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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Kind Of Play Food Do You Have??
My Lil' Monkeys 08:25 AM 03-07-2013
Hello,
I'm in search of new play food for my kitchen. I want food that lasts longer than the cheap sets sold in bulk that is the soft plastic. What kind do you have? Is Melissa and Doug worth the price tag? I kind of would like food that you could pretend cut with the Velcro. Also, do you allow babies 18month and under to play with the play food?

Thank You
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canadiancare 08:36 AM 03-07-2013
The best food I have is by Battat and is rubber not thin plastic. I have a set of Melissa and Doug that is wooden and I dislike it very much.

I also have some of the hard plastic, velcro food which works quite well.
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butterfly 08:43 AM 03-07-2013
I was lucky enough to have some play food donated to our daycare. It has the velcro and is a hard plastic. I don't know the brand. I'm assuming it must be Melissa and Doug or something very similar. I absolutely love it. It has lasted forever! I have a 2 year old that is still a chewer. This food has been chewed on, stepped on, ran over, etc and it still looks like new. If I ever have to add to my play food, I'll never buy the cheap stuff again. What I have holds up so well to weekly/daily washings. I think it's worth the money. I don't know how many sets I would have boughten by now if I didn't have these.

I wonder if I don't have a small world's set...
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EntropyControlSpecialist 09:01 AM 03-07-2013
Plan Toys play food. The kind that cuts into two pieces (velcro) and the kind that doesn't.

Plan Toys is a far better brand than Melissa and Doug in terms of quality. I avoid wooden M&D toys as much as I possibly can IF it is not a natural wood toy (unpainted).

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...Plan+Toys+food
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daycarediva 10:01 AM 03-07-2013
I have all Melissa and Doug and I like them MUCH better than any other play food I have had. The kids all love the little sets (we have most of them, pizza, cupcakes, sushi) I have some homemade(etsy) felt food as well, but that isn't as big of a hit.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 10:13 AM 03-07-2013
My favorite is a set of little tykes that I don't think they make any more. I bought it 15years ago with the shopping cart at a yard sale for $5. I have the little tyke dishes from my dd who is 22... So 20 years old.
I also have the cutting food. Heavier plastic. The kids love them.
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snbauser 10:25 AM 03-07-2013
Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
Plan Toys play food. The kind that cuts into two pieces (velcro) and the kind that doesn't.

Plan Toys is a far better brand than Melissa and Doug in terms of quality. I avoid wooden M&D toys as much as I possibly can IF it is not a natural wood toy (unpainted).

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...Plan+Toys+food
What is the difference between Plan Toys and M&D? I have never seen/heard of Plan Toys. I have mostly M&D wooden food. I really like it except that the paint seems to chip off very easily. Do the Plan Toys one's last longer?
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EAP 10:34 AM 03-07-2013
I have the Melissa and Doug wooden and felt also the ones that attach with Velcro - the paint chips pretty fast - so I won't buy them again - the kids really like the felt foods and the velcro ones they can "cut" are a big hit - I will just find a better quality product with paint that won't chip.
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Crazy In Mo 11:04 AM 03-07-2013
If you're shopping for the food that can be "cut" I suggest Oriental Trading. It's about $15 and you get over 20 pieces of food. The Plan Toys play food mentioned above is about the same price but you get alot less pieces. I've only had my set from Oriental Trading for a couple months but seems to be holding up well
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Jewels 11:20 AM 03-07-2013
I have a few of the learning resources sets of healthy, breakfast/lunch/dinner, and I have a bigger set of fruits and vegetables(true to size) from discount school supply, they are all really nice I also got sick of the thin cheap plastics.
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MarinaVanessa 12:00 PM 03-07-2013
I was going to buy a wooden set of food too but because I can't put it in my dishwasher to wash it I decided against it. .

Instead I went with the Lakeshore Learning multicultural food set and the grocery set. The other play food that I was buying at target wasn't lasting me more than 6 months to a year tor so. The Lakeshore stuff is plastic and has lasted 3 years so far with no damaged items and that's going through the top rack of my dishwasher weekly. Some of the grocery set has lost the paper labels because I ran them through the dishwasher but the kids and I don't mind that and they can pretend that the bottles and cans are whatever they want them to be. They're a pricey investment up front but at least they last so for me they're well worth it. They have other sets also.

