Meals
Ingredients
Dinners
Tips & Techniques
See All Recipes
Shows
TV Schedule See TV Schedule
Shows
Pitmasters
The Great Food Truck Race
Kitchen Undercover
Restaurant Impossible: Last Call
Guy's Grocery Games
Beat Bobby Flay
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Chefs
Chefs & Hosts
Kardea Brown
Ree Drummond
Ina Garten
Sunny Anderson
Bobby Flay
Jet Tila
Guy Fieri
Molly Yeh
Molly Yeh
See All Chefs
Food News
The Latest
Wingstop Has an Amazing Deal for Football Season — But It's Bound To Sell Out Fast
A Frozen Berry Recall Has Expanded to Walmart Stores in 16 States
I Tried the O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger, and It's a Cheese Lover's Dream
I Tried Everything in the Jell-O x Tower 28 Collection
The Newest Girl Scout Cookie Is Gluten-Free and Allergy-Friendly
Shop
What's New
I Tried FarmSteady's DIY Cooking Kits, and They Made Homemade Food Easier Than Ever
The Best Soup Mugs with Handles to Make Mealtime Cozy
Add Fall Flair to Your Kitchen With These Seasonal Finds
I Tried a New Dot Cake-Inspired Chocolate Bar
Fall's Best Breakfast Is an Organic Pumpkin Spice Bagel
Sweepstakes
Enter for Your Chance to Win $5,000!
About
The new Food Network Test Kitchen in NYC, May 8, 2024.
About the Food Network Kitchen
Healthy Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken with Broccoli
Our Healthy Eating Standards
Meet Our Product Testing Experts
Next Up

How to Make Play Food for Kids

July 15, 2020
By: Caylin Harris

Creative ways to start "cooking" with the little ones.

One of the best ways to foster kids’ love of cooking is to give them play food for imaginary cooking. This easy activity uses little leftover bits of craft materials and a little imagination to transform a cardboard egg carton otherwise bound for your recycling bin into playful faux food. Not only does making toys save money, it stimulates little imaginations — so start “baking” cookies and cakes and “churning” ice cream.
Scroll For More Photos
1 / 13

Play With Your Food!

One of the best ways to foster kids’ love of cooking is to give them play food for imaginary cooking. This easy activity uses little leftover bits of craft materials and a little imagination to transform a cardboard egg carton otherwise bound for your recycling bin into playful faux food. Not only does making toys save money, it stimulates little imaginations — so start “baking” cookies and cakes and “churning” ice cream.

More photos after this Ad

Egg carton Paint Paintbrushes Large pom-poms Small pom-pom Felt Hot glue Scissors Toothpick Tissue paper Washi tape Cardboard Aluminum foil
2 / 13

What You’ll Need

  • Egg carton
  • Paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Large pom-poms
  • Small pom-pom
  • Felt
  • Hot glue
  • Scissors
  • Toothpick
  • Tissue paper
  • Washi tape
  • Cardboard
  • Aluminum foil

More photos after this Ad

Start by cutting down the egg cup part of the carton down, so you’re left with only the circular domed tops.
3 / 13

Step One for Cookies: Cut the Carton Domes

Start by cutting down the egg cup part of the carton down, so you’re left with only the circular domed tops.

More photos after this Ad

Paint a light tan or whatever color you want for the dough base of your cookie. Set aside to dry completely.
4 / 13

Step Two for Cookies: Paint on the Dough

Paint a light tan or whatever color you want for the dough base of your cookie. Set aside to dry completely.

More photos after this Ad

Add the chips with a darker shade of brown paint (or let kids color on rainbow sprinkles).
5 / 13

Step Three for Cookies: Add the Chips and Decorations

Add the chips with a darker shade of brown paint (or let kids color on rainbow sprinkles).

More photos after this Ad

To make the cookie sheet cut a piece of cardboard and cover with aluminum foil, sealing the seams in the back with some hot glue.
6 / 13

Step Four for Cookies: Make a Baking Sheet

To make the cookie sheet cut a piece of cardboard and cover with aluminum foil, sealing the seams in the back with some hot glue.

More photos after this Ad

Cut the center piece (the separating cardboard section between eggs) out of the carton.
7 / 13

Step One for Ice Cream: Prep the Carton "Cone"

Cut the center piece (the separating cardboard section between eggs) out of the carton.

More photos after this Ad

Paint it a light tan and let it dry completely. With a thinner brush, paint lines going diagonally across the cone surface. Paint crisscrossing lines to form the waffle cone patterns.
8 / 13

Step Two for Ice Cream: Paint the Cone

Paint it a light tan and let it dry completely. With a thinner brush, paint lines going diagonally across the cone surface. Paint crisscrossing lines to form the waffle cone patterns.

More photos after this Ad

Take a large pom-pom and glue ice cream colored felt around it to create a scoop of ice cream. Repeat with different colors — simulating favorite flavors — until you have enough “scoops” to fill the cone.
9 / 13

Step Three for Ice Cream: Make the Scoops

Take a large pom-pom and glue ice cream colored felt around it to create a scoop of ice cream. Repeat with different colors — simulating favorite flavors — until you have enough “scoops” to fill the cone.

More photos after this Ad

Tuck the scoops into the cone and top with a red pom-pom to be the cherry on top.
10 / 13

Step Four for Ice Cream: Fill the Cones

Tuck the scoops into the cone and top with a red pom-pom to be the cherry on top.

More photos after this Ad

Cut one egg cup out of the carton. Flip upside down and paint it white (or any frosting color you’d like). Let it dry completely. In a complementary paint color, decorate with paint. Let it dry completely.
11 / 13

Step One for Mini Cakes: “Frost” the Cake

Cut one egg cup out of the carton. Flip upside down and paint it white (or any frosting color you’d like). Let it dry completely. In a complementary paint color, decorate with paint. Let it dry completely.

More photos after this Ad

Use a small piece of yellow and red tissue paper and glue to the top of a toothpick or wooden skewer. Wind washi tape around the bottom of the tissue paper and then around the rest of the stick to create your candle.
12 / 13

Step Two for Mini Cakes: Make a Birthday “Candle”

Use a small piece of yellow and red tissue paper and glue to the top of a toothpick or wooden skewer. Wind washi tape around the bottom of the tissue paper and then around the rest of the stick to create your candle.

More photos after this Ad

Punch the skewer into the top of your egg carton cake to make a candle-topped cake.
13 / 13

Step Three for Mini Cakes: Top the Cake

Punch the skewer into the top of your egg carton cake to make a candle-topped cake.

Next Up

How to Make a Play Village from Food Cartons 8 Photos

Nutritionist-Approved Kids' Snacks  15 Photos

How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders 7 Photos

How to Make a Dessert Taco 10 Photos

15 New Ways to Use Ice Cream Cones 16 Photos

Everything You Need to Know About Packing a Lunch for Camp 11 Photos

5 Insanely Easy Desserts You Can Make with Brownie Mix 5 Photos

10 Ways to Reinvent Chicken Drumsticks 11 Photos

Rainbow Hard Candy Lollipops 10 Photos

We Recommend

50 Quick Snack Recipes 50 Photos

5 Fun Family Breakfast Ideas 5 Photos

39 Fun Halloween Recipes for Kids of All Ages 39 Photos

Fun Family-Style Fare 20 Photos

34 Kid-Friendly Breakfasts That Make Mornings a Breeze 34 Photos

10 Kids’ Foods That Sound Healthy But Aren’t 10 Photos

Related Pages