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Don’t play with your food! Every time I overhear an adult say this to a child, I roll my eyes so far back in my head I wonder if I might be doing permanent damage to my optic nerve. I’m not saying I want my kids to throw mashed potatoes across the room, but as long as it’s reasonably contained, there’s no harm in having some fun with what’s on the plate, even if it means a little bit less makes it into their mouths. In fact, it can actually be good for kids to play with their food.
At the very least, if kids get creative with what you’ve cooked, they’re experiencing a variety of textures with their hands. And if you’ve ever tried to make a mountain of peas, you know it’s a real balancing act that requires some fine motor skills too. There’s even scientific evidence that suggests that kids engaging with what they’re eating can help with language development. In a 2013 study, researchers found that toddlers who were allowed to play with their food while seated in high chairs were better able to assign names to different “nonsolid substances.”
So yes, I’m a firm believer that food should be fun, no matter your age—which is why I got so excited about the Lego-like Building Bricks Waffle Maker. The product hit the market after the founders of Waffle Wow! hit their funding goal of $7,500 in just one day on Kickstarter. (The campaign ultimately raised more than $265,000.)
I ordered one on Amazon “for my kids,” but kept my expectations low since gimmicky devices don’t always work as promised. I’m happy to report that the Building Bricks Waffle Maker did not disappoint. Well, once I figured out exactly how much batter to use, that is. I’m a lifelong Eggo gal, and my experience with waffle makers had been limited to the flippable kind often found at hotel breakfast buffets, so I had to make a few rounds to get each pour just right. But once I had the right batter-to-brick-shaped-recess ratio, I was able to make perfectly stackable waffle blocks. (Each batch makes 14 bricks in three different configurations: 1x1, 1x2, and 1x4.)
Shape-specific waffle makers are nothing new. You can make heart-shaped waffles, Spider-Man logo waffles, and waffles that look like the Millenium Falcon. And Waffle Wow! has expanded its offerings to include dinosaurs, animal friends, automobiles, unicorns, and more. They’re all fun to look at, and probably fun to play with too, but you can’t build things with them like you can with Lego-inspired waffles. Legos are beloved because the possibilities are endless, and the same can be said for building bricks waffles—especially if you get creative with toppings. Whipped cream becomes snow on a roof, peanut butter is a useful mortar, and mixed berries can be lights on an emergency vehicle. That’s all I’ve got for now, but you get the drift.
Really, the only problem with this thing is making bricks faster than the kids can eat them. Because even when they’re playing with their food, kids love to eat waffles.
