Learning Resources Sprouts Healthy Basket Bundle Review

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this review. I received the below product to use for this review. All opinions are my own.

As the new school year starts up again, lesson plans are made, preschool classes are starting and kids just need to unwind after the first long days of school we’ve been enjoying these Learning Resources New Sprouts Healthy Basket Bundle set which includes healthy play food for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

 We have long been fans of Learning Resources play food for it’s realistic appearance as well as unique options (not your typical play food) and durability! This is not play food that you can damage or squish by accidentally stepping on it and it hurts WAY less if chucked across the room as opposed to wooden play food.

 Now when’s the last time you saw a realistic grapefruit, cantaloupe slice, and bowl of oatmeal and blueberries in a kid’s play food set? I LOVE this! It is more realistic of the various types of breakfast alternatives that I want my kids to learn about rather than just “cereal and milk” or an apple. Not only is it nutritious food but the colors are so bright and eye catching.

 Check out the lunch basket – not only does it include what you need to make a sandwich but there is fresh fruit, yogurt, and pretzels for the sides! Or make a fruit salad in a bowl! You’ll notice every set (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) each come with a cute grocery basket that holds all of the food inside. You can also stack all 3 baskets up and store everything but the yogurt cups all in one basket as well.

 Here we are again – how about some asparagus, fresh salmon, grilled chicken and sweet potato? YUM! GREAT options for teaching kids healthier food choices! And in the past I’ve also used Learning Resources play food sets not only to teach my kids about new foods but also to TRY new foods as well!

If you put these in a preschool classroom you’d be amazed at how many kids can’t name what are in these baskets! It’s a great learning tool that goes beyond mere pictures.

 We’ve used play food for SO many educational things in addition to imaginative play. I also have it available for my kids to play with in our play kitchen of course, but as my boys got older and began to outgrow some of the kitchen role play we’ve used it for lessons with money. I would create little signs for each item (pretzels, sandwiches, fruits, etc.) and give the kids “money” to go shopping with in our play food store.

The kids would then have to determine what is the maximum they can purchase on their budget by adding up the sums of the totals of their food. Sometimes to make it interesting or a little more challenging we put a spin on it such as saying that can only purchase fruit, or can’t purchase anything red.

Or I’ll give them a specific number of items they have to purchase and stay within their budget. You can of course change up the “rules” depending on the age and ability of the child but this is a fun way to get hands on with learning money.

 However I find that as my boys get older they find sillier uses for their play food – like making and “eating” this mega sandwich!

My youngest, however, still likes to mix up his play food in a bowl and use it like real food. I LOVE the baskets that come with each set and I really love that the entire bundle set is all healthy and realistic food that we would have at our dinner tables. Out of all of the various types of play food we have had over the past 7 years I definitely prefer any of the Learning Resources Sprouts play food sets!

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