I recently shared how much I love cooking with my kids as well as a bunch of tips for making it fun and stress-free. Like with anything there are tools and gadgets that can make the experience more fun and safe for your kids (let’s be real, no one wants to hand their 2 year old an 8 inch chef knife haha). There are a few things that get used time and
time again in our house – all of which my kids love to use when they help me. You might already have some of these things in your kitchen, maybe a few that are rarely used (Hello salad spinner from your wedding registry….or maybe that was just me?). Chances are there are a few items you may want to invest in to make cooking a little more exciting for your kids. Here are some of our favorites:
One: Wavy Chopper | This little guy is a great first time cutting device, especially for kids with small hands. It’s small and is easy for them to hold onto. Plus it makes everything it cuts wavy, which is way more fun to eat!
Two: Learning Tower | This was one of our first kid-friendly kitchen purchase when my son had just turned one. It is hands down my favorite of all these items. It acts as a stools do children are able to reach the counter to help. It has 4 sides, so they won’t just fall onto the floor if they lose their balance – and there is room to fit two small kids. There are lots of these on the market, but this was sold me because it folds up for easy storage!
Three: Silicone Pastry Brush | A pastry brush is a great tool to let kids brush oil or butter on to things like veggies or bread, or even to brush BBQ sauce onto cooked chicken. Plus they like it because it seems like they are painting food
Four: Dough Scoop | Not only will these make your cookies come out in perfect circles, but kids love to use them! They can scoop the dough, then squeeze the handle to release the dough. It can also be used for things like muffin or cupcake batter – and even meatballs.
Five: Vegetable Brush | Anytime my kids get to play with water in the sink they are happy, so why not have them scrub a few veggies while they play? These are especially good for scrubbing things like potatoes and other root veggies.
Six: Kids Knife Set | I absolutely love these knives! At first glance they don’t look like they can cut anything at all, but they can cut right through a potato! The best part is that it won’t cut any fingers or hands in the process.
Seven: Salad Spinner | While a salad spinner doesn’t seem like that nifty of a tool, it is significantly cooler to a toddler. It works for any greens and they have a blast doing it!
Eight: Egg Beater | This is the kitchen tool that I find missing from my kitchen most often – I find it in their play kitchen because they love to use it so much.
Nine: Cherry Pitter | This one is super practical and is a fun one for kids too. It takes some skill to get the cherry lines up right, but both my kids enjoy taking turns using this.
Ten: Swiss Peeler | We like using these “Y” peelers, they make it easy to hold and get the peel off with minimal effort. I waited until recently to introduce peeling to my 4 year old since they are sharp and can easily slip and cut you (not that I know from experience or anything…)
Eleven: Chef Dress Up Outfit | Ours was a gift from a family member but the kids love this! Sometimes my son wears it to help me in the kitchen and other times he wears it when we cooks in his play kitchen – either way it’s a win-win!
