Guest Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Hi, what do you put in your home corner for food. I really hate the plastic stuff but getting pretty desparate for something else which is imaginative for the children but not too messy and unhealthy if hidden away in a cupboard for a few days!! Help Sunshine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 we do have plastic stuff - i hate to admit, but when we do bakers, friut and veg shop etc we make things out of salt dough paint and bake them then put on a layer of varnish - kiddies love them and they really look the part and last quite a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Hi We made various foods from salt dough and then painted it and put it in the home corner. Children helped to make dough and cut out biscuit shapes then painted them to look like iced biscuits for the bakers shop. Painted veggies for the green grocers shop. We made pizzas out of paper plates, felt, coloured paper etc and ice cream cones and tubs out of cardboard cones and tissue paper and old yoghurt pots and coloured tissue paper for the italian restaurant. The nice thing was because the children made the stuff in the main they were more careful will it. Hope this helps Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 We have used raw veg and dried pasta in the past, only trouble is the children eat it, and it can make quite a mess!! lots of crunched up pasta on the floor. em x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 (edited) Sorry.. we use the plastic stuff... children chew that as well... washed and disposed of regularly...... Salt dough was crushed into the floor even when they made it.. do currently have some knitted foods which are popular.. really snazzy cakes etc.. a relative does them for us.... Inge Tea_Party_Treats.pdf Edited September 23, 2008 by Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 we brought some lovely wooden stuff that was really brightly coloured and the fruit is velcro with a wooden knife to cut it, We got ours from SBS but I had a great little trading gatalogue at home the other day and they do a range of wooden playfood that I hadn't seen before ie: a tea party set sandwiches,cakes, cups & saucers etc.. Also early learning center do a really good breakfast tray set (I brought this for my neice for her birthday and was tempted to keep it myself for preschool as it was really cute!!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 we got some from a company called wooden toys online Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I have a full set of plans for knitted food which is great as it can be washed.We gave them to a local day-care centre for their clients to knit for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I have seen a range of plastic, wooden and knitted reources in food/home corners. Also empty packaging such as cereal boxes, empty plasic sauce bottles, empty juice cartons etc. The cardboard items dont last too long but there easily saved up from home and are more realistic to children that just plastic items xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shazzam Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 we made some really simple but great looking 'cakes' cake cases, tissue paper, pva and a bit of red tissue paper to screw up for a cherry the children enjoyed making them and they last ages (the more pva the better) i suppose you could do all sorts paper plates, string for spagetti and something brown? for bolognese. pva mixed with brown paint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Can anyone help? What kinds of food do I put into my role play area. We definately don't want plastic, but what is safe. the children are 30 months plus. I am thinking of real food. Thanks Sunshine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belle06 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 we always use the play food that you can get from ELC have never thought of real food. Is there any particular reason why you want real food? Or are you thinking of running the snack bar system in the home corner maned by a member of staff or do you measn food to play with and eat? If you are looking at real food to play with and eat then obviously you will have thought of the added complications of allergies and monitoring the children and the foods available plus the intake amounts. When you ask what are safe foods this will depend on each individual child and also what parents specific views and requirements are. If you decide to go ahead with the real food i would start off by sending out questionnaires to parents explaing what you would like to do and asking about suggestions for foods and double checking allergies and then take it from there. Let us know how you get on interesting idea!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlettangel Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 We use pretend food from a variety of sources........ On occasion we have real food but usually for a party type role play experiene not as the norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 we often put out dried pasta for play - but I'd be a bit worried about 'playing' with real food as such, more for the reasons of hygeine etc.. if bits of food get stuck/left in toy cookers and then going moudly. xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 we use lots of pasta as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathrich Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I've seen a setting I visited use real food cans in the shop area - - the small ones with spaghetti, tuna etc. (This was with 3-5's) You could always use empty packaging as another resource e.g. cerale packets, tea bags, pringles tubes etc. This is a bit different but I have always used 'real' saucepans and utensils in my home corners - children play with them so much better because they are actually the real thing and not a coloured plastic one!! Cath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 We've used things like pine cones, corks and plastic bottle tops. It seems to stretch their imaginations further - you can cook, stir etc & your end product is wahtever you wnat it to be, not a closed product. Ours are also from about 30 months. We've not had any problems with stuff going in mouths etc. It's also easy to replace & very cheap! We do sometimes go the other way completely and use real fruit in a fruit bowl - apples, pears, bananas mainly. It didn't cause nearly as many problems as you might anticipate and the children loved it. If you've ever done the High/Scope activity involving a fresh fruit, a plastic fruit, a photo of the fruit, a drawing & then the word eg 'orange' you'll understand why we do it! I wonder if, with some of the recent concerns about exposure to certain plastics, the toy food won't become less acceptable. I sometimes think children's world is too 'plasticized' anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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