Our Restaurant

Unlike electronic toys which usually come with instruction manual, open ended toys allow the child to interpret his play and defines his parameters and rules of the game.

Our toy kitchen is the most well-used toy we have bought to date. With the basic set, we can add on new utensil and food. We can even use other toys as ingredients eg. using alphabet magnets to boil alphabet soup.

We use the kitchen set to play restaurant. I'm usually the customer while the children run the restaurant. They have to discuss and prepare the menu including the price list. Thereafter, they will set up the table and usher me to the seat. I will pretend not to understand the menu and request the "waiter" to explain the dishes in details. I will also make special requests like "please add more vegetables" to "complicate" the game. The waiter will have to pass my order to the chef, who is usually the sister. She will prepare the dishes and serve it to my table. (I know, it should be served by the waiter, but it's ok)

After eating, I'll need to pay at the cashier. I'll ask for the bill and purposely give big notes for the cashier to calculate the change. Sometimes, I give them tips for good service.

As an extension from the restaurant game, the children develop "package deals" like hotel stay, air tickets or foot reflexology. They draw vouchers for me to redeem ancillary services which are irresistible!