Our staff has had the privilege of reviewing a variety of the pretend play food products made by Learning Resources. The Learning Resources Picnic Basket is definitely in the running for one of our top picks for this product line. This fun item will give little ones hours of entertainment by allowing them to pretend they are going on a picnic. It has everything that you would take on a real picnic minus the ants. We believe that any child would be thrilled to have this pretend, yet very realistic, picnic basket with its items.
The Learning Resources Picnic Basket is loaded with a full array of picnic items. It has a chocolate ice cream cone, four potato chips, corn-on- the-cob, hamburger patty, hamburger bun, a slice of watermelon, a pear, a roll, a slice of cake and a chicken leg. They have even included a red checkered plastic table cloth to make this as authentic as possible. One of the best things about it is that each item is very close to being an exact duplicate to the real thing. This makes it a lot more interesting for children to play with as well as easier for them to identify the play kitchen food items.
We also thought it fulfills a dual purpose in regard to kids’ toys. When we review any product that is meant for younger kids, our first priority is that it is safe and easy for the recommended age group to use. Our next priority is that it will be entertaining enough to stimulate creativity and imagination, and it will have some level of educational value. Last, we want to make sure the product is kid-tough and made to last.
Safe, Easy to Use, and Durable
The recommended age for this product is 3 to 7, and, overall, the play food and basket makes the grade for safety and durability. With the exception of the potato chips, the rest of the pieces are relatively big in size, and there aren’t any small pieces. While they could put the potato chips in their mouth, they are not small enough for them to swallow. All of the pieces are made of a soft, durable plastic and are washable. Our testers stepped and sat on these, bent them, and soaked them in soap and water for about 15 minutes with no problems.
Encourages Creativity and Imagination
The items and the picnic basket create endless possibilities for imaginary play. Of course, when children engage in imaginary play, this stimulates creativity, as well. We also decided this would be a good choice for indoor and outdoor play, which gives it even more bonus points. This also encourages interaction and play between other children as well as adults. It’s really quite educational in that it can help children identify the various food items, increase their vocabulary, and, with younger children, it can help with color recognition and counting.
We think the Learning Resources Picnic Basket is a great buy for kids. After all, who doesn’t love going on a picnic?
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