Pretend play is so important for your child's development. It helps them learn about the world around them and make discoveries. If your child is playing with someone else, pretend play also inspires communication and collaboration. In many ways, this type of imaginative play can help prepare your child for the future. In short, it's something you definitely want to encourage. One way you can do that is to make sure your child has access to many different toys that inspire the imagination, such as these play food sets. As your child plays with them, they can pretend to cook, run a restaurant, or open up a store. The possibilities are only limited by your child's imagination, so pick up one of these sets today and let the fun (and learning) begin. Melissa & Doug Food Groups The CornucopiaYour child can explore food from all of the food groups with this set of wooden play food.Best OverallFind on Amazon Encourage your child to make healthy food choices with this set from Melissa and Doug. It contains food from the different food groups that your child can serve. The toy food comes with four wooden crates that your child can use to store the food in. On the other hand, they might decide to serve you a meal in one of them or sort the food pieces into the different crates. There are so many possibilities. These wooden pieces of play food look realistic. Your child will be able to identify the pieces and tell you what each piece is supposed to be. Additionally, they really hold up well to use. They’re strong and durable, and you don’t have to worry about your child smashing them (which can happen with plastic or cardboard play food). This set will make a great addition to any toy kitchen, but it’s also engaging enough to be used without one. Pros High-quality wooden pieces of play food that will last a long time Food from different food groups (including fruits and vegetables) to help your child get used to making healthy food choices Comes with four adorable wooden crates that your child will play with alongside the food Toys from Melissa and Doug are entirely non-toxic, which means your child can play with them safely Cons The paint may chip off a bit if these get dropped on hard surfaces or banged together Wooden toys weigh more than plastic ones, so if these get thrown at a sibling or friend they’re going to hurt more BGdoyz Princess Tea Time Set Care for a Cup of Tea?This set of play food has everything your child needs to host a fun tea party for her stuffed animals. Best Tea TimeFind on Amazon Is it time for tea? With this set, your child can answer yes to that question. It contains everything needed to have a fabulous pretend tea party, including the dishes and snacks. Your child will have a blast planning the menu, inviting her guests, and setting the table. When it’s party time, the pretend tea can be poured into each cup while the snacks are passed out. The pieces are the perfect size for young hands. The colors are bright and cheery, making them even more inviting for kids to pick up and play with, and what’s more, the set is made from BPA-free plastic that’s easy to clean. This can help ensure everything in the playroom stays hygienic, which is especially important if your child still mouths things. Pros Great all-in-one set that comes with dishes, serving utensils, and food for your child to play with Fun food options to serve at the party including cupcakes, pizza, and donuts to make sure the guests have a good time Comes in a nice carrying case with a handle that you can keep the pieces in when they’re not in use Cons The food options are definitely not on the healthy side, so you may want to talk to your child about healthier food occasionally as you play JaxoJoy 122-Piece Deluxe Pretend Play Food Open for BusinessYour child will have enough toy food to run a pretend restaurant with this set. It even includes a bottle of ketchup, which goes perfectly with the fries. Best VarietyFind on Amazon If you’re looking for a play food set with lots of variety, this one’s a winner. It includes 122 pieces for your child to use in pretend play with included food options from each food group. The set also includes some canned goods and condiments, making it a great option for pretend shopping. Your child can set everything up into a little store and you can go select a few things to buy. There are so many ways to use all of this toy food. The pieces are made from BPA-free plastic. This material is durable and easy to clean. Your child will get a lot of use out of this set. Pros Nice variety so it’ll keep your child engaged for hours Can be used to make pretend stores, restaurants, and more. Definitely encourages creative play Cute design that’ll look nice in any toy kitchen Cons The labels on the cans and bottles come off fairly easily, so you may be left with mystery food Battat Farmers Market Basket Slice 'n' DicePreparing meals often includes chopping vegetables, a skill that your child can practice with this food that can be "cut" apart. Best for Chopping Find on Amazon Your child can go off to the farmer’s market and pick out some great fruits and vegetables with this set, and once they get home, they can slice the food with the included play knife and cutting board. The pieces stick to each other with Velcro, so they won’t require a lot of pressure to pop apart. It’s a fun way for your child to learn and practice food prep skills, and a great opportunity for you to talk about kitchen safety. The food comes in a basket so that your little one will have a place to keep everything. The handles make it easy to carry around, too, and since the pieces are all made from plastic, they’re strong and durable. This set of play food would make a great gift for any child. Pros Comes with two toy knives so that your child can practice their cutting skills Realistic design on the food so that your child can quickly identify what’s included The pieces can store easily in the basket to help keep the playroom clean when you’re done Knife is comfortable for little hands to hold, so your child won’t mind cutting the food with it Cons The Velcro will eventually wear out, so you’ll be left with pieces of fruits and vegetables to play with. However, this will take a lot of use before you have to worry about that Learning Resources New Sprouts Bundle Baskets of Food for Your Bundle of LoveThis set of toy food comes with three baskets full of variety, one for each meal of the day. Best for Menu PlanningFind on Amazon Making good food choices is important all day long, and with this set of play food, you can help encourage your child to make those choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It comes with three baskets of toy food: one full of breakfast foods, one full of lunch items, and the final one is stuffed with options for dinner. Your child can mix and match to create the perfect menu for any time of day. This play food is made from soft, durable plastic. Instead of being hard and unbendable, it feels nice and inviting in your hands. They’ll hold up well to play, even if the play gets a little rough at times. The bright and colorful baskets hold everything, too, making cleanup simple. There are between 16-18 pieces of food in each basket, so the entire bundle has a great variety. Pros Great quality food that feels almost like rubber so it’s more realistic to play with Includes a nice assortment of food that isn’t common in other sets, including a bowl full of cereal and glasses of milk and juice, so your child will have lots of fun creating meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner Some of the food has different components your child can stack (such as the sandwich) to add to the creative nature of this set Cons This play food has a higher price point, but it feels amazing and will last a long time Frequently Asked Questions How do you clean play food? You always want to make sure your child’s toys stay clean. This is especially true for toys that have a tendency to be brought to the mouth, such as play food. You’ll want to make cleaning a regular part of your routine, but how you clean the toys depends on what they’re made of. Wooden toys shouldn’t be soaked in water, for instance; however, you can spray them with a mild cleaner and wipe them with warm water before letting them dry. Plastic toys, if they don’t have paper labels, can be soaked in a solution of mild cleaner and water for a few minutes. Then rinse them and let them dry. Unfortunately, cardboard play food can’t easily be cleaned. Do I need a toy kitchen before buying play food? No. While a toy kitchen is a great way to encourage creative play, you don’t have to have one for your child to benefit from playing with toy food sets. Your child can use a cardboard box to create a kitchen, or they can just use the toy food on a counter or table. They will still have a lot of fun – especially considering their ability to use the imagination.