If you haven't already, one day you will tell your child not to play with their food. But then they would be missing out on a great learning opportunity! Math, science, sharing, and food tips, can all be learned in the kitchen.  Playful Chef helps to teach young sous chefs how to productively play with and prepare their food.  They have created kid-friendly cooking sets complete with an apron and all the tools an aspiring chef could need. The kits come with recipe cards and cooking tips.  I asked CEO and founder, Lisa Ligon, what her favorite recipes were to make with little ones. She said that some of her favorites include Golden Chicken Nuggets, Fruit Yogurt Parfait and Chocolate Mountain Lava Cake.  I was also curious about where the company idea came from. She said she came up with the idea while volunteering with kids at San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point YMCA. You can have a good meal; you can hang out with all your toys. ~ Parents: Do your tots like to play in the real or pretend kitchen ? ~

I asked Kim, owner of Sugar Chic Baby, what you could do with her adorable felt baked goods topped with beaded sprinkles.  She said that they could be used as food while pretend baking or having an imaginary tea party. She thought they would look nice displayed on a cake platter in a bakery-themed kitchen or "just because you like them!"  She noted that they make a great without going overboard, and are easy to ship.  We have a set of the felt barrettes, and they are too cute as well!  ~ Parents: What are your favorite pretend foods? ~