Multicultural Set ($49.99)


Play-Food Assortment ($49.99)


They also have baskets ($29.99 each basket with food)


Grocery Set ($39.99)


http://www.lakeshorelearning.com
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EntropyControlSpecialist 12:01 PM 03-07-2013
Originally Posted by snbauser:
What is the difference between Plan Toys and M&D? I have never seen/heard of Plan Toys. I have mostly M&D wooden food. I really like it except that the paint seems to chip off very easily. Do the Plan Toys one's last longer?
My Plan Toys food has been in heavy use for the past year and it all looks brand new. No paint chipped off at all. That is the thing I've noticed happens often with M&D toys, unfortunately.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 12:03 PM 03-07-2013
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I was going to buy a wooden set of food too but because I can't put it in my dishwasher to wash it I decided against it. .

Instead I went with the Lakeshore Learning multicultural food set and the grocery set. The other play food that I was buying at target wasn't lasting me more than 6 months to a year or so. The Lakeshore stuff is plastic and has lasted 3 years so far with no damaged items and that's going through the top rack of my dishwasher weekly. The grocery set has lost the paper labels because I ran them through the dishwasher but the kids and I don't mind that and they can pretend that the bottles and cans are whatever they want them to be. They're a pricey investment up front but at least they last so for me they're well worth it. They have other sets also.

Multicultural Set ($49.99)


Play-Food Assortment ($49.99)


They also have baskets ($29.99)


Grocery Set ($39.99)


http://www.lakeshorelearning.com
That'd be a HUGE pro to having plastic food!!! DISHWASHER SAFE!
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My Lil' Monkeys 12:17 PM 03-07-2013
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I was going to buy a wooden set of food too but because I can't put it in my dishwasher to wash it I decided against it. .

Instead I went with the Lakeshore Learning multicultural food set and the grocery set. The other play food that I was buying at target wasn't lasting me more than 6 months to a year tor so. The Lakeshore stuff is plastic and has lasted 3 years so far with no damaged items and that's going through the top rack of my dishwasher weekly. Some of the grocery set has lost the paper labels because I ran them through the dishwasher but the kids and I don't mind that and they can pretend that the bottles and cans are whatever they want them to be. They're a pricey investment up front but at least they last so for me they're well worth it. They have other sets also.

Multicultural Set ($49.99)


Play-Food Assortment ($49.99)


They also have baskets ($29.99 each basket with food)


Grocery Set ($39.99)


http://www.lakeshorelearning.com
The grocery set is a heavy plastic?? Like if a young toddler got a hold of it that the plastic wouldn't cave in. I love the idea of having dishwasher safe food!!
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Thetotspot 12:20 PM 03-07-2013
Im going to agree with everybody on the melissa and doug stuff. I opened in july with all brand new melissa and doug toys...my gosh...they are all chipping and will soon need to be thrown away and replaced. They hold together well...they just dont hold onto their paint well . All of our play food is melissa and doug. 8 months in it all needs replaced.
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MarinaVanessa 12:27 PM 03-07-2013
Originally Posted by My Lil' Monkeys:
The grocery set is a heavy plastic?? Like if a young toddler got a hold of it that the plastic wouldn't cave in. I love the idea of having dishwasher safe food!!
Yep, thicker than the stuff you get at Target or Toys R Us. My 2yo toddler can stand on the little cans of tuna and they don't squish or cave. The larger cans are made of the same thickness and if my son REALLY wanted to squish it I suppose he could or if it got stepped on I guess it could cave in but so far no problems with that.

The trouble I had with the other plastic stuff was that the food was too easy to squish and it would cave in or would fall apart at the seams. So far no problems with the Lakeshore ones. I also don't like that I had to pick out some of the food in other sets because they came with potato chips, fries, hot dogs, corn dogs, tater tots and stuff. Lakeshore one's don't but some sets (like the assorted set and multicultural set) may come with tacos. hot dogs or pizza. I left them in though because of their multicultural significance (pizza=Italian, tacos= Hispanic etc.) I can't remember if I left the hot-dogs in or not, I doubt it but I'd have to check.
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SilverSabre25 12:43 PM 03-07-2013
OOoo, I like the look of the Lakeshore stuff! Gorgeous! I love the variety. WE mostly have fruits and veggies and some breads. And a single cooked chicken...
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KDC 01:22 PM 03-07-2013
I got my stuff from Constructive playthings... they actually have the same set at the local library. VERY durable vinyl, does not cave in - easy to wash. I have the bake set & a healthy meal set. I also have the coffee maker and toaster. They've held up remarkably well.

