Toy Review: Playfully Delicious - Sushi Selection by Hape Toys

As we were shopping for a wooden play kitchen for C awhile ago (which we'll be doing a review on it soon with pics!), we wanted to add in a few new food items in the kitchen.  I was never much of a fan of plastic or paper food toys as they don't seem to last the rough play sometimes toddlers may have on them in addition to the toxic materials that they may contain.  Now that we are expecting Baby #2, we wanted to make sure we make purchases that would last through at least the play of these two kids and hopefully even be able to get a reasonable resell value through kids swaps once they outgrow them.

During our search, I came across several wooden sushi sets. Unfortunately most of these playset were only available online but I am glad that we decided on this particular set. The Playfully Delicious Sushi Selection by Hape Toys definitely fit what we were looking for.  Hape Toys have always been well known for their quality and sustainability; all the main materials used in this set are materials that we are all familiar with - wood, bamboo, fabric and water based paint.

The set itself is a 21 piece set that includes a soy sauce bottle, the serving plate, 2 pairs of chopsticks, soy sauce plates along with various sushi pieces. 

This set is very colourful and it allows for imaginative play.  Even though it says it's for 3+, most of the pieces are big enough for them not to be a choking hazard for a toddler (those who don't frequently put everything into their mouth I suppose).  The smallest piece you would find in this set would be the chopsticks holder.  Aside from the quality, I really like the fact that it's Asian food which is different from many other food playsets you commonly see in the market (I'm still on the lookout for Chinese food). 

Sushi is something we often have when we go out for a quick bite so C has actually been able to associate what he's playing with to what he sees in real life.  In fact, ever since we got the set, he actually showed interest in California roll for the first time in a long time!   My only complain about this set is the fact that it's very hard to use those chopsticks so unfortunately C cannot practice his chopsticks skills using those! 

I would recommend this set to anyone who is looking to add some quality pieces to their kids' play kitchen. It encourages imaginative plays and communications. The price itself is reasonable for a set with quality Hape delivers.