Discover the benefits of pretend play and get engaging food-themed activities that are ready to use.
Using Food-Themed Activities for Pretend Play
- Benefits of pretend play to a child's development and learning.
- Creative ideas for dramatic play kitchens, table top activities or themed play.
- Practise with communication, vocabulary and story telling skills.
- Free downloadable kits with simple craft ideas, printables and inspiration.
Pretend play is much more than a way to pass the time. It is a powerful tool that can support a child’s learning and development.
This article was written by registered dietitians who are passionate about kids learning with food. It includes simple ideas for early childhood educators, kindergarten teachers and parents. Our registered dietitians draw on research to explain the benefits of pretend play, which is often referred to as dramatic play. The article also connects to ready-to-use activities that you can download or print. The Pretend Play Smoothie Kit and the Pretend Play Pizza Kit will be used as examples throughout this article.
Five ways pretend play supports learning and development
1. Builds communication and language skills
Children learn to express ideas, ask questions and tell stories through pretend play. They can also make real world connections. These will help meet curriculum outcomes in English language arts.
Encourage children to:
- Act out roles as they make their pizza or smoothie. They could pretend to be a farmer, grocery store clerk, chef or server.
- Tell you what’s on the menu today as they make their pizza or smoothie.
- Talk, listen and use new words as they play.
2. Encourages creativity and imagination
Pretend play helps children build confidence and a sense of identity. It uses multiple senses and supports a variety of learning styles. Children can use materials in creative ways.
Examples:
- Use a paper plate to make a pizza.
- Cut construction paper to make pizza toppings.
- Choose pompoms as their fruit in their smoothie.
- Slice yellow sponges to look like fresh pineapple rings.
3. Strengthens fine motor skills
Crafting and handling small items help children develop hand and finger strength. This improves the coordination they need for writing and other tasks. Children can use their hands to:
- Pick up toppings for pizza and place on crust.
- Choose pompoms as fruit to go in the blender for the smoothie.
- Sort pizza toppings or pompoms by colour.
- Use scissors to cut up yarn for cheese on the pizza.
4. Builds social and emotional skills
Working with others in a play kitchen or restaurant builds self-regulation skills. It is a safe way to learn how to control their actions, feelings and impulses. Practising these core skills can help them in school and daily life.
Encourage children to:
- Take turns while using utensils or serving food.
- Wait for their turn to be the chef or customer.
- Follow rules of the pretend game, like “no jumping in line” or “the stove is hot”.
- Adjust behaviour when others want to change the game or make a different choice.
5. Sparks an interest in food
Pretend food crafts let children explore foods in a fun, low-pressure way. Children can pretend they are cooking as they use the activities. They can practice skills like spreading, scooping, serving or tasting. This can increase their confidence and interest in trying real food later. It may even get them cooking in the kitchen.
The registered dietitians at Teach Nutrition hope you enjoy these ideas to help make play enjoyable and meaningful. We hope you try them whether you’re setting up a play kitchen, planning an indoor food activity, or looking for a creative craft. These hands-on activities give children a sense of pride in what they create.
If you haven’t done so already, consider downloading the two pretend play kits. The Pretend Play Smoothie Kit and the Pretend Play Pizza Kit have simple craft ideas, printable sheets and inspiration!
References
Stagnitti, K., & Lewis, F. (2015). Quality of preschool children’s pretend play and subsequent development of semantic organization and narrative re-telling skills. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 33(5), 576–588.
🔗https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25158605/
Prince Edward Island Department of Education and Lifelong Learning. (2024). English language arts curriculum (Grades 1 to 3). Government of Prince Edward Island.
New Brunswick curriculum framework, Primary Block: Explore Your World. Accessed in 2025.