Back to school season differs for families depending on where you live, with some regions of the U.S. returning to classrooms as soon as late July and early August.
No matter when your little learner goes back to school, Melissa & Doug believes the learning fun can go on all year long. Before your student heads back to school—or goes off to school for the very first time—make sure they have access to screen-free, hands-on toys that engage them and help promote important developmental skills through play.
In this Living Playfully blog post, we’re spotlighting a specially curated assortment of pretend play food toys that make for perfect back to school developmental toys, too. Scroll on to get the details on our delicious dozen Top Pretend Play Food Toys for Back to School Learning Fun!
Top Pretend Play Food Toys to Help Kids Build Back-to-School Skills
Back to School Learning Fun: Shopping and playful purchasing is exciting at the sturdy wooden Fresh Mart Grocery Store! Lets pretend play customers browse the shelves and pay for purchases on one side, and allows the grocer to ring up items on the other.
Skills at Play: Kids can practice social-emotional skills—including eye contact, conversation, and cooperative play—while pretending to be either the customer and the shopkeeper. Having pretend play grocery adventures not only helps kids grow their imaginations and storytelling ability, it helps them practice for real-world situations such as shopping, eating, food prep, budgeting, and nutritional needs.
Back to School Brain Boost: Ask kids to name their store, and create a weekly circular featuring available items and special deals!
Simmer & Stir Stove Top Play Set With Water WOW!
Back to School Learning Fun: Drop play food into the pot or onto the stovetop griddle, squeeze water from the spoon or drip from the olive oil bottle, and watch colors change as food magically “cooks”!
Skills at Play: Pretend play with our Simmer & Stir Stove Stop set is a great way to build cognitive ability, as it perfectly demonstrates the concept of cause and effect. Kids will help develop their fine motor skills by physically manipulating the pretend play pieces, and practice sorting, counting, and imaginative play as they whip of Water WOW! color-changing pretend play food.
Back to School Brain Boost: Parents & caregivers can get in on the yummy action by ordering specific dishes from their kid chefs to help them learn to follow directions.
Flip & Fry Grill Play Set with Water WOW!
Back to School Learning Fun: Flip play burger, veggie burger, or pancake on the grill and griddle, squeeze water from the spatula when flipping, and watch colors change as food magically “cooks”!
Skills at Play: Pretend play with our Flip & Fry Grill set is a great way to build cognitive ability, as it perfectly demonstrates the concept of cause and effect. Kids will help develop their fine motor skills by physically manipulating the pretend play pieces, and practice sorting, counting, and imaginative play as they whip of Water WOW! color-changing pretend play food. Parents & caregivers can get in on the action by ordering specific dishes from their kid chefs!
Back to School Brain Boost: Parents & caregivers can get in on the yummy action by ordering specific dishes from their kid chefs to see how well they follow directions.
Scoop & Serve Ice Cream Counter
Back to School Learning Fun: Kids can scoop up some cool treats with this all-inclusive, 28-piece pretend play ice cream counter!
Skills at Play: When kids scoop pretend play ice cream, they’re developing gross & fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and C-grip strength—so feel free to order the extra-large pretend play cone! Remembering flavors, taking orders, and helping customers encourages cognitive development for memory, problem solving, math & counting, and social-emotional development, including eye contact and conversational skills.
Back to School Brain Boost: Order your ice cream flavors in specific sequences to help your little server work on sorting, sequencing, and memory.
Sort, Stock, Select Vending Machine
Back to School Learning Fun: Open up the back of the unique wooden vending machine and stock it with nine double-sided play food packages. Select an item, insert a color-matching play coin or bank card, press the corresponding letter and number button, and the snack drops into the collection drawer—no batteries required!
Skills at Play: Practicing on a pretend vending machine is a fun way to teach cause-and-effect, and encourages imaginative play, letter recognition, and other developmental skills through play. Kids get to practice being an entrepreneur and maintaining their business by selecting and stocking the items in the vending machine. Early exposure to basic math skills such as counting, managing money, and making change helps boost kids’ cognitive development. Being their own boss helps instill independence and taking on responsibility—especially when it comes time to clean up their play area!
Back to School Brain Boost: Ask your little one to find small objects around the house that color match the various vending machine’s options.
Deluxe Grill Pizza Oven Play Set
Back to School Learning Fun: Fire up pretend play with this perfectly kid-sized wooden barbecue grill, smoker, and pizza oven play set!
Skills at Play: When kids pretend to cook on the Deluxe Grill Pizza Oven, they’re practicing gross & fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and C-grip strength by manipulating the play pieces. Sorting and counting the play pieces also helps promote cognitive development, while having pretend play cooking adventures helps kids develop their imagination and storytelling ability.
Back to School Brain Boost: Parents & caregivers can get in on the yummy action by ordering specific dishes from their kid chefs to help them learn how to follow directions.
Back to School Learning Fun: The Melissa & Doug 27-piece pretend play pie-making set has everything kids need to prep, put together, and “bake” deliciously imaginative play pies.
