Make: An Easy DIY No-Sew Play Sushi Set

After two weeks of spring, we’re back to snow, and frankly, everyone around here has been a little bummed about it. I had already moved on to outside play in my head, but with the temperatures hovering around 20, an hour-long nature walk just wasn’t in the cards. When in doubt (and indoors!) I always turn to creative dramatic play prompts, and restaurant themes are always one of our favorites.

Another favorite thing ‘o mine is finding ways to incorporate learning about new cultures, foods, and languages into the mix – with this no-sew sushi set I was able to do all three! Combined with our cardboard French market food set or paper-mâché food-on-a-stick, we’re well on our way to a round-the-world tour.

To make your own DIY no-sew play sushi set you’ll need:

Note: We prefer to shop locally or use what we have at home, but this list contains Woodpeckers Crafts, Etsy, Blick Art Materials, and/or Amazon affiliate links for reference. As Amazon Associates, we make a small commission on qualifying purchases.*

If you want to make a serving tray exactly like ours, start by painting the legs (if you’re staining the wood do that now as well – we did not) let dry for about an hour, then glue each square rod onto the wood board 2″ from the sides. Flip over and boom – you have a lovely little tray for serving your play sushi and nigiri!

Having grown up playing “restaurant” with my sister, I have vivid memories of both of us obsessing over those little guest order check pads (remember those??) – we got a set at Christmas one year and you would have thought there was a puppy in the box! So just for fun, I threw together a little play sushi menu printable set you can customize, print, and use along with your own sushi set!

Green tip: pick up a package of self-laminating sheets (like these) and you’ll only ever have to print out 1 or 2 sheets (plus, the kids I made these for all agreed that laminated menus are WAY more professional). 🙂

Make Edible Sushi Snacks with Kids

For those who really want to go ALL in on this and make a day of it, why not try making some actual sushi? We have run across some super-fun non-traditional recipes for the pickier-eaters and some more traditional, simplified versions for budding foodies and young sushi chefs.

For a BIG collection of more kitchen play activities, our favorite kids’ kitchen tools, and printable safety rule templates visit our hands-on kitchen learning list!

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*A note about affiliate links: We strive to use simple, earth-friendly supplies that can be purchased locally whenever we can, but sometimes we find the best universally available options, a rare eco-friendly find, or a niche product only available on Blick Art Materials, Amazon, Etsy, or Woodpeckers Crafts. When included in our supply list, these products are affiliate links, and if you click through to make a purchase we receive a small commission that helps us re-order these supplies!

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