Cooking with kids is a great way to get them involved in mealtime and to teach responsibility and life skills. If your crew is sometimes reluctant to get into the kitchen, try enticing them with these kid-friendly cooking tools! They’ll love the fun shapes, colors, and small sizes. Here are a few tools perfect for little hands to experiment.
Small Blenders
Making new concoctions and experimenting in the kitchen is one of the best ways to get your kids involved in mealtime. They’ll love using a small blender to help make sauces, smoothies, and soups. Choose one with several smaller blending cups so kids can easily hold and carry everything. Some larger blenders get very heavy when they’re full.
Waffle Makers
Who doesn’t love weekend-morning waffles? Let your kids help prepare brunch with fun, small waffle makers that let them get creative. Waffle batter is easy to make, so it’s a perfect introduction to cooking for younger kids. Mini waffle makers are inexpensive and come in many colors and shapes (even holiday-themed!). Their small size makes it easy for kids to help with cleanup, too.
Cookie Cutters
Making cookies with your kids is a tried-and-true way to get them into the kitchen. Make the process more fun by having many cookie cutters in various colors and shapes. For the youngest kids, try to find figures that don’t have too many thin pieces. These spots often stick in the cookie cutter and break on the tray. Build up a cookie-cutter collection by giving new ones as holiday gifts every year!
Child-Size Utensils
Kids love to help in the kitchen, but tools are often too big for their hands. It’s hard to stir or cut when the utensil doesn’t fit! Fortunately, there are many child-size utensils on the market now. You can find sets of melamine knives that are perfect for kids. They’re smaller, lightweight, and have serrated blades that are just sharp enough to be useful. Small spatulas and whisks are great for letting kids mix batters. Child-size tongs are the perfect way for little kids to practice fine motor skills while helping with food prep! A bundle of child-size utensils will make any mini-chef proud to help.
Handheld Juicers
Don’t overlook the more obscure utensils. A handheld juicer is a fun tool for any age, and kids can get excited about making their morning drink. Choose a juicer with wide handles so kids can get enough leverage when squeezing. Let them pick various fruit to mix and experiment with different flavors. They can also help juice lemons and limes for savory recipes at dinnertime.
Photo: milkos via 123RF
Ricers
Another specialty item, ricers are an underused tool in the kitchen that kids will love. The most common use is making mashed potatoes. Just cook potatoes, then squeeze through the ricer! Kids will have lots of fun making one of their favorite dishes. You can also use a ricer to mash other vegetables. Kids are often more likely to eat vegetables that they help prepare, so take advantage of this fun way to add veggies to the table.
Silicone Molds
Making interesting creations is always on a kid’s to-do list. You can find silicone molds perfect for culinary concoctions in several shapes and colors. Silicone is versatile since it can go in the oven, freezer, and the top shelf of the dishwasher. Choose a popsicle tray to make fun, healthy popsicles in animal shapes. You can be ambitious and make heart-shaped cake pops together. Mini bread loaf silicone trays are a great way to make miniature loaves of holiday bread for gifts or a neighborhood brunch. Your kids will love how easy the molds are to use, and you’ll all love the tasty treats they make.
Donut Pans
You can now easily make donuts at home. Buy a donut pan and enjoy making these baked treats with your kids. Because they’re cooked in the oven rather than fried, homemade donuts will also be a healthier alternative to the store-bought kind. Kids can help mix the batter and fill the pan. Let them choose their toppings and make a simple icing for drizzling on top.
Melamine Measuring Sets
Every kitchen needs measuring cups and spoons, so invest in a kid-friendly set! Many liquid measuring cups are glass, meaning small hands must be extra careful. Instead, choose a melamine set in a fun color or pattern. Melamine is sturdy but lightweight and unbreakable. Perfect for kids! You can even get a different color for each child in your family, so the kids have their kitchen tools.
With these kitchen tools, your kids will love to help prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
