vegetables, snacks, pizza, waffles and so many more, there’s no limit to what kids can create. This play food set will be a perfect complement to any play kitchen. This play kitchen food set has everything you need to play breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!

As for the drawbacks, there are some consumers’ complaints that the quality of play food is not high enough, for example, some pieces don’t fit perfectly into each other (ice cream and ice cream cone. The ice cream cone keeps falling off). There is no storage bag in the kit.

Pros:

1. 115 play food pieces included.
2. BPA-free plastic.
3. It has everything you need to play breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
4. Safe for kids of all ages.

Cons:

1. Quality isn’t high enough.
2. No storage bag included.

Play Food Set for Kids – Huge 202 Piece Pretend Food Toys by Mommy Please

It is a huge play kitchen food set. It comes with 202 pieces of play food. Your child will be a delight as this plastic food set has everything your child needs to play on the kids’ play kitchen! It is made of BPA-free and non-toxic plastic that is safe for your children’s health! This realistic play food set is full of reach colors, different shapes, and textures. All kids toy food is strong and durable. It is a good value for the money.

There are a few complaints from consumers that the toddler dish set comes with some missing pieces of toy food. The set doesn’t come with a storage bag. For the rest, this set of kids play food is perfect as a gift for any child!

Pros:

1. 200 of fake food toys included.
2. BPA-free and non-toxic plastic.
3. Realistic play food.

Cons:

1. Set may come with some missing pieces of kids toy food.
2. No storage bag included.

Pantry in a Bucket by Play Circle by Batat

This toy food set comes with 79 pieces of fake food toys and a storage box. Your kids will enjoy playing kitchen with this toy food and discover the world of pretend cooking and pretend grocery shopping. This plastic dish set made of BPA-free, non-toxic and recyclable plastics. The material is hard enough and durable. With the help of this toy food for kids, you can teach your kids early number skills, color recognition, sorting, and grouping. You will spend a lot of time playing with your kids in the kitchen!  This set includes a storage box with Snap-on Lid, a cutting board, a plastic knife, 9 pieces of boxed food, 67 pieces of vegetables, fruits and other items of kids plastic food. The manufacturer claims that you should wash play food with gentle dish detergent and warm water (not recommended for a dishwasher) before plating with it.

This toy kitchen food is not super detailed or creative.  The set also includes some cardboard items that rip easily.

Pros:

1. 79 pieces of play food included.
2. Storage box included.
3. BPA-free and non-toxic plastic.

Cons:

1. Cardboard items are flimsy and easy to rip.
2. Toy food is not super detailed or creative.

Play Food Set 135 Pieces by JOYIN

This toy food set comes with 135 pieces of fake food toys. The toy food is made of non-toxic materials and meets all USA Toy Standard. You can find a real variety of different types of food there. You kids will love it! They will play with this play kitchen food for hours and will never get bored with the choices that they can make with it!

As for drawbacks there are some pieces of toy food that are too small and a toddler can choke on them. The set doesn’t come with a storage bag.

Pros:

1. 135 pieces of play food included.
2. Non-toxic and meets all USA Toy Standard.
3. Big variety of food.

Cons:

1. Some pieces are too small for toddlers.
2. No storage bag included.

Pretend Play Food Set for Kids by FUNERICA

This play food set is made from the highest quality material that’s durable, safe, washable and crush-resistant. It is a bright colorful toy cutting food that will amaze any child!  The nice play fruits and vegetables come apart with hook-and-loop self-stick tabs. Your kids will be delighted by cutting it! Kids play dishes include a cutting board and a plastic knife, and 3 stainless steel pots with lids and utensils so children will enjoy to pretend play cook or fry their fresh homemade food, and serve them in the two included little plates! You can find a durable storage box with dual closes in the kit. This cooking play set helps your children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This realistic food set for kids allows a creative learning outcome in the most entertaining manner imaginable. It teaches pretend play of tools and elements that are a part of everyday life, inculcating within the preschoolers a game discipline that can be implemented in later life.

