Got little kids? We all know that making meals can be one of the hardest time of the day- both because the kids want all your attention, all the time, and because keeping kids clean and participating in meals is never an easy task.
One of the best ways to keep kids busy in the kitchen is to give them something to keep them occupied- if you are cooking, why not let them “help”? You could give them a real pot and put some water and etc in it, but that can be messy. If you have smaller kids, you can give them pretend food to “cook” with at the kitchen table while you make dinner at the counter or next to them. There are some great and realistic sets available now, made in felt, ceramic, plastic, and wood.
Melissa and Doug make many varieties, in both wood and felt. You can choose not only the set(s) that you prefer, but the material as well. Some of the sets include a sandwich making set, which will keep kids entertained with the variety of items they can make. The pieces (available in felt or wood sets) are stuck together with either bits of velcro, or the felt sticks to itself. It comes with a wooden knife (that isn’t sharp, of course) and items like bread, rolls, lunchmeat, pickles, hamburger, and more. To make sure your child gets their pretend fruits and veggies into their diet (and maybe encourage eating them in real life and at mealtimes) check out the Cutting Fruit Set. The food makes a fun “crunch” noise when kids “cut” it with the included wooden knife. Included are seven pieces of various fruits that can be sliced into seventeen pieces. Of course, putting them together (or mixing them up into their own creations) is just as much fun as making the fruit salad for dessert. The sets come in their own wooden storage crates, for $20 on http://www.melissaanddoug.com
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