How to Make Pretend Food

Pretend Food Assortment

Does your child enjoy playing with pretend food? You don't have to buy expensive play items. Making your own pretend food develops your child's creativity and self expression. Many of these pretend food projects can be made using traditional household items. The following steps will show you a few simple pretend food ideas.

Things You'll Need

• For sushi: scissors, rubber bands, thin sponges or felt material, serving plate For candy pieces: scissors, cotton balls or other items to be wrapped, colored cellophane, candy bowl For ice cream cones: construction paper, tape, scissors, zigzag craft scissors, thin sponge, variety of colored tissue paper.

Instructions

How to Make Pretend Food

1. 

   For pretend sushi rolls, cut thin sponges into 3-by-5-inch pieces. Moisten sponges and thoroughly wring out. This will allow more flexibility for rolling.

2. 

   Roll up the moistened sponges and fasten them in the center with a rubber band. If you are using felt material, roll two to three 3-by-5-inch pieces together. Fasten them in the center with a rubber band. Organize sushi rolls on a serving plate.

3. To make pretend candy pieces, cut colored cellophane into several 3-by-3-inch squares. Set two cotton balls or other small items in the center of each square.

4. 

   Roll the cotton balls into the cellophane square. Twist each end tightly to secure the cotton balls inside of the cellophane square. Place the pretend candy pieces in a candy bowl.

5. 

   For pretend ice cream cones, roll a piece of yellow construction paper into a cone shape. Tape along the edge to secure it in place.

6. 

   Cut the top of the cone down to your desired height. Ball up a sheet of colored tissue paper and place it inside the cone. Continue to add balled sheets of tissue paper until the cone is full.

7. Use zigzag craft scissors to cut a sponge into small rectangles. These rectangles will be used as wafers. Place a wafer on the inside of the cone between the cone and the tissue paper.

Tips & Warnings

• On the ice cream cones, a small ball of red tissue paper can be used as a decorative cherry.

• Always supervise children when using scissors.