Excellerations® Yummy Plush Pretend Play Food – 25 Pieces

Description

This thoughtfully designed 25-piece plush food collection brings realistic learning experiences to your youngest students through safe, sensory-rich play. Each piece features carefully crafted details, from embroidered textures on the avocado and tortilla to the realistic coloring of fresh produce items. The set spans major food groups with fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains, giving children extensive vocabulary and nutrition exposure from an early age.

The collection includes bacon, orange, grapes, banana, strawberry, tomato, apple, lettuce, carrot, corn on the cob, avocado, pea pod, broccoli, baked potato with butter, hard boiled egg, bread, tortilla, beans, Swiss cheese, milk, and salmon. Pieces range from 2.5 to 5.5 inches, making them perfectly sized for small hands while remaining safe for children as young as six months.

Quality and Durability

These plush foods stand up to the demands of active learning environments. The soft, rich fabrics provide realistic sensory experiences while maintaining durability through repeated use. Strategic stuffing in key pieces ensures they hold their shape through countless play sessions, whether you’re teaching one child or managing multiple learners of different ages. The machine-washable design addresses the practical needs of busy homeschooling families, allowing for easy cleanup after messy play sessions or when pieces need refreshing.

How Homeschoolers Can Use This Product

Early Childhood Foundation Building

These plush foods excel at introducing fundamental concepts to your youngest learners. Children can safely explore textures, colors, and shapes while building vocabulary around everyday foods. The realistic details help bridge the gap between play objects and real-world recognition, supporting language development as children learn to name and categorize different foods.

Cross-Curricular Learning Opportunities

Mathematics: Use pieces for counting activities, sorting by color or food group, and basic addition and subtraction. Create patterns with the colorful fruits and vegetables, or practice measurement concepts by comparing sizes of different foods.

Science: Explore where foods come from, discussing which items grow on trees, underground, or come from animals. Use the variety to teach about nutrition, food groups, and healthy eating habits. The realistic textures provide excellent sensory science experiences.

Language Arts: Build vocabulary through food naming games, create stories about cooking adventures, or practice descriptive language by having children explain the textures and colors they observe.

Practical Life Skills Development

Set up pretend kitchens and restaurants where children practice meal planning, food preparation sequences, and social skills through role-play. These activities naturally develop fine motor skills as little hands grasp and manipulate the appropriately sized pieces. The experience also builds confidence around food and eating, particularly helpful for children who may be picky eaters.

Multi-Age Learning Solutions

The broad age range (6 months and up) makes this set valuable for families with children at different developmental stages. Babies can safely explore textures and practice grasping, while older preschoolers engage in complex pretend play scenarios. Elementary-age children can use the pieces for more advanced sorting activities or as props for nutrition lessons.

Storage and Organization Tips

Consider providing small baskets or containers for sorting activities that double as storage solutions. Rotate which pieces are available to maintain novelty and focus learning on specific food groups or concepts. The machine-washable feature means you can maintain hygiene standards easily, particularly important when younger siblings are involved.

This food set provides exceptional value for homeschooling families seeking educational materials that grow with their children while supporting multiple learning objectives through engaging, hands-on experiences.