Choosing the Right Children’s Cooking Set

Cooking for your kids can be a stressful task in its own right. From keeping meals nutritious, to making sure they enjoy the food, to squeezing in the time to cook a fresh meal every day, it can be a lot! But what if there was a way to get your children involved in the process? Well, you’re in luck!

A children’s kitchen set is designed so that your child can develop an interest in the culinary arts from a young age. These cooking sets are designed to provide a safe way for a child to learn the basics of cooking, fine motor skills, recipe making, and kitchen tools, all while giving them a fun way to pass the time and help you out. In this article, we’re going to give you the basics of choosing a kitchen playset, and a few of our favorites on the market today. 

What is a Children’s Cooking Set?

A children’s cooking set might sound like a questionable idea at first. After all, you probably don’t want your child handling all of the risky cookware and appliances that are required to cook most meals. But actually, that is specifically what a cooking set is designed for!

A children’s cooking set is built as a safe and fun way to teach your little one the basics of cooking a meal! They give your kid safecooking utensils to help make their favorite recipe, and allow you both to work together to teach them the basics and hopefully to help generate an interest in cooking from a young age.

Factors to Consider

Before we jump into a few of our favorite kitchen sets for kids, we’re going to give you the top factors to consider when choosing the best children’s cooking set on the market. There are many options out there, so dividing your decision along a few key variables helps to make the choice an easy one. Here are some factors to consider when choosing the right children’s cooking set.

Educational Value

Firstly, don’t lose track of the concept that the primary reason these kits are developed are as learning experiences. The kits we like best are there to help you work with your child and have them understand the basics of cooking.  They’re not pretend, they really do allow your child to cook.

Look for a set that provides ample instructions that are easily understandable. These instructions and tools should help you walk your child through the process in an easy, intuitive manner while still being a fun way to get kids cooking.

Safety

Of course, with all of the potential hazardous tools and appliances in any kitchen, safety becomes a top priority with a children’s cooking set. Any reputable set that is marketed toward children should be built with safety in mind, and this includes older kids as well. This typically means non-sharp versions of any dangerous tools or blades.

Also, remember that these kits are designed for you and your kid to work together. Because of the potential dangers in any kitchen, it is important that you monitor your child and assist with any tricky or dangerous parts of the process, like baking and using an oven. These kits can become a fun and rewarding experience for you both.

Culinary Creation

Finally, perhaps the most important aspect of a cooking kit: the food! The type of food you can make might determine exactly how much your child will actually enjoy using the cooking set. There are plenty of kits out there all geared toward teaching your child different techniques and cuisines.

We think the best approach is to simply ask your child what they would most like to learn. Get them engaged in the process from the start. Ask them about their favorite dish and get them excited about learning how to make their very own meal!

Some of Our Favorites

MasterChef Jr. Pizza Set

The MasterChef Jr. Pizza Set is one of our favorite cooking sets out there. And of course, it will likely be your child’s favorite kitchen playset as well, because it’s pizza!

This one comes with all the tools your child needs, and they are all safe and child-friendly. There’s a pizza board, a pizza pan, a sauce ladle, and a plastic pizza cutter. They are child-sized and come in fun colors.

Of course, these kits are nothing without great instruction, and this one has just that. There are three recipe cards so that your child can make whichever creation they want. There are pictures, and the instructions are geared toward helping you explain the process to your child.

MasterChef Jr. Knife and Cutting Board Set

The knife and cutting board set is a great way to have your child help out in the kitchen in a safe and fun way! The knives in this set are child-friendly plastic serrated blades with a non-slip grip. They are child-sized and made in fun colors.

These kits come with recipe cards for some of your child’s favorite dishes. The best part is that the recipes ramp up in complexity. You can start your child out with a simple dish, and move them up to more difficult dishes as their skills improve. It provides a fun goal for both of you, and shows them the satisfaction of working towards their goals!

Vanmor Kids Basic Cooking and Baking Set

Here’s a great, well-rounded baking set for kids. This one comes with all the tools you’ll need for various baking projects. This one comes with all the tools to make many different baking projects, including muffin cups and fun cookie-cutter shapes.

It even has a fun apron and hat so that your child can feel like a real baker!

The one downside with this kit is the lack of instruction. It basically provides you with the tools, but it’s up to you to teach your kids the basics of baking. You can walk them through the process of measuring out ingredients with measuring cups, using a rolling pin for dough, and baking cookies in the oven. This is great for someone who is already an experienced baker, and needs the tools to pass along their skills.

Conclusion

Thanks for checking out our guide to the best children’s baking and cooking kits. As you can see, there are many choices out there, and it will largely come down to what your child most wants to learn! Get them excited about the prospect of learning to cook, and pick a kit that is focused on some of their favorite meals. These kits work best when your little one is truly excited about the end creation.