Many kids love being little chefs, but sometimes the toy food they want to play with doesn’t have an animal-friendly option. You can help your little vegan kids play lovingly by putting a fun, creative spin on toys they already have!
domestic animals are sensitive people who love to have fun, explore new areas and spend time with their friends and family. On factory farms, however, they are often confined to small areas, beaten by humans, and injured by other agitated animals. In the end, they were slaughtered.
It is important for us to teach our children that animals are not here because the we — they’re here with we! And that starts by showing them that we should keep meat and other foods of animal origin off our plates. Unfortunately, many companies make fake food and related toys — think ice cream carts, kitchen sets, etc. — that include avatars or replicas of items of animal origin and that can be confusing for your child.
While it may be easiest to just use the terms “vegan milk” and “vegan cheese” when playing pretend with toy treats, you can get creative too! Some parents have shared with us how they organize their children’s toys. Stickers custom-ordered by a family that look like some of their favorite vegan products — like Miyoko’s Creamery Vegan butter and Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese. This makes it incredibly easy for them to cover up the animal-based foods painted on their kid’s kitchen.
Another family changed the wording of their kid’s toy truck menu. Instead of pretending to serve animal meat, they used vegan options! The wicked BBQ restaurant has turned into a vegan BBQ paradise offering dishes like seitan ribs and vegan sausage. And vegan ice cream? Nothing. They just changed the wording so that everyone their little one is serving knows that this food truck is an animal’s favorite stop—not their worst fear.
Have you organized a play for your child? We’d love to hear about it! Email us at [email protected].
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Your little vegan chef may be missing one important item — an apron! Order for their own kids “Friends, Not Food” apron at PETA Shop.
