My Favorite Real Food Kitchen Tools for Kids

Inviting your kids into the kitchen is a great way to introduce them to real food, and to get them excited about cooking.

It’s also a wonderful way to keep children engaged while you’re working on your own food prep. Definitely a win win! I’ve rounded up my favorite real food kitchen tools for kids, and today I’m excited to share them with you!

You may already own some of these items in your own kitchen. Most can be ordered on Amazon or sourced from your local cookware store.

You may also find some of these kitchen tools at thrift stores and garage sales, and hunting them out can be a fun activity to do with children as well.

I’ve found kitchen tools also make great gifts, so if you have a birthday or holiday coming up don’t forget add a few to the list!

1 | Baby Food Silicone Freezer Tray

Silicone freezer trays are great if you are making your own baby food purees, or if you want to freeze small portions of food for babies or toddlers.

We now use ours to freeze leftover smoothies. Later we can just pop one or two out and blend with a little milk for smoothie, round two!

2 | Small Glass Bowls with Lids

Also good for storing little bits of leftovers, these glass bowl go from the fridge to freezer. They’re also the perfect size for a little afternoon snack.

3 | Stainless Steel Thermos with Straw 

Smoothies were one of the very first ways we introduced Elle to real food, and she still powers one down every morning.

We’ve used stainless steal thermoses for the past several years, and the straw makes drinking easy. I also like that the have a closable lid so we can take them on the road if Elle doesn’t finish her entire smoothie before it’s time to leave the house.

The base goes into the dishwasher, and then we wash the straw by hand. I like to use Straw Brush Cleaner to get the straws really clean.

4 | Stainless Steel Food Container 

Bento lunch containers are a fun way to get creative with kids lunches, and they can help to pack a different item into each part of the box. The separate compartments are also perfect for children who prefer their food not to touch.

I like these Leakproof Dip Containers to include in lunch boxes as well for dips like hummus or sun butter.

5 | Vegetable Brush

You might be surprised just how much children enjoy scrubbing vegetables. Even if they don’t actually eat the veggies, it’s still great to get them interacting with real food.

Select a brush that fits well into little hands, then give them a pile of carrots or potatoes to wash and let them go for it.

6 | Kids Aprons

There’s just something about putting on an apron that gets kids in the kitchen spirit. These handmade aprons are extra special, and there are options for both boys and girls.

7 | Egg Slicer

Even the littlest kitchen helper can help slice hard boiled eggs for snacks or salads. These slicers do double duty cutting strawberries, too!

8 | Popsicle Molds

Pops are a super fun and easy cooking project to do with kids of all ages. Invite young children to add cut-up fruit to each mold, then fill with coconut water and freeze. Instant, naturally-sweetened pops!

Older children can invent their own flavors using fruit purees, too.

9 | Kids Knife

When your child is old enough to start cutting and chopping, these are great starter knives. Great for cutting bananas, cucumbers, watermelon, strawberries, avocado, and other soft fruits and veggies.

The manufacturer suggests these knives are intended for children ages five and up. We have a set (Elle is four) and they work for us (carefully supervised, of course).

10 | Salad Spinner

When it comes to washing lettuce, children of all ages can help with the salad spinner. Invite your child to tear the lettuce, and then to submerge it in cold water. Then they can add put it to the spinner and spin away.

11 | Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups

Baking is definitely one of the most fun ways to get kids involved in the kitchen, and giving them a set of measuring spoons and cups to use gives them a sense of ownership of the process.

12 | Mini Muffin Pan

On the topic of baking, nothing is more kid-friendly than mini muffins! Make muffins together and invite your child to stir the batter and fill the muffin cups. We love these One-Bowl Blueberry Mini Muffins.

13 | Apple Slicer

Your child can assist in snack prep when there’s an apple slicer involved! Younger children may need a little help lining up and pushing down, and older kids can cut all on their own. There are share edges involved, though, so keep a close eye to make sure you child knows how to handle the slicer safely.

14 | Melon Baller

Give a kid a half a mini-watermelon and a melon baller and then let them to to town! The melon balls may not be perfectly shaped, but they’ll still make a perfectly lovely snack.

15 | Step Stool

Help little ones to cook comfortably by giving them a non-slip step up to reach the counter.

We actually have a Learning Tower, which we love and has grown with Elle since she could first stand. They are pricy, though, so a step stool is a great budget-friendly alternative.

17 | Lunch Packing Supplies

Here are some of my favorite lunch packing supplies!

This four section metal bento box is our current favorite for preschool lunches.

We also like the larger version for older children or adults.

These leak proof condiment and dip containers are great for sauces and hummus.

Larger leak proof stainless steel containers for apple sauce, yogurt, and anything else that might leak.

Thermal stainless steel containers keep food warm if your child prefers something heated. Simply fill the container with very hot water, dump the water, then add warmed food, soup or stew and everything should stay warm until lunch.

Silicone cupcake liners are a great way to separate everything inside the containers. Perfect for smaller items.

Pack the items into an insulated lunchbox to keep things cold and reduce the chance of lids coming off.

We love these for younger children as they are durable and can go through the washing machine when spills happen.

We also use this larger size for older children and grownup lunches.

Finally, pop in a small ice pack to keep everything cool until lunch, a few utensils, and you’re good to go.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means Real Food Whole Life receives a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Know that I recommend these items because I think they are helpful and a fun way to get kids into the kitchen!

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