Wooden Play Food by Erzi

Rumor has it that when I was a kid, I couldn't go 10 minutes without a snack of some sort. My mom even got called to my elementary school when I hid under the teacher's desk in first grade so I could eat every jelly bean in the jar that spoke temptingly to me all the live long day: "eat me!" it would whisper, as if it were a prop straight out of Alice and Wonderland.

It turns out I married someone with the same culinary checkered past, and as adults we are incessantly fixated on and appreciative of food. So, it's no surprise that our offspring salivates and jumps up and down at the word, "snack," and shakes with delight when you hand her something to eat.

Many of us will probably be gifting our kids with tiny play kitchens, ovens, refrigerators and the like this Christmas, and Erzi wooden play food is the perfect accompaniment to really bring these backgrounds to life. I love Erzi food because it looks like the real thing, it's beautifully and responsibly made, and it will help children learn about and develop a taste for the wonder that is food.

*Of course, make sure your kids are old enough to know these food items are pretend, and select age appropriate items so there is no risk of them choking on any small pieces.

Erzi wooden food is made from birch wood from managed forests, and it is painted with natural bio paints. In addition to selling individual food items, you can also buy quaint sets of food like this deli set, perfect for playing "market," or this salad set, a delicious choice for playing "restaurant." Ah, one of my favorite memories was playing "restaurant" as a child. Here's a shout out to "The Hungry Tiger," Lisa! Enjoy making many a happy memory playing with Erzi food with your kids. I'm excited to live childhood all over again with Olivia!