When you’re talking gear for young children, all parents want the same thing: quality products that truly last. Well, four years ago we reviewed something called a Piggy Platter here on the site and to this day it’s still one of our most frequently used items in our home. Four years, people – that’s a whole lot of use!
And, in the past four years we have used the Piggy Platter nearly every single day, and sometimes we use it numerous times each day for mealtime, craft time, and play time. This isn’t to say we haven’t tried other similar products. In fact, we’ve been given numerous other tray and table attachments throughout the years to try out. But we always return to the trusty tray from Smarty Parents and end up donating the other brands.
So, when Smarty Parents contacted us and let us know they had created a new and improved Kiddy Platter, you can bet we said yes. With our little guy more and more interested in coming to the table, it was actually perfect timing as we needed a new tray in the next few months.
Like the Piggy Platter, the Kiddy Platter is a dishwasher-safe, BPA-free, phthalate-free, and PVC-free rectangular 16" wide x 12" deep tray. It has a raised edge on the top for handling small spills and for corralling crayons and pens and keeping messes contained. Along the front of the Kiddy Platter tray is a 2” rubber spill guard made of pliable silicone to help bridge the gap between table and mouth. To hold it all in place on the table is a sticky, anti-slip rubber gasket under the rim of the Platter that grips tabletops, counters, and even works well on tablecloths.
But, the Kiddy Platter has a few improvements in addition to the name change that make us love it even more. The first thing they did away with was the small circle on the top of the tray that was on the old version, which I was thrilled about because it was easy for little ones to set things on there that would tip. The other major improvement is that the tray is now two-sided and instead of having a specific top or bottom, the entire rim on both sides of the tray are now anti-slip and can go against the table.
My favorite improvement is with the detachable spill guard. Instead of attaching to the underside of the tray {which was the only negative thing we had to say about the design back in 2009}, they designed a whole new spill guard that slips right over the bottom of the tray so it holds more securely. Since it’s easier to remove and then replace, it also makes it easier to fit in the dishwasher.
And, I really, really love it when “dishwasher safe” items actually fit in my standard dishwasher without taking up the whole rack sitting diagonally or blocking the spinning arms. I appreciate that the Kiddy Platter fits nicely on any one of the 4 sides of the bottom rack with room to spare and still leaves room for a full load of dishes.
This is good that it’s so easy to clean because in addition to using the Kiddy Platter for meals, we find all sorts of ways to make use of a dishwasher safe tray, including messy arts and crafts, Play-Doh, and school work. And, speaking of multi-purpose, as much as we use the Kiddy Platter for snack, crafts and learning, we even use it for food prep. Since it is dishwasher safe, it’s perfect for using as a big sanitary surface for decorating cookie and cakes as well as assembling sandwiches and meals.
We also love that even the packaging is multi-purpose. Smarty Parents cleverly included a cut-out alphabet learning insert as part of the packaging that fits right under the tray to transform it into a learning mat to trace your letters on, which is something my daughter loves as she’s just at the stage where she’s learning what letters make what sounds.
When she’s mastered her letters, we can simply use the insert as a place for her to put pictures, stickers, and drawings under to customize her spot at the table. Like before with the Piggy Platter, the insert simply rests under the tray and is not encased inside, which makes it easy to customize however you want without worry and alleviates the need to disassemble the tray for cleaning.
Kiddy Platters are clear but they have colorful edges so you can give each kid their own color or you can coordinate with your décor. I was initially disappointed they discontinued the white colored tray, as it matched best with our dining room, but we are happy with the green. It ended up blending into the tablecloth and I barely even notice it anymore.
The Kiddy Platter comes in four colors {above} and retails for $29.95 from the Smarty Parents site. They even have a bulk discount for 6+ trays, which is perfect for daycares and preschool uses. I know my daughter's co-op would love something like this!
Whether you are looking for a placemat, a craftmat, or a tray to protect your table and countertops, the Kiddy Platter is the way to go. It works on any surface, it’s easy to clean, and it holds up to thousands of washes, scribbles, and spills. With so many uses, you will never need to put it away!
A big thank you to Smarty Parents who sent their Kiddy Platter for review purposes. As always, all opinions are 100% ours.
When your daughter draws on it what does she use? A dry erase marker?
Allie, ooops, I forgot to mention that in the review – she’s using a dry erase marker on the tray