My daughter just loves this activity. She played very contently with this at school and I’m always looking for toys that will keep her occupied for longer than a millisecond. I pay close attention to the toys that the occupational therapist uses to improve skills at school. I also read that these were recommended to improve fine motor skills. I searched a few local stores and while I did see them over the holidays I was unable to locate a set at a store close to my home. I eventually found a set on ebay. My daughter loves this cutting toy and comes back to it time and time again in favor of her more hi tech toys. It’s great for teaching names of vegetables, colors, and encouraging fine motor skills.

It has a realistic and satisfying crunch when your child slices and they can even be pulled apart if the child cannot cut them yet. I have found many different styles out there- all wooden, plastic, fruits, vegetables, sandwiches, a Velcro pizza and even sushi. My daughter often does not want to or wish to put the pieces back together again. I think after she cuts them up she figures she is done and moves onto something else. So when she cuts them all up I often have to put them back together so she can do it again. Matching up the correct colors has been a great teaching tool. The velcro pieces sometimes stick to our berber carpeting but I now put a blanket down when we bring these out to play with.

I’m a huge fan of Melissa & Doug’s wooden toys. They are durable, well made and come in a handy storage case. These are great for any gender. I have included some links below that tell more about these Melissa & Doug cutting foods and similar products. Do you have these at home? Any feedback ?





Peel & Play


Melissa & Doug Cutting foods


More velcro toys