Well Fed Network

Posted by Erika Waz on Kids Cuisine

I asked my daughter recently if she wanted to help me make a salad for dinner. She was excited and quickly agreed, but when I handed her a cutting board, she became hesitant. On the other end of the counter was my cutting board and knife — a 10″ chef’s knife — much too big for little fingers. I knew this, and she knew this, but she saw that knife and immediately she became concerned about taking part in an activity where fingers could be lost.

When I reached into my drawer and pulled out the child-sized knife, though, she lit up like you wouldn’t believe. I was going to trust her to cut with a sharp knife, and she was going to use one that was just her size. I explained to her how I wanted the vegetables cut, and she eagerly tackled her task, making quick work of the cucumber and peppers in front of her. She assured me several times that she was being careful, pausing only to ask if it was okay for her to snitch. Her four-year-old brother was eyeing up that knife and cutting board enviously, and quickly asked me to get him a set sometime as well.

The lesson learned here is that size does matter. Choosing kitchen tools that fit nicely in your children’s hand can bolster their confidence with basic kitchen skills. It also happens to be the safer option as well. Our cutting board and knife are from The Pampered Chef — specifically, the Bar Board and the Quikut Paring Knife. We’ve also been eyeing up the cool kids tools available at Williams-Sonoma. Regardless what tool you’re looking for, remember that size does matter and to make sure it fits your child’s small hands.