We got this Plan Toys set to go with our daughters' 'Hape' play kitchen this Christmas. I'll admit I'm a little spoiled by the appearance and size of the food that came with the Hape kitchen. It's ever-so-slightly larger than the Plan Toys food, and just a little prettier.
However, I rate Plan Toys 5 stars for the fact that I honestly believe their products to be safe, and more importantly, I don't think the kids will have my overly picky aesthetic taste. These will play just as well as our other foods, and far better than our Haba foods which are so darn small I'm not even sure I trust the 4-year-old unsupervised with them. Too, I like the water-based stains, and the way you can actually see the wood grain beneath them. Also, I'm in love with the way that the wood is sanded to a perfect texture. They really have a thrilling tactile thing going for them.
The one thing I wish I'd been able to locate before purchasing these was the size of each individual piece, so I took the time and measured (as well as I could, given the awkward shapes) in case someone else wants to know.
The tray is about 7.5" x 10.5"
The (uncut) foods are as follows:
apple: 1.8" x 2"
lemon: 2" x 1.2"
banana: 3.25" x .8" (at widest point)
pear: 2.5" x 1.8"
orange: 1.8" x 1.8"
mushroom: 1.5" x 1.25"
carrot: 3.5" x .8"
cucumber: 3" x 1"
The only piece that strikes me as being a definite choking hazard is the carrot. The top portion, especially, is quite small when divided in half. This one will have to be supervised, or maybe put away for a while, since our youngest isn't out of the mouthing phase yet. The cucumber, and lemon may be possible hazards that way too because the sizes are halved when the items are cut up.
Last, it seems worth mentioning that the velcro could have been applied more effectively. I had to give the soft side of the velcro a "haircut" just so the pieces would fit snugly against one another rather than sort of dangle and look ridiculous. Thankfully, this was a suitable solution, but it seems the velcro could have been more deeply seated, or of a higher quality or something of this sort.
All in all, with so few truly safe play food options out there, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this one again. I'm actually quite happy with it, and I think the kids will get a thrill out of it Christmas morning.
This toy is by far my 18 month old daughter's favorite. Not only is it extremely cute and well made, but it focuses her attention on a task cutting the vegetables. After she slices them she puts them back together and I see her experiment to find the correct halves to match up. This toy engages her mind while also helping her develop the fine motor skills necessary to do the activity. She doesn't use them so much as a prop for imaginative play yet, but I think that they will be a fantastic addition to her play kitchen in another year or so. I have since purchased other items by Plan Toys and have so far been impressed with all of them.
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My 2 year old daughter received this as a gift. She loves the bright colors and that she is able to "cut" the fruits and vegetables. I love wooden, non-toxic, and durable toys that offer imaginative play. The down side to this particular "cutting" set is that the velcro, which sticks the two pieces of vegetable or fruit together, wears very quickly. In a matter of months, withstanding moderate play, our fruits and veggies don't stick together very well anymore.
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I love the Plan Toys line of pretend play food products because they are eco-friendly, made of wood, and non-toxic. Excellent quality, well-made with smooth surfaces, and don't feel heavy. I bought this set to go along with Plan Toys' meat set, and breakfast set. Just the right size for little hands. My 2 year old son LOVES them! He no mouths things but because of the choking hazard I make sure he's not left unattended when he plays with this. We enjoy cutting it all up and piecing them together correctly, as well as practicing counting and color skills along the way.
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I wanted to buy our 21 month old some pretend food for Christmas, but I wanted it to be safe, wooden and something that would hold her interest. She chose to play with this set longer than any of her dolls or other toys on Christmas day which surprised me. She was very interested in learning to "cut" the food as well as serving us pieces. She still spends time each day with her fruits & veggies. I think it does a great job of stimulating kids' imagination.
I purchased 2 of these for my kids' lunches. We use them EVERY day. They hold up well and my kids have NO trouble opening them. I usually put black olives or berries in this container, the size is perfect. I wish they would come in solids without a print as my older kids don't want the cutesy princess or whatever. The robot was the least offensive to them. I hand wash at the end of each day and they are ready to go again.
