I purchased this for my then 17 month old daughter so she could be "like mom" and play cook in the kitchen with me. She loves this set! We have since purchased a food set to accompany it and she loves to cook and make soup and all sorts of her creations.She actually spends hours in the kitchen making things with me and pretend to eat them!I am not sure how educational the toy is, but they are very durable and she loves to imitate me while i cook.I would suggest this pot/pan set to anyone that is looking for one. It is durable, bright (so you can find the smaller spoons from under the stove or couch!) and they are washable too just in case there is the occasional drool or food in there.