This This Play-Doh Ice Cream Truck Is my Son's Favorite Toy — And the Perfect Holiday Gift for Kids

It’s a must-have for toddlers and preschoolers!

December 13, 2023

By: Amanda Mushro

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If you have a toddler or a preschooler to shop for this holiday, let me introduce you to a toy that will be an absolute hit! As a mom of three, I’ve had a lot of toys come into our home that don’t get played with or my kids lose interest in the toy quickly. However, after a year of daily play (yes, daily) my four-year-old still loves this toy, and I do too! So, what is this guaranteed wow gift? It’s the Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Ultimate Ice Cream Truck.

You’ve probably made a Play-Doh ice cream sundae before, but with the Play-Doh Ultimate Ice Cream Truck, whipping up pretend creations is so much more fun. This playset looks like an ice cream truck and it’s perfectly sized for kids to step behind the counter to take orders and start making Play-Doh pretend treats. It’s bright and colorful, and has places to store all of the tools when kids aren’t playing with the ice cream truck as well as places to present their finished creations. The cherry on top? It plays music and sounds — super cute!

The ice cream truck has plenty of space so that more than one child can play with the toy at the same time. It’s a great toy for imaginary play and keeps my son entertained, whether he’s playing by himself, with a friend, or if we are playing together.

Here’s the scoop on the ice cream truck:

Kids can make Play-Doh pretend treats with the soft serve machine, scooping station, sprinkle maker and molds, and ring up customers at the register.
It measures 37 inches, so it feels like a life-size ice cream truck for little ones.
It comes with 12 cans of Play-Doh and 27 pieces to whip up pretend ice cream treats.
The ice cream truck has built-in storage for the supplies and the Play-Doh cans, and there’s a space where you can sweep up the extra bits into a can for easy clean up.
An adult will need to put the truck together, but the directions are clear and easy to follow and kids can start playing right away.

There are so many reasons to love the Play-Doh Ice Cream Truck, here’s why I’m such a fan.

Who doesn’t love Play-Doh? Not only is it a fun, sensory activity for kids of all ages, but it also helps my son tap into his creativity and imagination. I’ve loved watching him use his imagination to make up new menu items, pretend we are working in a restaurant, and create silly situations that make us laugh while he plays.
Playing with Play-Doh is great for eye-hand coordination and strengthening his fingers and hands — which is important as we look ahead to elementary school where he will need that strength for holding pencils while he writes. With each twist, squish, and squash of the Play-Doh, he’s getting his fingers and hands ready for school.
It gives us a fun activity to play together. In the year that we’ve had the ice cream truck, my son has served up some silly pretend creations, and I love that this toy is a way for us to interact together in a simple but meaningful way. Life can get pretty chaotic around here, and I love a screen-free option that allows us to just play and have fun.
While we play together, he’s working on his language development. When we started playing with the ice cream truck, he was talking about the colors or the shapes he was making. Now he’s making up silly flavors, elaborate orders, and using new words and phrases as he plays. I love that this doubles as an educational toy.

While it’s made for kids ages 3 and up, I could definitely see this being a hit with kids in early elementary school as well. So, if you are thinking of getting this toy, it’s going to be one your kids visit and revisit for years to come.

If you are getting this toy for the holidays, definitely give yourself some time to put it together before gifting because kids will want to start playing and creating right away!