Tag Archives: Pretend Play

“Let’s Get Cooking” Pretend Play Gift Guide from YoYo.com

23 Nov

As the days get colder and we get cramped inside, it’s easy to turn on the TV or electronics to keep little ones entertained (at least it is for me).  It’s extremely important to keep our kids imaginations going and encourage them to use their imagination.  One of our favorite activities is the girls pretend they are chefs at a fancy restaurant and they take my order and make me food in their kitchen.  Their kitchen (featured in the gift guide) could use more pretend food and accessories to keep their imagination going.  Here are some of my favorites from YoYo.com:

yoyo.com gift guide

KIDKRAFT MODERN CORNER KITCHEN W/STOOLS – ESPRESSO, $225: Your child will love waking up to this YoYo.com exclusive KidKraft Espresso Kitchen. Whether baking some cookies or preparing a holiday meal,this kitchen will let your child’s imagination run free.  The two stools and extended countertop make it perfect for a tea party! If you live in a small place, it’s sleek modern look will still look great in a living room or dining area. If you plan on putting this kitchen together the night before, put the kids to bed early because it takes a while to assemble.
KIDKRAFT PASTEL SMOOTHIE SET, $24.57: We love smoothies! Kids can pretend to make smoothies in their kitchen for siblings or friends.  The knob on the blender turns. There are 6 fruit halves that are attached by Velcro and can be pulled apart easily.

HABA BIOFINO PANCAKES, $28.49: Kids can pretend to make pancakes for breakfast.  Included in the set is an aluminum skillet, chocolate sauce and a strawberry garnish to make “breakfast” extra special.

KIDKRAFT ESPRESSO TOASTER SET, $25.99: The interactive set includes a pop-up toaster, a stick of butter that can easily be pulled into smaller pieces and then put back together, 2 slices of pretend bread, a butter plate, and a butter knife.

KIDKRAFT ESPRESSO BAKING SET, $25.99: Get your little chef baking, cookies, cakes, and other pretend creations. Includes a rolling-pin that rolls back and forth, a cooking pan, a measuring spoon, and 2 chocolate chip cookies.

MELISSA & DOUG TRIPLE-LAYER PARTY CAKE, $19.99: Mix up this layer cake in the baking set for a surprise party for a friend or parent.  Each slice has a self-stick tab so the wooden pieces stick together.  A wooden knife is also included to slice the cake into pieces.

SCHYLLING CUPCAKE TIN TEA SET, $19.99: Adorable cupcake tea set.  Have a tea party after baking the layer cake in your kitchen.  Set consists of four teacups and saucers, four serving plates, tea-pot and serving tray.

Find fun toys and more this Holiday without stepping into a store at YoYo.com. All gifts are delivered to your door with free 2-day delivery (or faster) on orders over $49. Other sites include: BeautyBar.com, Casa.com, AfterSchool.com, BookWorm.com, Look.com, Wag.com, soap.com, and Vine.com

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Happy Shopping (& Cooking)!

Disclaimer:  I received a sample kitchen to review.  All opinions expressed are my own.  Some information about the products came from YoYo.com  Images for gift guide are from YoYo.com.

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Melissa and Doug: Fueling your Child’s Imagination

7 Dec

Last week I attended the Melissa and Doug showroom for a MomTrends event.  Walking into the room, I wished I was a kid again.  It was every child’s dream.  So many great toys in one place from wooden and felt food to complete the face drawing pads to puzzles and puppets galore.  Melissa and Doug have provided educational products for over 23 years and I’m pretty sure every parent or teacher I know has at least one if not more Melissa and Doug products in their home or classroom.  The most valuable features of their products is that they fuel your child’s imagination and encourage creativity whether they are dressing up as a chef and “cooking” in their kitchen, creating and designing an art project, or putting together a puzzle.

At the event, attendees went  on a scavenger hunt for Al’s Angels, a wonderful charity helping children and families in need.  Here are a few of my favorites I discovered on the scavenger hunt:

Snowman Stacker

Felt Cookie Decorating Set

Chef Costume

Wooden Easel

Trunki: a lifesaver for the airport.

Disclaimer:  I did not receive compensation for this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.  Each guest received a Trunki and stickers as a gift.

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Imagination Kitchen

11 Nov

My girls love for the kitchen probably started with their play kitchen.  They are always mixing something in their play blender, stirring “soup” in their pot and coming up with amazing menu’s for our make believe dinner.  The one thing we lack in our kitchen is play food.  We have the little pieces like milk, ketchup and mustard that came with their kitchen and a few Melissa and Doug wooden food items.  The other day my cousin, Christine, sent me the link to MudPie Kids on Etsy, they make adorable, hand-made food.  My favorites are the Thanksgiving Turkey and the Picnic Basket food set.  I have been going crazy over what to get the girls for the holidays. MudPie Kids pretend food would make a great gift and a great addition to your child’s kitchen.  Check them out.

  

(All Images are from MudPie Kids )

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