Early Learning Centre Cut and Play Veg set (ELC Cut and Play Veg Set)

Member Name: Hope

Product:	ELC Cut and Play Veg Set
Date:	31/07/00 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun, good for manual dexterity

Disadvantages: Could encourage too much interest in knives

This is a very good play set, with an unusual bonus in that the plastic vegetables can be cut in half. It therefore offers opportunities to improve manual dexterity as well as imaginative play.

Contained in a plastic shopping bag, the set consists of 10 large colourful vegetables, a chopping board and a strong plastic knife. Each vegetable is made up of two halves which are stuck together with velcro pads so that the child can cut them in half with his knife, just like Mummy, Daddy or Delia Smith. The sound made by the velcro "ripping" apart is an additional attraction! Early Learning Centre also produce another set made up of fruit rather than vegetables and both are priced at £8. This is little more than many food sets but I think these have particularly good play value and will last for as long as the child wishes to play with them (providing none of the halves get lost!)

Of course children must learn that it is dangerous to play with real knives and some people may feel that this set is unsuitable for that reason. With careful supervision and explanation, however, it could even be useful in reinforcing the message.

Summary: