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ASAP - what are your reasons for making/buying felt food for your kids?

1K views 13 replies 13 participants last post by  CrunchyParent 
#1 ·
I'm selling some at a fundraiser in a couple weeks and want to display a poster about the reasons felt food is better than plastic. Please, help me out. Thanks so much!
 
#3 ·
never actually thought about it, but my kids really love it. when I'm making something it is all I can do to stop them from grabbing it while I am still sewing. They have some plastic food, but never really touch it. It has sunk to the depths of the toybox.
 
#4 ·
I make it because I enjoy doing it


I guess the biggest thing I dislike about plastic food is the way its molded together. You know, you don't get individual fries, just a portion. Felt pasta shapes which can be served with a spoon are much more real to me (and better for hand eye coordination, learning to use utensils etc).

I also try to make foods that we actually eat, a lot of plastic foods seem to be the less healthy options.
 
#6 ·
Another one is that felt or wooden food is a lot more durable. All the plastic food seems to get stepped on and crushed. And it's always in weird sizes too. And of course, it's nice to have play food that is food you actually eat in your house like spaghetti or farfalle pasta, or vegetables, etc.

Our plastic food bottles always have their labels falling off too, and then it's just blank white bottle. Who knows what that is??
 
#7 ·
Haven't done it yet -- hope to get my crafty older daughter interested in helping me do this....

My reasons would be 1) To have toys that wouldn't hurt if thrown as everyone here seems to go through a toy-throwing stage every couple of months

2) to have toy food that represents what we actually eat -- less of the toy cookies and hamburgers and french fries please, and some toy food that looks like wontons or spinach salad or blueberries or whole wheat toast....well, that would be grand!

3) toy food gets put in the mouth more than other kinds of toys as toddlers pretend to eat it. I'm imagining that the texture of the felted food would not invite this as much, but even if it did get mouthed, it is easily washable and non-toxic
 
#8 ·
My reasons - it's fun for me to do, it's natural, it's soft, it's more "alive" than plastic, and doesn't hurt when stepped on. That said, I also have some wood cutting foods. And I still have some "better" (I use that term only to signify a studier kind) plastic foods I bring out when the kids are sick (because I can wash them easily).

I have some of my felt foods here (you need to scroll down towards the bottom). I'd like to make more because hand sewing them is fun.
 
#11 ·
Hmm...

They're soft and don't hurt siblings/parents/dogs when they're thrown.


They're safe - no worries about lead paints

They're fun to make (no help for your fundraiser, but it's true)!

The child can dictate the food created - becomes involved in the creative process. Can't tell you how many of my creations were prompted because my DD's doll *needed* an XYZ in her kitchen.
 
#12 ·
Honestly, that's the reason I started making them! We're trying to get rid of all plastics in the house. Not easy, but at least it's a start with the toys.
My kids LOVE them!!!
Cupcakes, cookies, carrots, eggs. They are all so cute. When people come over, dd runs to get a cupcake and says - "look what mommy made me"!
K - so it's an ego boost too
 
#14 ·
I hate to get technical on you, but are you using 100% wool felt to make the food? If you're using acrylic felt, the whole non-toxic, non plastic, natural argument really doesn't hold water since acrylic felt is just as chemically and synthetic (albeit softer) than plastic. If you're using wool felt, well then I do it because I want to have natural playthings in my home because chemicals and plastic and toxic paint and such are just bad bad bad.
 
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