I love looking in kitchen specialty stores and finding new treasures for me or for the children. Over the years we've collected a lot of 'adult' kitchen tools that also work well for children. Most often it's because the adult tools are made in a slightly smaller or mini size which makes them easier for the child to hold and to manipulate.
I recently took out all of the kitchen tools that my children (2.5, 9 and 12 yrs) use and realised that we use more of one brand than any other. OXO almost flies under the radar as their kitchen tools aren't marketed for children. However, their whisk is the first my children will reach for, while there are four or five other 'children's' whisks available. My children have been using their flexible turner for almost ten years. Many of their products are ideal for children!
I find that our OXO kitchen tools are all good quality and their black and white aesthetic means the focus is on the function. The black grip on many of the products is so useful for children, many of their tools have this excellent grip like the apple slicer, mixing bowls and hand tools like the whisk and turner. The OXO Pop containers have allowed our toddler from around 14 months to independently access snacks and play dough while keeping them safe in an air tight environment, no other products have come close to providing this function.
Here are just a few OXO products that my children use or that I would recommend for children. Please note these products are not designed for children so care and caution is required. Some of these tools have sharp parts so ensure your child has the relevant skills and knowledge before using them.
- Apple Slicer, Corer and Divider - for my toddler I cut the apple into slices and he uses it to core and cut the apple into segments. For older children we can slice the apple in half and the child can cut it, for a much older child we can get the slicer started and they can press down to cut the apple. The slicer requires the child to press down hard and use leverage to slice the apple.
- Tabletop Spiralizer - my children love to make and eat vegetable noodles!
- Batter Bowl - it's the handle and grip that make this so useful for children.
- Mixing Bowl Set with Black Handles - as with the batter bowl the grip is a useful function and these bowls have a small handle the child can use.
- Egg Slicer
- POP Container, Airtight Food Storage - these can be used independently by toddlers and young children.
- Glass Prep Bowls - these little bowls are useful when presenting the child with pre-measured goods during baking.
- Little Dustpan and Brush - perfect for small spaces like table tops or for small spills.
- Egg Beater
- Small Wooden Spoon
- Flexible Turner - my children have used this from 2.5-3yrs for flipping pancakes and turning goods on the electric grill.
- Balloon Whisk - we have been using this for years, it's a really good size for all children.
- Peeler - the handle size and grip on this is good for children, caution the blade is sharp.
For scale with children: Balloon Whisk / POP Container, Airtight Food Storage / Flexible Turner / Tabletop Spiralizer.
In the US Montessori Services has a good range of OXO products suitable for children. In Australia Kitchen Discounts has a good range of OXO products.
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