http://www.cptoy.com/healthy-meals-for-two-dinner

http://www.constructiveplaythings.co...pf_id=XX-10964
Attached: XX-10964.jpg (187.5 KB) 
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MarinaVanessa 01:52 PM 03-07-2013
Originally Posted by KDC:
I got my stuff from Constructive playthings... they actually have the same set at the local library. VERY durable vinyl, does not cave in - easy to wash. I have the bake set & a healthy meal set. I also have the coffee maker and toaster. They've held up remarkably well.

http://www.cptoy.com/healthy-meals-for-two-dinner

http://www.constructiveplaythings.co...pf_id=XX-10964
I actually looked at these also and almost bought them. VERY nice and durable too. They are the soft ones right? As in they feel a lot like the material that doll faces and hands are made of? If those are the ones that I am thinking about then they are also a good choice.

The only reason why I went for the Lakeshore one's is because I have a Lakeshore Learning store about 5 miles away from me so I got to take them home immediately vs ordering them and because I'm trying to be eco-healthy and one of the requirements is to not have vinyl toys (only hard plastic ones). I even switched from vinyl dolls to cloth dolls. But I did LOVE that play food set. It's easy on little hands too and also very easy to clean (I base my purchases now on whether or not I can put them in the dishwasher or washing machine ).
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KDC 02:28 PM 03-07-2013
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
I actually looked at these also and almost bought them. VERY nice and durable too. They are the soft ones right? As in they feel a lot like the material that doll faces and hands are made of? If those are the ones that I am thinking about then they are also a good choice.

The only reason why I went for the Lakeshore one's is because I have a Lakeshore Learning store about 5 miles away from me so I got to take them home immediately vs ordering them and because I'm trying to be eco-healthy and one of the requirements is to not have vinyl toys (only hard plastic ones). I even switched from vinyl dolls to cloth dolls. But I did LOVE that play food set. It's easy on little hands too and also very easy to clean (I base my purchases now on whether or not I can put them in the dishwasher or washing machine ).
I was sneaky... I had family buy them for my daughter for Christmas, with the intention that she'd grow out of it, and I could use it for the daycare, and throw away all the collapsable junk. I too like instant gratification... but free worked for me. These are about 4-5 years old and look brand new. They are played with just about every day, and mouthed often. They are very durable vinyl, not too hard or soft. I also have the melissa and doug cutting fruit, but find the velcro sticks to my berber carpet rather than the other half of the fruit! LOL~
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Lyss 03:37 PM 03-07-2013
I have some of the heavy plastic ones (I got them from a friend who was closing her DC when I was starting mine ) and some "homemade" things.

My kids love the "real" food containers. I save the boxes and cans from things we eat and then put them into the kids stuff. Boxes like granola bars, pasta boxes, oatmeal... I stuff with leftover newspaper and cover with packaging tape. We have one of those can openers that takes the whole top off (I hate it normally ) so I use that on the cans I want to save, wash them and then hot glue the top back on.
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Springdaze 07:57 AM 03-08-2013
what about the ones that look so real you pick it up with a paper towel only to see its fake! Those gross me out. I also wish they wouldnt put holes in them.
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MarinaVanessa 02:49 PM 03-08-2013
Originally Posted by Springdaze:
what about the ones that look so real you pick it up with a paper towel only to see its fake! Those gross me out. I also wish they wouldnt put holes in them.
Someone recommended hot glue in the holes of toys to prevent mold and such from forming and such after being washed.
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MotherNature 04:27 PM 03-10-2013
Originally Posted by EntropyControlSpecialist:
Plan Toys play food. The kind that cuts into two pieces (velcro) and the kind that doesn't.

Plan Toys is a far better brand than Melissa and Doug in terms of quality. I avoid wooden M&D toys as much as I possibly can IF it is not a natural wood toy (unpainted).

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...Plan+Toys+food
Yes this. M&D are made in China. Plan is made in Thailand & their paints don't chip like M&D's does. I use both wooden food & WAHM-made felt food.
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JLH 05:14 PM 03-10-2013
I had the Melissa and Doug birthday cake. It was wooden with velcro. It did not hold up at all and the velcro picked up fuzzies off the carpet so it looked dirty.
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