Gift Guide for the Little Cafe Owner

Imagine this: your little one stepping behind a charming rattan stand, taking orders, serving “coffees”, arranging cookies, ringing a bell, and chatting away in their very own make-believe café. With the right pieces from Playtisserie, they’re doing more than just playing, they’re practising skills, building confidence, and discovering the joy of independent, imaginative play.

At Playtisserie we believe that play is learning. Their handcrafted felt and natural-rattan pieces aren’t just cute, they’re intentional, open-ended learning tools. 
Here are six beautiful pieces that make the perfect gift for the budding café owner.

Picture a little basket filled with felt loaves, buns, croissants, all ready for display at the counter.

• Made from natural rattan, this basket brings texture, warmth and a sense of authenticity to the pretend play café.

• The assorted felt breads (hand-made by skilled artisans) invite sorting, counting, arranging and storytelling: “May I have a croissant please?”

• Because the materials are natural and tactile (rattan + felt wool) each piece invites sensory exploration, not just visual.

• In a café play scenario a child learns how customers might choose, how a display might look inviting, how to set up & manage stock.

What café is complete without cookies in a jar?

• This cookie jar, crafted in rattan, introduces the idea of packaging, presentation and ‘special items’ on the counter.

• The child can practise vocabulary and learn about order of service and treat one pretend customer at a time.

• Natural materials and realistic design mean it looks and feels like something in a grown-up café, giving real-life relevance to the play.

Elevate those specials! A cake stand brings a flair of café display.

• By placing felt cakes (see below) on the stand, the child practices menu planning (“Today’s special: carrot cake slice”), visual merchandising (“let’s display the cakes here so customers see them”), and creativity.

• The rattan texture adds a natural, warm touch, supporting Playtisserie’s commitment to natural materials and mindful design: Each piece is handmade from sustainable materials.  

• Use it to teach simple mathematics: count slices, serve half then whole, share with friend.

Who doesn't love a babycino! It's a cafe staple for children, particularly in Australia. 

• These felt cups inspire role-play of barista work: “Would you like one babycino with foam please?”

• Helps with fine motor skills as children serve the cups, stack them, carry them to a customer (real or stuffed). Playtisserie points out that felt play builds fine motor skills and language development. 

• Being hand-crafted from natural merino wool and non-toxic dyes means safe, high-quality materials, important for thoughtful gift-giving. 

What café doesn’t have cake? At Playtisserie, we have an incredible selection of cakes which can be purchased on their own, or as part of a Build Your Own bundle which comes packaged in an adorable Playtisserie Cake Box, ready for gifting. 

• The felt cakes invite slicing, serving, chatting: “Would you like a slice of lemon sponge or carrot cake?”

• Playing café with these pieces supports language (“slice”, “flavour”, “please”, “thank you”), social-skills (taking turns, being customer/barista) and literacy (reading or dictating the “menu”).

• Each piece is handcrafted from 100% natural merino wool, using needle and wet felting, by artisans in Nepal with non-toxic dyes. 

This combined piece gives the café owner more “counter real estate”.

• A two-in-one display: cakes on one tier, cookies in the jar. Encourages the child to think about layout, what to show first, how to tempt customers, how to rotate items.

• Natural rattan is a timeless material, feels cohesive, warm, inviting. 

• A lovely option for siblings or friends to play together: one handles the cake stand, the other the cookie jar, promoting turn-taking, collaboration, sharing.

Beyond just pretty pieces, this gift guide supports some educational and developmental goals:

• Imaginative & Role Play – By giving a “real-life” café framework, the child steps into adult roles (barista, customer, shop-keeper) which builds confidence and social-emotional skills.

• Language & Communication – Phrases like “Can I help you?”, “Here’s your babycino”, “That’s a slice of cake” all build vocabulary and conversational skills. As Playtisserie says, felt and rattan toys help with language development. 

• Fine Motor Skills and Coordination – Handling small felt items, placing them on stands, organising baskets, opening/closing jars—all these support coordination and dexterity.

• Cognitive Skills – Sorting breads, deciding which item is displayed, counting customers, deciding price (pretend), these integrate maths thinking, order, sequencing.

• Sustainability & Material Awareness – Natural materials like rattan and merino wool teach children about texture, material origin, craftsmanship. The story behind these items (hand-made by artisans in Nepal/Vietnam/Indonesia) gives a real world connection. 

• Open-ended Play – These toys don’t dictate one “correct” way to play—they invite creativity. As per Playtisserie: “By bringing Montessori-inspired play into your home, you can nurture independence, confidence and curiosity using safe, natural, tactile materials.” 

• Choose a low table or corner shelf for the “shop stand” so it’s child-accessible.

• Rotate items: one week breads + cakes, next week babycino + cookie jar. This keeps novelty high.

• Label your “menu” (hand-written chalkboard, cardboard sign) so the café sense is real.

• Mix real life + pretend: maybe you have a real small jug of water for pouring “coffee” alongside the felt cups.

• Encourage the child to tidy and restock at the end of play, teaching responsibility and care for their materials.

• Use story prompts: “A customer comes in and wants something sweet” or “It’s morning rush hour, what will you serve first? 

Gift-giving for the little café owner doesn’t have to be about lights-and-buttons toys. With the right pieces, you’re setting up a space where play matters. A space where your child is not only delighting in pretend but learning communication, creativity, coordination and sustainability.

Happy gifting, and may the little café be open for business! ☕🥐