As for drawbacks, the consumers noted that the set includes some items that are too small for toddlers.

Pros:

1. High-quality materials.
2. 35 fruits and vegetable pieces included.
3. 4 mini pots and frying pans, cutting board and a plastic knife, and 2 small plates included.
4. Come with hook-and-loop self-stick tabs.

Cons:

1. Some pieces of play food are too small for toddlers.

New Sprouts Deluxe Market Set by Learning Resources

This play food set comes with 30 food items that are made of durable, soft, crush-resistant plastic. The kit also includes one shopping basket and one bushel basket. Buying this set will give children a space for imitative play with fun foods. Even toddlers will quickly pretend to cook, eat, serve and shop for these tasty-looking foods. Playing with your kids you will help them encourage social skills and language development. Kids will be especially delighted with the vibrant colors of the fruits and vegetables that have an appealing feel and are easy for little hands to grasp.

As for drawbacks, some consumers noted that there was a strong smell when they opened the box the first time. The price is a little expensive compared to the previous products on our list.

Pros:

1. 30 food items included.
2. Safe for kids of all ages.
3. High-quality materials.
4. Shopping and Bushel baskets included.

Cons:

1. It has a smell at the beginning.
2. High price.

Deluxe Pretend Play Food Set by JaxoJoy

It is a cooking play set that comes with 122 pieces of play food. It is made of BPA-free plastic – not cardboard that will smash and waste easily. Playing with this set you can talk with your kids what the food items are called, their colors, count them and practice sharing. As this set is an excellent toy to play kitchens and shopping carts it will help to teach children how to make a shopping list and improve their writing and spelling skills.

As for the negative feedbacks some consumers noted that when they opened the box everything was covered in light powder. So it is better to wash the items in soapy water before playing with them. There are also sets where some items came without stickers, the other did not have several toy food items.

Pros:

1. 122 pieces of play food included.
2. Toy food is made of BPA-free plastic.
3. Encourages imitative play.

Cons:

1. Play food set can be covered with a light powder when you get it.
2. Several items or stickers on them are not included in the kit.

Kitchen Toys Fun Cutting Fruits Vegetables Pretend Food Playset by Kimicare

This set comes with 24 play food items that are made of quality, safe for children plastics. The kit also includes kids knife and cutting board to chop food toys for mealtime. Just like the other toy food sets, this one helps to develop children’s fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and creativity and thinking ability. The velcro holds the halves together very well, so some of them are a little difficult for toddlers to “cut” apart, but, from our point of view, it is better than them falling apart too easily. It’s worth mentioning that the set comes in a clear plastic backpack and it all fits in it easily. It’s so colorful and comes with a big variety of veggies and fruits, all pieces are large enough that kids can’t put it in their mouth and swallow even if they want to do so it is absolutely safe for toddlers. It is a good value for the money.

Pros:

1. 24 play food items included.
2. Safe for kids of all ages.
3. Food items come with velcro that holds the halves together.
4. Storage bag included.

Cons:

1. Velcro holds the halves of toy food so strong that it is difficult for toddlers to “cut” it in half.

Backyard Barbeque Grillin’ Goodies by Little Tikes

This cooking playset from Little Tikes is perfect for pretend grills, kid’s picnic tables, and playhouses. It has enough play toy pieces (20 items) for 2 kids so kids can imagine that they have their own barbeque or picnic. Everything fits together and seems realistic. You and your lids will be delighted! This toy food made of hard plastic that is hollow with no offensive smell with bright colors, textures, and small nuances that give each piece a realistic look.

As for drawbacks the kit only offers the bare minimum options, buns, and patties, hot dogs, ketchup and mustard (not even cheese for a cheeseburger!). There are also some complaints from consumers that the hamburgers and hamburger buns do not stay together. The plastic material is so slippery that even adults can barely keep them together.

