Kid-Friendly Kitchen Tools

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One of the things that I’ve found has been most helpful to getting my son helping in the kitchen and therefore trying the foods that we make together is getting him his own kitchen supplies. While kids will love using mommy’s utensils, getting them their own set of kid-friendly kitchen tools that they can easily access allows them the freedom to jump in and start helping in the kitchen completely on their own. Especially when they are sized appropriately for your kiddos and they don’t have to struggle with a bigger size. As I’ve collected kitchen utensils for Fletcher over the past few years, here are some of my favorites (and his too!)

1. Plastic Kids Knives

If you get my weekly email, you might remember that I mentioned the plastic kid’s knives that Fletcher used to chop up ingredients for our homemade granola! These plastic kids knives are probably my favorite kitchen utensil for kids because they are safe, but allows kids to get used to using knives in the kitchen!

Perfect for:

• Cutting soft foods like
  • Bananas
  • Avocado
  • Sandwiches 

2. Measuring Spoons & Cups

Fun color measuring spoons and cups can really encourage kids to get them helping in the kitchen! Make sure they have the measurements on them so it can also serve as an opportunity to teach measurements to your kiddos!

Perfect for:

• Measuring dry ingredients like
  • Rolled oats
  • Chia seeds
  • Fruit

3. Spatulas

Flippers and scrapers are both great spatulas for kids to have on hand. Flippers are perfect for helping flip pancakes, or helping to scramble eggs, or anything that needs to be stirred around in a pan. Scrapers are great for mixing ingredients in a bowl and scraping every last bit from it! Store these on command hooks on the side of your lower cabinet for easy access!

Perfect for:

• Flipping or stirring ingredients in a pan
• Mixing ingredients in a bowl
• Scraping ingredients from a bowl

4. Mixing bowl set

Giving kiddos their own set of mixing bowls will really empower and encourage them to assist you in the kitchen. Having their own bowls means you can get a material that they are less likely to break (like plastic or stainless steel) and it helps them learn to problem solve as they’ll need to decide which bowl of theirs will be right for the job. Any time you ask them to mix something, they’ll be running for their bowls ready to assist!

Perfect for:

• Mixing anything
• Storing ingredients to add to another bowl 

5. Whisk

No kitchen set would be complete without a whisk! While whisking might be a challenging task for young kids to do, it will be a great learning experience when you need to whisk something! They might not be whisking up eggs for scrambled eggs right away, but you can start with something simpler like pancake batter, or even craft supplies like beads or pom poms to get them used to the whisking motion.

Perfect for:

• Whisking eggs
• Whisking pancake batter 

6. Apron

Want your LO to feel even more like their part of the kitchen? Get them their own apron! You can even get them embroidered with their name on it to make them feel even more special. Beyond the fact that your LO will look adorable rocking a little apron in the kitchen, it will definitely come in handy with spills! Don’t worry about having to change outfits after helping out in the kitchen, simply throw their apron in the wash so it will be ready for the next time they need it. 

Perfect for:

• Looking adorable
• Keeping spills and messes off their clothes 

7. Fun shaped cookie cutters

Cookie cutters are not just for cookies anymore! These are a necessity for having in the kitchen when you have kids. Let them use their imagination and get creative when it comes to these. Use them for pieces of bread for french toast, pancakes, eggs, sandwiches, fruit, veggies and burgers! They will love creating foods in the shape of a dinosaur or butterfly. Get stainless steel ones so you can use them on the stove in pans.

Perfect for:

• Bread
• Pancakes
• Eggs
• Sandwiches
• Fruit
• Veggies
• Burgers 

8. Cutting board

If your LO’s have plastic knives, they have to have a cutting board to go with it! You can get a small cutting board with a hole so you can easily hang it up next to their other kitchen supplies! Or store it with their plastic knives so they’re always ready to go when you need something chopped or cut!

Perfect for:

• Preparing food items
• Cutting items with their plastic knives 

9. Spiralizer

Your kiddos might need a little help with them, but they will LOVE spiralizing apples and other veggies on this! I usually prefer the handheld spiralizer for when I’m spiralizing veggies, but for apples and for kids, the countertop one works best. Depending on their age, you may need to secure the fruit or veggies and take them off the end, but your kids will love doing the spiralizing part. And they’ll get a little arm workout in the process!

Perfect for:

• Spiralizing fruit and veggies such as zucchini, carrots, squash, and more

10. Rolling pin

An activity that any kid will love doing in the kitchen! While usually for rolling out dough, you can find some creative uses for a rolling pin so your kids can be part. Crush graham crackers for a crust, nuts, or ice, or find another use for it! Your kids will be into it especially with a rolling pin that’s a perfect size for them.

Perfect for:

• Crushing graham crackers 
• Rolling out bread, pasta, or cookie dough
• Crushing ice
• Crushing nuts

11. Veggie scrubber

Teach your kids how to wash their fruit and veggies before cooking with them with their very own veggie scrubber! Get one in their favorite color so it will really feel like their own. 

Perfect for:

• Scrubbing potatoes, carrots, beets, apples, broccoli, and more!
• Teaching kids the importance of washing their fruit and veggies

12. Kitchen stool

It’s hard for kids to feel like they are a part of a kitchen activity if they can’t reach the counter! A kitchen stool is perfect for safely including kids at an appropriate level. Some stools will even have several steps up and a bar you can secure behind them so there is no risk of falling. Having this stool on hand means they can jump into the action at any time.

Perfect for:

• Keeping kids safe in the kitchen
• Giving them ability to reach the countertop

13. Small broom and dustpan

If your kids are going to be helping in the kitchen, they might as well learn how to help clean up as well! They will love sweeping the floors for mom! Teach them how by using masking tape to tape off a box on your kitchen floor and tell them to sweep everything to the box. Then you can hold the dustpan while they sweep everything into it, or they can hold the dustpan. Great for motor skills and teaching them how to help clean up.

Perfect for:

• Teaching kids how to help clean up the kitchen
• Practicing and growing gross motor skills 

14. Crinkle cutter

Every kid in the kitchen needs a crinkle cutter! Similar to cookie cutters, a crinkle cutter helps cut food into fun shapes. In this case, it helps create a fun, crinkly edge to whatever you use it on! Cut carrots, zucchini, cheese, potatoes, and more with the crinkle cutter to make it look more fun to eat. You can even use it on butter, ice cream, chicken strips, french toast, bread, sandwiches, and anything else you can think of! 

Perfect for:

• Giving a fun crinkly edge to:
  • Butter
  • Veggies and fruit such as carrots, apples, zucchini and potatoes
  • Chicken strips
  • Bread for french toast

I hope these kid-friendly kitchen tools get your LO’s excited about helping in the kitchen! Remember, this won’t be an overnight process, but keep at it! Keep asking if your kids want to help in the kitchen, supply their own kitchen utensils, and find creative ways to include them, and over time they’ll start to say yes!