Skills at Play: Following the pretend recipes in our Make & Bake Pies set helps kids develop the necessary cognitive skills to follow step-by-step directions while also practicing gross & fine motor skills, counting, and sorting. Pretend bakers can hone their storytelling ability while practicing creative expression through solo play, and can develop social-emotional traits such as empathy and communication skills via co-operative play.
Back to School Brain Boost: Ask you kiddos to create a name for their Pie Shop, and create a menu with offerings and prices to share with customers.
Back to School Learning Fun: The Melissa & Doug Cutting Fruit set includes a wooden knife and seven pieces of sliceable fruit that can be cut into a total of 17 pieces. The pieces are held together with self-stick tabs, so the food makes a fun and satisfying "crunch" sound when sliced.
Skills at Play: Practicing pretend knife skills can help kids develop real-world skills that they’ll need for school and beyond, including gross & fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and C-grip strength. Our Wooden Cutting Fruit set is also a great tool for teaching basic math concepts such as early fractions (whole, part, half) while inspiring healthful and nutritious eating habits.
Back to School Brain Boost: Ask your child to find other objects around the house that color match with the wooden fruit pieces.
Smoothie Maker Blender Play Set
Back to School Learning Fun: Whip up delicious playtime smoothies with this pretend play blender! Add ingredients and a dash of pretend milk, spin the dial to blend, pour into a cup with lid and straw, and serve!
Skills at Play: The play might be pretend, but the benefits are 100 percent real! While kids cut wooden fruits and veggies, they’re developing important gross & fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and C-grip strength. Preparing their own pretend smoothies not only reinforces healthful, nutritious eating habits, it gives kids agency, independence, and confidence in their own decisions.
Back to School Brain Boost: Ask you kiddos to create a name for their Smoothie Store, and create a menu with offerings and prices to share with customers.
Stainless Steel Pots & Pans Set
Back to School Learning Fun: Generously sized for a more realistic look and feel, the colander and three pans (with interchangeable lid) fit most play food items for exciting restaurant and kitchen play, and store neatly on a convenient metal storage rack when the kitchen is closed.
Skills at Play: Pretend play cooking opens up a child’s imagination, as they get to be in charge while in their play kitchen. WIth pretend play cooking adventures, kids get to express themselves creatively and practice their storytelling ability, while their gross & fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and C-grip strength get a real workout by manipulating the stainless steel pots & pans.
Back to School Brain Boost: Turn the pots and pans over and encourage your child to use them like a drum set—music helps boost a child’s brain development, plus it’s super-fun!
Play to Go Cup Ice Cream Treats Play Set
Back to School Learning Fun: Take imagination on the go and create deliciously fun ice cream treats anywhere, any time! All the pieces store in the take-along cup, made to fit in car seats, strollers, and vehicle cup holders.
Skills at Play: Fidget play makes great practice for nimbler fingers with our Play to Go cups! While kids manipulate the mixed play materials, they’re developing important gross & fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and C-grip strength. As kids create various dessert-inspired constructs, they’re practicing sorting, counting, creative expression, and expanding their imagination.
Back to School Brain Boost: Challenge your child to do timed dessert builds to see what kind of wacky creations they can do in a competition setting.
Play to Go Cup Cakes & Cookies Play Set
Back to School Learning Fun: Take imagination on the go and create sweet play treats anywhere, any time! All the pieces store in the take-along cup, made to fit in car seats, strollers, and vehicle cup holders.
Skills at Play: Fidget play makes great practice for nimbler fingers with our Play to Go cups! While kids manipulate the mixed play materials, they’re developing important gross & fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and C-grip strength. As kids create various dessert-inspired constructs, they’re practicing sorting, counting, creative expression, and expanding their imagination.
Back to School Brain Boost: Challenge your child to do timed dessert builds to see what kind of wacky creations they can do in a competition setting.
Wooden Brew & Serve Coffee Set
Back to School Learning Fun: Lift the lid on this pretend play coffee maker and pop in one of three coffee pods (regular, hazelnut, or mocha) and turn the knob to choose the serving size! Too hot for coffee? Add the included ice cube to make it "iced."
Skills at Play: Help kids brew their imaginations with this pretend play coffee maker set! Pretend play cooking encourages kids to use their cognitive abilities while expressing themselves creatively and practicing their storytelling, which helps build confidence and independence. Preparing pretend beverages also promotes gross & fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and C-grip strength—without any of the caffeine jitters!
Back to School Brain Boost: Ask you kiddos to create a name for their coffee spot, and create a menu with offerings and prices to share with customers.
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For more great toy content from Melissa & Doug, click through the links below:
Shop Melissa & Doug Pretend Play Toys
Shop Melissa & Doug Pretend Play Kitchens & Play Centers
Shop Melissa & Doug Play Food & Play Sets
Explore Melissa & Doug Ms. Rachel Toy Collection
Shop Melissa & Doug Toys by Age
Shop Melissa & Doug Learning Toys
Explore Melissa & Doug Skills at Play
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