My kids really enjoy helping in the kitchen lately. Whether I'm making supper or just toast with jelly for breakfast, they want to be a part of it. I love that they want to help and I think getting them involved early will foster a love for cooking and baking (or at least I hope it will!). Here are our favorite kitchen gadgets for kids who want to help out in the kitchen!
Kitchen Gadgets for Kids
My kids think their aprons and chef hats are required in the kitchen! I think having a kitchen outfit just makes them feel like their job is important and they wear the aprons with pride. This set even comes with oven mitts-while I'm not comfortable letting my kids take things out of the oven yet, they're a cute addition to the set. Once the kids get older I'm sure they'll love to use them too. Another benefit of the apron is that it keeps their clothes clean!
Little Partners Learning Tower
We could not live without our Learning Tower in the kitchen! Our kids can easily reach the counter without the fear of falling off or getting wobbly. With four adjustable heights, any kiddo can use this with ease. It's extremely sturdy and fits right up to the counter to prevent mess and let those little hands get involved.
If you haven't seen these before, prepare to be amazed! These knives feature a serrated edge that will cut veggies, fruit, and more, but won't cut skin. They're rated for ages four and up and should still be used with supervision, and I feel completely comfortable letting our almost four year old use them. She loves being a part of the chopping process when we're cooking dinner!
Along with cutting vegetables, little ones can use this pizza cutter to safely roll through pizza, dough, or to chop herbs. This cutter is specifically designed with a protective guard to keep fingers out of the way of the blade. It's BPA free and dishwasher safe.
I particularly like this set because the measuring cups come in different colors. Even as my daughter is learning to recognize numbers, she refers to the different sized cups by their colors. The different colors are especially helpful for younger kids because they can pick out which cup they'll need to use based on color. The longer handles on this set make it easy for kids to maneuver and dump ingredients, preventing as much mess on the floor or counter. Plus, they're stackable so they take up so much less space in your drawer!
My daughter loves using this measuring set and is so proud when she can dump ingredients into a bowl. She likes the expandable cups, too. It's an easy way for her to safely get involved in the kitchen!
If you want to talk about a fun kitchen gadget for kids, this is it! Just fill the reservoir with batter, and let your kiddo squeeze the handle to pour just the right amount of pancake batter onto the griddle. Plus, you can use it for muffins or crepes too! I like this one because it has a ½ inch spout, which is great for when we make muffins with chocolate or apple chunks.
This one is so simple, but the kids have so much fun with it! They love to spin the salad while I get other ingredients ready. Even my little guy, who is 16 months old, gets in on the action with this!
I had honestly never heard of a rolling garlic chopper until I had kids, but it's a great gadget! This is definitely a tool you'll need to use with your kiddo, but they can do the chopping. Just insert the garlic, close the lid, and have your child roll it back and forth on the counter. You can get a coarse chop or a fine mince depending on how much they roll it. Plus, they can see the garlic chop as they're working! Just make sure they know that only adults open it, because the blades are sharp.
I personally like the small size for my kids because it fits in their hand much better than the larger versions. It's about perfect for our daughter to use!
Another fun and easy tool for kids to use, the egg slicer will provide tons of entertainment! We love our egg slicer for making egg salad, cutting certain cheeses, and even some veggies. It's the perfect size for little hands and my kids always love seeing the eggs come out sliced.
My kids LOVE to sift flour or sometimes lumpy sugar into cookies or other baked goods. I like this design with the turning crank rather than the squeeze handle because it's easier for kids to use. I actually have fond memories of sifting flour while baking with my mom when I was younger.
We love this silicone rolling pin from Zoie + Chloe! It's just the right size for small hands, and the food-grade silicone is non-stick. They make adult rolling pins too, so you could have a matching pair!
If you've got a real baker at home who is ready to get more involved, you'll want to check out this full baking set. It comes with the tools you need to make muffins or candies and they're all appropriate for young kids to use. I don't let my kids use the pot holders to take things out of the oven, but I do let them carry their trays around. This whole set is so cute and perfect for your little baker!
Do your kids love to help in the kitchen?
What gadgets should we add to this list?
Sapana V says
Wow. that's really thoughtful. I agree every kitchen should have these gadgets, especially that nylon knife set.
Sapana V says
Wow that's really cool gadgets, every kitchen should have them, especially the nylon knife
Amber says
Thanks Sapana! I love the nylon knife set also!
Mia says
This is an amazingly helpful list of items that I didn't even know about. I have grandkids that love to be in the kitchen helping out and it is something that I want to encourage so all of these gadgets would be super useful.
Amber says
Thanks so much for the kind comment, Mia! Some of these items were new to me, also, and have been so much fun for my kiddos to use!
Julie says
These are some really cute items. The Nylon Knife Set is a really great idea for kids.
Amber says
Thanks Julie! Aren't those knives amazing!?
Amber Ludwig says
My son loves and adores helping in the kitchen!! We had a chair falling incident so Ive always wanted on the of the learning towers and think they are SO great to have!! Just for safety if anything! Now we are doing most of our kitchen stuff on the floor, Im not sure if other families do the same for safety but I would add some silicone mats to your list!! So easy to clean and gives you a clean surface on any surface!! But I need some of these items on your list!!! Like the sifter and the batter dispenser!! How do I not have those yet?!?!
Amber says
Oh no about the chair incident! We've had a few of those as well-the Learning Tower has been a lifesaver! Silicone mats are a great addition-I will definitely have to add those to our list when I have the chance. We have a few silicone items but those mats are just awesome, as are the trays! The batter dispenser is AMAZING and so much fun 🙂
Angela Hoagland says
I really.love the learning tower! Our 2 1/2 year old always wants to help with the dishes (or wash her hands in the "big sink") but water gets everywhere. This would help her keep her hands over the sink and she could get up and down herself. However, at $200 it won't happen.