Kid Dinner: Cooking Toys and Easy Dinner Recipes for Kids

Dinner is a time when everyone gathers around a table of delicious food, discussing their day, and arguing over who gets the last piece of Mom's homemade lasagna. 

But “kid dinner” is an experience. Everyone remembers and embraces kid dinner with its fun and silliness. 

Keep reading for the best cooking toys and “kid dinner” recipes to make the most of it!

If you've seen the “girl dinner” trend on TikTok, then get ready to experience something better: kid dinner. 

Kid dinner is fun. Kid dinner is messy and filled with joy. Sing it with us…"Kid dinner, kid dinner, kid dinner, KID, KID DINNER!" 

We aren't afraid of fun, messy, OR joy, and you shouldn't be, either. Celebrate kid dinner with modern cooking toys and easy recipes anyone can make and enjoy!

Pretend cooking is still as valuable as helping out in the kitchen! Pretend play is the dress rehearsal for real life, so even though the treats they make might be imaginary, their learning and engagement is very real. 

Roleplaying and recreating actions kids see adults doing, they have a launchpad to new scenarios. One day they're cooking like Mom and Dad. The next day, they're creating muffins for aliens on a school field trip to Earth. 

When they're counting ingredients? Blossoming math skills. When they're taking orders from their new alien pals? Social skills! 

Hearthsong's cooking toys for pretend play creates room for every imaginable scenario. Why? We've perfected the art of imagination.

Take our top-selling Wooden Mud Kitchen Sensory Play Station with Metal Accessories. Perfect for sensory sand kits, “stone soup” and so much more, kids can enjoy an afternoon of endless play-tential. 

Do your littlest ones have dreams of owning their own food truck? The Orders Up Wooden Food Truck Kitchen with 12-Piece Wooden Culinary Play Set gives kids an outlet to build their business skills.

Tender Leaf Toys revamps breakfast with their Breakfast Toaster Set, complete with play bread, butter, avocado slices, and an adorable toaster. 

No matter what you choose, there's something for every child to enjoy! 

For kids ready to step up to the plate (literally), we carry toys that can be used for both pretend play and actual help in the kitchen! 

Handstand Kitchen has a range of kid-sized cooking toys that are durable and safe enough for kids to use in the kitchen. From cooking to baking, there are many ways for kids to help their favorite adults in the kitchen. 

The Spring Fling line of baking products lets kids create fun, spring-themed baked goods. Staples like the Junior Baker Baking Set or Classic Kids Baking Set let kids begin their baking journey with the sweetest treats. 

Ready to make a REAL kid dinner together? All of these choices will make it possible! 

Our selection of kids' kitchen outfits are great for pretend play cooking or real cooking. Matching kid and adult apron sets from Handstand Kitchen make helping out in the kitchen a group effort. 

Choose from several fun designs, like stripes or rainbows and unicorns. Grab the deluxe sets for a matching oven mitt and chef's hat!

Looking for kid-friendly “kid dinner” recipes? These picks are fun and easy for ANYONE to make! They're even more fun when you make them together. 

Looking for a prehistoric dinner they'll always remember? Why not design a Jurassic Mashed Potato Mountain? Yes, you read that correctly. Take dino nuggets to the next level! 

You'll need:

• Dinosaur Nuggets
• Mashed Potatoes (instant or homemade)
• Gravy

Instructions: 

Cook dinosaur nuggets until they are perfectly crispy (or however YOU like them!). Most frozen dinosaur nuggets need to cook for at least 8 minutes in the oven. Add or subtract time as needed for your oven. 

Scoop your finished mashed potatoes onto a plate. Shape one scoop of mashed potatoes into a volcano and pour gravy inside for “lava”. Place a dino nugget or two on top of the volcano, ready to conquer kid dinner! 

(Psst…to include something healthy, have cooked broccoli as “trees” on top of your mashed potato mountain.)

Note: If your kids hate mashed potatos, swap for macaroni and cheese, rice, or another side perfect to design a volcano or mountain. 

That's right. Cereal. For dinner.

You'll need: 

• Cereal of choice
• Milk (if desired)

Instructions:

Grab a bowl. Put cereal of choice in bowl with milk. Bam. Kid dinner. 

Regular PB&J sandwiches are the perfect example of kid dinner. But what if they were in fun shapes? ULTIMATE kid dinner!

You'll need:

• Bread of choice
• Peanut butter
• Jelly
• Cookie cutters

Instructions: 

Assemble PB&J with desired peanut butter/jelly ratio. Grab cookie cutters in fun shapes and place in the middle of assembled sandwich. Remove sides and enjoy!

Wanna be a fancy-pants? The char-CUTE-rie board is a way for your littlest ones to enjoy a 5 star experience at home. Best of all, they're customizable to what your family loves and wants for kid dinner! 

You'll need:

• Cubed cheese
• Sliced meats (small squares of turkey, ham, pepperoni, etc.)
• Fruit slices (apples, oranges, strawberries)
• Kid-friendly veggies (carrots, celery sticks, etc.)
• Olives
• Crackers
• Dips (think jellies, jams, cream cheese, dressings, or something else!)
• Marshmallows
• Trail mix 

Buy a fun-shaped charcuterie board to really make it a kid dinner to remember! 

Instructions:

There really aren't any rules to a charcuterie (or charCUTErie) board. Assemble as you desire by mixing and matching different snack foods together. For a fun dessert, you can make a board with fun snacks like marshmallows, chocolate chips, dipping chocolate, frosted animal crackers, and so much more. 

Place ingredients directly on the board or in small, assorted bowls.  

You can also make a board with strictly fruit, vegetables, or purely your kids' favorite snack foods. Involve them in the process by guiding the assembly of their board. Have them pick their ingredients and how they are presented on the board. The possibilities are endless! 

Have a kid dinner worthy of social media? Have a cooking outfit that needs to be shared with the world? Share it with us by tagging @hearthsong_toys and keep an eye out for more kitchen and cooking toys on our site.