Making cooking and healthy eating fun for all ages!

There’s nothing quite as entertaining as watching a toddler or group of toddlers engage in a game of pretend and listening to the funny things they say. Often they end up mimicking what they see us adults doing which can be pretty confronting at times! In this technical age our kids are growing up in, it can be a relief to see our kids playing pretend games like we did instead of reaching for the IPad. Engaging their little imaginations and entering into their own little world where even the vegetables are yummy! 

I used to giggle sometimes and get a little frustrated when my kids were toddlers and they would cook a pretend meal with loads of toy fruits and vegetables then offer it to me saying, ‘look at this yummy food I made for you mummy’. Then an hour later, refuse to eat their dinner because vegetables are yucky. I’m pretty sure however that ‘pretending’ to love them has eventually resulted in bigger kids who can’t get enough of natures finest. Even to the point where I have been talked into spending $5 on a cucumber just because the kids love them so much!

When my son was two years old, he stood at our wooden toy kitchen for a full hour pretending to cook while I was making dinner. His level of concentration as he sprinkled salt into a pot of pretend chicken and made ‘wooshhhh, wooshhh’ sounds as he ‘filled a pot with water’ was so cute. He has now become a fruit and veggie lover and a great cook too! Anything from salads to scrambled eggs to decorated cakes, he loves to cook and share the finished product with family and friends.

So if you are looking for some beautiful cooking and food related toys that will not only look great in your home but are safe, fun and simple to use by kids as young as 18+ months old, then look no further! Hape, the creators of toys that inspire play and encourage learning, have just released a new range of kitchen and food products. Revolving around food and cooking, each toy is designed to promote realistic role-play and encourage healthy eating. 

The Toddler Kitchen Set is the perfect smaller size to not take over the house! Your little one can prepare delicious meals for their family and friends using the wooden stove, pot with lid, frying pan, spoon and spatula included. It also features knobs which click when turned, and the kids can later store the pots and pan in the spaces behind the hob when they’re done.

The Toddler Bread Basket allows kids to fill their basket with a whole bakery of bread for their friends and siblings! It comes with one piece of toast, one baguette, a croissant, four different cookies and a piece of layer cake! Made from felt and fabrics, it has a soft, realistic texture.

Here’s a great toy to help get your kids loving their veggies. The Toddler Vegetable Basket comes with a felt basket and six of their favourite vegetables that can be cut and peeled! Pop the peas from their pod, peel the cabbage leaves and cut the carrot and eggplant in half! Comes with a knife with a chunky, wooden handle for babies' fingers to grasp and hold.

The Toddler Fruit Basket is another favorite, the bright colours and soft textures are perfect for your little ones small hands. They can fill the soft felt basket with seven pieces of their favourite fruit and have fun peeling the banana and the orange just like mum does!

Your kids will love creating tasty meals just like mum or dad does, and who knows, you may even have a future Master Chef in the family!