Manufacturer Name:
Little Tikes
Product Name:
Customer Quote: Great pretend play toy. I like that pretend hamburger, hotdog and ketchup are included. The pretend food is realistic and easily recognizable. -- Teacher, Salem, VA
Product Images:
Communicative Description
The easily recognizable foods include a hotdog, hotdog bun, hamburger, hamburger bun and ketchup.
The set is small and can accommodate two children playing together.
Skills
Object recognition and identification is used as children label the pretend foods.
Children can practice social skills as they cook for and serve each other foods.
Because the set is small, children can practice turn taking and patience during play.
Play Ideas
Children can create invitations using crayons and paper to invite family members and friends to a cookout.
Add empty mustard bottles and salt/pepper shakers to give additional pretend opportunities.
Let the children help create a grocery list for a real cookout.
Have children take orders by verbally asking each person what he would like to eat. Written communication can be increased by having children write down or draw what each person orders.
Adaptation Ideas
Lessen the number of items given to a child if he is overwhelmed by all accessories (there are eight accessories in all).
Cognitive Description
The Get Out ‘n Grill set comes with a freestanding grill, grilling utensils and pretend foods.
This toy is inviting for children of a variety of ages as the manner of play is familiar.
This set has eight accessory pieces. This minimal number helps children play without becoming overwhelmed by too many choices.
The grill is basic in design and easily understandable.
Skills
Children practice imagination skills when pretending to have a cookout.
Action concepts of in/out and on/off are learned as children place food in the cabinet, turn the grill knobs and push the on/off button.
When playing with the grill set, children have the opportunity to practice imitating actions (using a grill) they have seen their parents and caregivers do.
Cause and effect relationships are explored when children turn the knobs and hear ratcheting sounds.
Sequencing steps can be encouraged as children execute the steps in sequential order to take an order, cook the food and serve it.
Memory and recall skills can be enhanced as children play by remembering such things as when someone orders a hamburger, recalling what a hamburger looks like, remembering who ordered it, and serving it to the right person when it is done.
Counting skills can be a part of play when children count the number of children attending their cookout and count the number of pieces of play food to give to their guests.
Play Ideas
Let children host a “cookout” for their friends at the same time their parents are hosting a real cookout.
Let the children cut out squares of yellow, green and red construction paper to use as cheese, lettuce and tomatoes on the pretend hamburgers.
Adaptation Ideas
Lessen the number of items given to a child if he is overwhelmed by all accessories (there are eight accessories in all).
Sensory Description
The set is visually appealing to children and encourages tactile exploration.
The dark color of the sticker grill top highly contrasts the light gray of the unit. This helps children visually identify the grill space.
The accessories are all very different in shape enabling children to easily recognize them by feel.
Skills
Visual acuity and eye-hand coordination is used as children use the tongs to pick up foods and the spatula to flip foods on the grill.
Play Ideas
Have a real cookout and let the children explore the variety of different textured foods traditionally found at cookouts (hamburger, hotdog, baked beans, chips, watermelon, etc)
Add a small amount of water in the sink to allow children to wash the accessories and increase tactile stimulation.
Adaptation Ideas
Add a variety of textured pretend foods (salt/pepper shakers, tomato, lettuce, cheese, mustard, etc.) to increase the tactile experience.
Physical Description
There are three knobs on the grill that click when turned, a pretend on/off button to push, and a lid and doors to open and close.
The grill is a good height for young children to stand and cook.
A child who is in a wheelchair can access the cook top of the grill.
Children can reach all areas of the grill when standing in a stationary position.
Skills
Grasping, reaching and wrist rotation is practiced a children use the utensils to grab, pick up, and flip the foods.
Children practice balance and weight shifting as they stand in front of the grill and reach for the different objects, knobs and utensils.
Fine motor skills are used as children grab, hold and place the individual food items on the grill and serve the food to their guests.
Bilateral coordination can be encouraged as children steady the burger with one hand and pretend to squirt ketchup on it with the other.
Core strength is increased as children squat down to open the cabinets on the bottom and reach up to place the food on the grill.
Play Ideas
Place all the food in the bottom of the grill cabinet to encourage children to squat down to retrieve them.
Adaptation Ideas
Add non stick surfacing to the bottom of the grill to reduce it from sliding around when leaned against.
Fill tube socks full of dried beans and place them in the grill cabinet to help weigh down the grill and reduce the likelihood of it falling over when leaned on.
Encourage a child who has a weaker side to stabilize their body with the strong hand and use the tongs with the weak hand to help increase strength in grasp and movement.
Use the grill top separate from the grill base unit. The grill top can fit nicely on a tabletop where the lip of the grill top (that contains the knobs) naturally hangs over the edge of the table. This can bring play to an optimum height for some children who require different positioning during play.
Add a small amount of Velcro on the accessories and on the grill top to help maintain their position during play.
DESCRIPTION: Approx. Price: $39.99Box Age Range: 3+ yrs# of Pieces: 6-10Washability: Surface WipeStorability: Directions: None Play Locations: Indoor and Outdoor Adjustability: Levels of Play: One LevelBatteries: None needed
Features and Benefits
Durable Visually Stimulating Wide Age Range Open-ended Can Be Used Independently or w/Others High Quality Connects/Assembles Securely Realistic Easy to Grasp/Hold Familiar Objects/Pictures Different Shapes and/or Colors Easy to Clean Easy to Store Simple Fosters Imagination/Promotes Creativity
Developmental processes promoted
Visual Attention Visual Processing Language Development Cause and Effect Action Concepts e.g. In/Out, Push/Pull, On/Off, Go/Stop Fine Motor Hand and Finger Grasp Eye-Hand Coordination Reaching/Arm Extension Functional Finger Movement and Exploration Social Interaction Imagination/Pretend Play Finger and Hand Control and Dexterity Two-Handed Play – Midline Focus and Transferring Wrist Rotation Gross Motor Motor Planning Visual Discrimination Sequential Thought Cooperative Hand Movements Counting/Beginning Math Visual Acuity Object Recognition and Identification Bilateral Coordination
