Wooden Play Plates & Cutlery Set

Pretend cooking has a weak spot: once the soup is ready, there is nothing to serve it on. Children solve this with saucepan lids and bits of paper until someone gives them plates. This set fills that gap with wooden plates, knives and forks, so the meal can finally reach the table.

Laying the table at 3: a place for everyone

Watch a 3-year-old with a stack of plates and you will see the same sequence every time. A plate goes down in front of each guest, teddy included. Then comes the cutlery, a fork on one side and a knife on the other, corrected two or three times until every place looks the same. Only then is anyone allowed to eat.

That patient sorting is the point of a wooden play plates & cutlery set. Laying a table is a practical-life task with a clear order and a clear finish, and a child can see for themselves whether it is done: a place with no fork is obvious to anyone.

It is also quiet arithmetic. One plate each, one knife each, one fork each: matching objects to people is how counting starts to mean something. Ask how many guests are coming before your child begins, and let them work out whether there are enough forks to go round.

Plates of 11.5 cm, cutlery of 11 cm: how it sits in the hand

Each plate is 11.5 cm in diameter and 0.5 cm thick, about the size of a saucer. That makes it easy to carry flat in one hand and to stack. The knives and forks measure 11 x 3.5 x 1 cm: chunky shapes that a small hand can grip in a fist or between the fingers. The whole set weighs 0.16 kg, so it travels easily from the play kitchen to a picnic rug in the garden.

Wood gives the game its sound as well, a soft knock when a plate is set down, and with a wooden play plates & cutlery set nothing breaks when the table is cleared in a hurry.

What to serve: food, pans and a tea service

A table needs a meal. This is one of those play kitchen items that only comes alive next to others, and it fits around what you already own. The sliceable sets are the natural partners: fruit or vegetables cut on the board, then shared out between the plates, or a Wooden Sliceable Cupcakes Set of 3 for pudding.

For the cooking that comes before, the pans and kitchen play utensils of the Wooden Cookware & Tableware Pretend Dinner Play Set cover the stove side. A wooden tea service or the Wooden White Coffee Machine & Cups Pretend Play Set looks after the drinks. You will find these and other role play kitchen accessories in our learning to cook range.

A tip for presenting it: do not hand over the set in a heap. Lay one complete place yourself on a low table, plate in the middle, knife and fork either side, and leave the rest stacked beside it. Most children copy the model straight away, then go to fetch the guests.

A pretend-play set, not mealtime tableware

These plates and cutlery are sold as an accessory for imaginative play. They are not meant for real meals: keep them for wooden food, play dough feasts and invisible soup, and use your child's everyday tableware at the family table. Like our other wooden montessori toys, the set is designed to be handled by the child, not kept on a shelf.

The set is for ages 3 and up. It contains small parts, so store it out of reach of younger brothers and sisters once the game is over.

Keeping the wood clean

A wipe with a slightly damp cloth is enough after play; dry the pieces straight away. Do not soak them, and keep them out of the dishwasher and the washing-up bowl, however much your child wants to do the dishes for real. A dry tea towel and a pretend wash does the job, and adds one more step to the game.

Questions about the play plates and cutlery

What size are the wooden play plates?

Each plate is 11.5 cm in diameter and 0.5 cm thick. The knives and forks measure 11 x 3.5 x 1 cm.

What age is a play plates and cutlery set for?

This set is for children aged 3 and up. It has small parts and is not suitable for children under 36 months.

Can children eat from wooden play plates?

No. This is a pretend-play accessory, not tableware for meals: keep it for the play kitchen.

What goes well with a play plates and cutlery set?

Play food to serve, such as sliceable fruit, vegetables or cupcakes, a set of pans for the cooking, and a tea or coffee set for the drinks.

Specifications

• Wooden plates, knives and forks for pretend play
• Plate: 11.5 cm diameter, 0.5 cm thick
• Knife and fork: 11 x 3.5 x 1 cm
• Weight: 0.16 kg
• Age: 3+
• 2-year guarantee

Warning: Small parts. Choking hazard. Not suitable for children under 36 months. Retain this information.