Pros:

1. 20 toy pieces for pretend grills and picnic included.
2. Everything fits together and seems realistic.
3. Safe for kids of all ages.
4. Encourages imitative play.

Cons:

1. Kit only offers the bare minimum options.
2. Some pieces of the set do not stay together.

Slice-and-Bake Wooden Cookie Play Food Set by Melissa & Doug

It is a colorful wooden play food set from Melissa & Doug. The kit includes 12 sliceable cookies, 12 toppings, a knife, a spatula, a cookie sheet, and a kitchen mitt. If you love baking and want to share your passion with kids this set is the right for you. This cooking play set inspires kids of the age of 3 and up to pretend bake, decorate, and serve cookies, all while practicing fine motor skills, learning number concepts, and much more! It is made of high-quality materials that are safe for children’s health. The set also comes with a cardboard cookie tube that all items fit into. You get a plate that has velcro on it that the cookies stay when placed. Moreover, you have frosting and sprinkle topping pieces that you velcro to the cookie. Your kids will really love this toy food!

Some consumers complain that cardboard cooking container rips easily. But the main drawback is that the plate with cookies doesn’t fit the majority of kids’ toy oven.

Pros:

1. Colorful wooden play food set.
2. Safe for kids of all ages.
3. Inspires kids to bake, decorate, and serve cookies.
4. Plate for cookies with velcro.

Cons:

1. Cardboard cooking container rips easily.
2. Plate with cookies doesn’t fit the majority of kids’ toy oven.

New Sprouts Bundle of Breakfast by Learning Resources

This set comes with 3 baskets full of highly realistic and durable play food, great for instilling healthy eating habits. Three play food sets in one include breakfast, lunch and dinner baskets which help children to learn about nutrition, express themselves through imagination and role-play, and build their language skills. Each meal includes 16 to 18 nutritious food items that are made of a soft, safe, and washable material that is specially designed for little hands. Your kids will be delighted with it! It is worth mentioning that this kit (compared to the competitors that produce plastic sets where food items slip and slides all around table and plates) made of soft rubberizes plastic so all food items stay in place. From our point of view, it is one of the best play food set on our list.

Only one drawback we want to mention. In the product description, your claim that you will get 48 pieces of toy food but really there are 41 ones, and therefore not all pieces that are on the online picture are included in the kit.

Pros:

1. 3 baskets that are full of highly realistic and durable play food included.
2. Safe for kids of all ages.
3. High-quality materials.
4. Bright realistic healthy play food.

Cons:

1. Not all food items on the online picture are included in the kit.

Conclusion

Food play sets are very popular among boys and girls. This toy can be played with many ways to develop fine motor skills, following directions, taking turns, sharing, grip strength, sorting, counting, language development, and many other skills. You should remember that the kids who can imagine the possibilities become grown-ups who can make their dreams a reality. That is why we offered you a review of the best play food sets. We hope that you can find the one that is the right for your child!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are these toys BPA-free?

A:  According to our research the majority of the play food sets are BPA-free. BPA or Bisphenol A is a harsh chemical that is used in epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. It can have a negative effect on health. That is why it is very important to check with the toy manufacturer to find out what type of materials they use to produce their toys.

Q: Are the cutting toys magnetic?

A: The cutting toys are not magnetic. The manufacturers use a velcro that holds the halves of toy food together.

Q: What are the toys made of?

A: The cooking play sets can be made of wood or plastic. The wood is an organic material but at the same time, wooden toy food is harder than plastic ones. It’s worth mentioning that all plastics sets in our review made of durable plastic and meets all USA Toy Standard.

Q: Does the food come in a box or storage container?

A: As you can see from our guide, some manufacturers include storage box/bag or container, some do not.

Q: Can these toys be used outdoor?

A: Yes, you and your kids can easily play with these toys outdoor. As all toys from our guide are crush-resistant and durably made. But you should also remember that the manufacturers don’t recommend leaving the toy food outdoor for a long time as the vibrant colors can become faded from the heat of the sun.