Wooden Food Toys: What? Why? When?
Give your little chefs something to taco ‘bout with some wooden food toys! Read on to discover more about food play and browse our top pick of the best play food for kids.
Exploring Wooden Play Food
If you’re wondering whether your toddler is ready for food toys yet or you need a little food play inspiration, you’re in the right place!
What age is play food for?
By the age of two years old, toddlers will begin to take an interest in imaginative play and may start to mimic what Mum and Dad are doing in the kitchen, so this is a great time to introduce toy food. A first course of action could be to treat them to a play kitchen, or help them make their own with a cardboard craft kit! Then you can build up their supply of wooden food toys over time.
Is play food good for toddlers?
Play food boosts toddlers’ imaginations and creative thinking as they spend time dreaming up pretend play storylines, which can enhance their vocabulary and language skills. Playing with food toys also improves children’s grasp, muscle development, and dexterity. It sharpens their communication and social skills when playing with others, and introduces youngsters to different colours, shapes, and patterns.
Another big plus, it teaches tots about food groups and healthy eating, builds familiarity with new foods, and might even encourage picky littlens to try what’s on their plate at mealtimes!
What to do with toy food for toddlers?
Here are 9 fun things to do with toy food that’ll leave your toddlers hungry for more!
- Set up a teddy bear picnic
- Invite friends round for a pretend afternoon tea
- Play supermarkets
- Open a family restaurant
- Plant a toy veggie patch
- Go head to head in a game of find the food
- Sort the toys into food groups
- Practise counting & fractions
- Play a guessing game of what’s in the bag
Our Pick Of The Best Play Food Toys
Check out our new and bestselling range of wooden toy food, from mealtime classics to scrumptious sweet treats.
Breakfast Fry Up
Egg-ceptionally realistic, our new Breakfast Fry Up Set includes a mini wooden saucepan perfectly sized for play frying the bacon rashers, sausages, sunny-side-up egg, mushrooms, tomatoes, and beans with the little spatula. Suitable for 18+ months.
Pancake Set
Another brekkie favourite! This playful new Pancake Set will do wonders for toddlers' fine motor skills and creative thinking as they stack their wooden pancakes with all the different toppings and sauces. The set also comes with a saucepan and spatula. Suitable for 18+ months.
Breakfast Time
Make Mum or Dad breakfast in bed with our adorable Breakfast Set! This toy food set comes with a wooden toaster, two slices of toast, a butter dish featuring sliceable slabs of butter, a pot of jam, plate, and knife. Suitable for 18+ months.
Wooden Fruit Crates
Kids will go bananas for our a-peel-ing Wooden Fruit Crate, packed with 10 pieces of colourful wooden play food, including an apple, strawberry, pear, melon, banana, and more. Stored in a compact wooden box, great for playing grocers! Suitable for 18+ months.
Wooden Pizza
Set up a tiny pizzeria or invite friends round for a slice of our tempting Wooden Pizza Toy. Tots can choose their favourite toppings from ham, pepperoni, pineapple, mushrooms, onions, and peppers, then slice it up using the wooden pizza cutter wheel. The pizza comes on a wooden paddle with a handle. Suitable for 3+ years.
Fish & Chips
Open up the takeaway box to discover a delicious portion of Fish & Chips made from sustainable wood and served on a spread of the Gull Gazette - an interactive newspaper featuring stories and activities for kids. The cod is divided into three pieces, so children can practise their cutting skills with the wooden chip fork. Suitable for 18+ months.
Pasta For Two
Buon appetito! Your little bambino can create their own Italian trattoria with our new 64-piece Pasta For Two set. It comes with a wooden bowl and plate, cutlery, a cheese grater, menu, and ingredients such as tagliatelle, ravioli, parmesan, basil leaves, and veggies. Suitable for 18+ months.
Burger & Fries Set
Stack, sizzle, and savour our brilliant Burger & Fries Set! New for 2025, this 48-piece play food set comes with a takeaway box packed with burger buns and fillings, a carton of fries, soft drink, sauce sachets, and a menu. Kids can have fun stacking their burger with their favourite fillings and playing pretend as fast food servers or customers. Suitable for 18+ months.
Roast Dinner Set
Carving up fun imaginative play possibilities, our new Roast Dinner Set features a roast chicken with detachable thighs and drumsticks for kids to slice off with the wooden knife. Also on the tray is a colourful selection of vegetables and potatoes, helping to improve children's familiarity with different foods. Suitable for 18+ months.
Wooden Biscuit Box
Oh crumbs, it’s our bestselling Biscuit Box! Lift off the wooden lid and you’ll find a delicious assortment of 16 classic biscuits inside, such as custard creams, bourbons, pink wafers, cookies, and gingerbread men. Dinky dunkers can pair their biscuits with one of our wooden tea sets for bags more fun! Suitable for 3+ years.
More Wooden Food Toys
Didn't fancy fish & chips, pasta, or pancakes? Browse our full range of play food treats and find out what's coming soon in 2025!