Customer Reviews

Melissa & Doug Cutting Food Box

5 star:		(276)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This was a gift from Grandma for our 18 month old. Our daughter figured out how to cut a few months later. It's perfect for age two and up. She loves to cut up all the fruits, veggies, and bread. It comes with two cutting boards and two knives so a friend can play along too. It keeps her entertained for a long time and, as others have mentioned, teaches her the names of a few fruits and veggies along the way. Everything comes in a nice wooden box with a slide-on lid, which is great for storing all the pieces and for the fun of "in and out" of the box. My only complaint is that the velcro stickers which hold the pieces together are not compeletly durable. I've reglued a few of them, which has been no big deal to do. Overall a great toy, well priced, and nicely made.

I wanted to get my daughters some play food that wasn't plastic, and this turned out to be a gem. I have to say that the picture here doesn't do it justice -- the pieces are much more appealing in person. Originally I thought they would like one of the other 2 sets better (the pizza or the sandwich set), but after purchasing them, this is the clear favorite. These pieces are the most versatile. There is some bread, which can be fashioned into a sandwich. The veggies/fruits can be served as is or chopped up in a "stew", etc. The carrot can double for chunks of cheddar.....and on and on. We've counted pieces. We've played restaurant. And really, getting the cucumber back together so there is not a kink in the middle is almost a puzzle. There is something most satisfying about the crunching, slicing sound too.
I do agree with the other reviewer about the paint smell though (but it does go away). And the red paint started rubbing off on the knife almost immediately.

All in all, however, this will get played with A LOT.

The picture above shows the OLD cuting food box that came with 2 knives and 2 cutting boards. Now it comes with 1 knife and 1 cutting board, so that this toy cannot be shared. I prefer it to have 2 boards and knives so that 2 kids can share it - otherwise fights do ensue.

But I do love this toy. My daughter received it for her 2nd birthday and still loves to play with it (she is over 3 now). One problem is that the baby loves it too (17 months) but some of the pieces (carrot) are choking hazards - hence the age warning. We moved the toy to the 3 yr old's bedroom to keep it out of reach of the baby until she is older. I did not notice a strong paint odor upon opening the toy. The toy is of quality construction - I think this toy will last forever.

This is a great set that comes with fruit and veggies cut into slices and held together with velcro, dull wooden knives and a little cutting board. It comes in a wooden box with a plastic top that can be used to store the pieces when not in use. The kids love the cutting action and playing with them when they are assembled and whole.

My only caution is to be somewhat diligent with keeping these together as a set or else they may scatter throughout the house (as happened with us). My kids got frustrated when they wanted a whole piece of food and they could only find half.

Also great from this company is the new wood pizza which has pieces to "slice" and little wood toppings to construct a custom made pizza pie.

Play food - we love it in this house and this is a great set as my daughter (2.5 years) gets to prepare food for dinner just like Mummy. She can chop and cut with her knife to her hearts content and I don't have to worry about any sort of injury. She thinks she is so clever having her own food with a knife to cut up. She loves it. Great for role play. She shares out portions of the food to her dolls and baby sister. We have picnics or dinners on the loungeroom floor. A toy that is always played with in so many different ways. Wonderful for food recognition and hand/eye co-ordination.

The velcro attaches easily. This is a great toy to begin teaching counting and fractions. We also own the Pizza Party: Wooden Pizza Set by Lights, Camera, Interaction. We were initially introduced to these great toy products by my aunt who teaches violin. She uses these toys to explain musical notation and fractions. The utilization of this toy for introductory math has been invaluable for teaching our daughter. Sometimes we don't realize how much she understands these concepts. The parts hold up extremely well to the 2 1/2 year old age group, but I must reiterate - these are not for a family that doesn't not keep up with parts to games or toys. It is also a toy that is best used with hands-on adult expaination. The most educational experience can be derived that way (I guess, as with all things in life.)

What is especially fun is when she mixes the 2 toys together and I get a slice of pizza with a carrot or watermelon slice on it.

My babies (twins 2 year old girls) love love love this toy and could sit for an hour (and have!) cutting these well-made adorable vegetables and fruits and breads. They are held together by velcro and you cut through them with the two knives, on the two cutting boards (a bonus that we got two of each, so two kids can play at one time). The babies are starting to learn how to put a few of the veggies back together again so I don't have to do it every time, and that is a great learning experience. I have already purchased 2 more of these for gifts. They put a smile on my face, so colorful and such a cool idea, I like to keep them out because they are almost like a work of art! A fantastic toy...

Who'd have thought that wooden food would be so much fun? I don't know if it's just the cool cutting sounds these foods make when you "cut" them, or whether it's that kids love doing what Mom does, but these are really fun. Clever idea.

I got this set for my (then) three year old last Christmas, and this has been an absolute favorite toy in our house since then. The food really makes a cool "crunch" sound when you cut it with the pretend knives, and my son (now 4.5) loves to "cook" the food and create all kinds of interesting pretend stews which he serves to my husband and I. He can literally play with these items for hours.

I had two small complaints about this set. Firstly, the watermelon slices have very thin edges and are prone to being snapped off or "chewed" if you happen to have younger children in the house. My husband and I ended up putting the watermelon away pieces away for now. The rest of the food is durable and "chew" proof for the most part.

We, however, live in a VERY dry climate, and all of the wooden food developed large cracks and splits within 2 weeks of being in our house. To their credit, the company replaced all the defective pieces free of charge and we have been "crack free" ever since.

This is an EXCELLENT toy, and I highly recommend it.

I have two boys age 5 and 3 who love to pretend to cook. I bought this set 6 months ago and it continues to be a favorite on a daily basis. It has already outlasted many of the plastic or cardboard food sets I have bought. It is also an extra bonus that they have to figure out how to put the food back together so it looks right! It has been a big plus for me that it came with TWO wooden knives and a nice wooden stoage box. I will be buying this as a gift for many of my friends' kids in the future!