Guidecraft sent us their 6 Sorting Food Trays. When I first looked at the quality of these puzzles I had many ideas running through my head on how they could be used in a classroom setting.
Just looking at the various trays you can teach children what a balanced meal looks like. Each tray is a complete meal with all the food groups incorporated into each “meal”. As I teach my children about nutrition they can see what a breakfast “should” look like or what is in a full supper.
As I teach my child about different cultures, we can also take this opportunity to show what different cultures eat. This is a great opportunity to show my child what other people around the world eat. The biggest hit in our home is the Japanese tray (Maybe because it is similar to the bento style Lovable Lunches they eat regularly). This tray shows all the details about a Japanese meal, right down to the chop sticks and of course there is the added bonus of the imaginary play. The child gets to sort the food into the trays own special spot. The food is held in place as they get to serve each other. They learn about place setting and when they go to the table, they get to practice table manners. My 6 year old loves tracing the food onto paper and then coloring the foods, there are so many open ended activities you can do with these great materials.
This is a great set that can be appreciated on so many levels. The children in our home love this learning tool and I can see these sets being used for years to come.
BUY IT: You can purchase the Sorting Food Trays for $20 – $22 each from Guidecraft.