The Best Kids Cooking Sets

Whether or not your toddler eats everything you make, it’s likely they still want to be in the kitchen where all the action is. These are my favorite kids cooking sets for toddlers and big kids that are perfectly sized for their smaller hands. They are great gifts for anytime of the year!

Kids Cooking Sets

I love cooking with little kids, and while you don’t need a ton of special tools to make it successful, there are a few things that we use really regularly that make things much easier. It helps when utensils are sized right for smaller hands.

These cooking tools for kids and toddlers to make cooking and baking together easier, during holiday baking and all year long. They also make for fun gifts for kids who are into food prep—or who you want to introduce to food prep.

Give a set on its own or pair with my kids cookbook, Food Play, and invite the kids to explore in the kitchen with you.

product we love

WeeSprout Little Chef Baking Set

This kids cooking set is a favorite collection for the littlest cooks. It’s a perfect gift, too!

Kitchen Tools for Kids

We’ve tried out a lot of cooking sets over the years and the ones here are the most:

• Durable: I look for tools that are mostly made of one single material to reduce the likelihood of them coming apart. I also want them to last for a few years so we can get the most out of our money—and possibly even use them with subsequent kids.
• Worth the cost: We’ve tested a lot of kids cooking sets to ensure the ones we’re recommending here are actually worth the cost.
• Easy to clean: The easier kids tools are to clean, the more likely it is we’ll want to use them. So that was part of our selection criteria, too.

The sets here are recommended for toddlers about 16-18 months old on up through elementary-age kids. It is my hope you will get a lot of use out of them for years to come.

Below are my favorite products for cooking with toddlers and little kids.

I love how easy our brand-new WeeSprout Little Chef Kids Cooking and Baking Set makes it for us to cook and bake together. With everything we need to cook together in the set—durable silicone spatula, spoon, and whisk; kid-safe wooden chopper and knife; tongs; set of oven mitts and apron; and custom recipes with pictures so the kids can see what they need from yours truly (eek!)—it just makes cooking together less stressful. And you know I am here for that!

This is a PERFECT holiday gift. It comes in four colors, so you can choose the one that your kiddo loves most, and has a storage caddy so the set is always contained and ready to go.

This kit has it all, from measuring cups and spoons to knives, utensils, and a cutting board and timer. This is a great set for a kiddo who you know loves to help in the kitchen—and the knives included are some of our favorites for little kids. It also comes with a storage case.

Priced at under $65.

With some of our favorite tools, including a crinkle cutter, cookie cutters, and a peeler, this set is a great starter option for getting kids into the kitchen. The nylon knives work well but aren’t sharp, and the smaller cutting board is a nice addition to help the kids really have their own workstation.

Priced at less than $20.

We got to try out a few of these sets from Handstand Kitchen recently and holy moly, my kids are obsessed! They have a range of options—we love the Dinosaur Baking Set and Unicorn Baking Set—in addition to the Intro to Baking Set that’s shown here.

I like that the tools are kid-size but are still designed for real use in the kitchen.

Priced near $30.

Perfectly sized for small hands, the little whisk can be a fun tool for the kids to use to help blend hot chocolate, beat eggs, or help mix a batter. Spatulas and tongs are great for stirring and transferring food. And this set comes in a range of colors so you can pick your kiddo’s favorite.

Priced under $12.

These little knives are kid-safe and easy to use—and they look like cute dogs! They are a great introduction to the art of slicing and dicing. We use them regularly with both my toddler and 7-year-old, and the scissors are perfect for them to use to cut up their own noodles. (These still need to be used with supervision!)

Priced at under $30.

These are safe, not sharp to the touch, and fairly effective at cutting soft fruits and veggies for kids about 3 years old and up. Think bananas, ripe pear, strawberries, cheese, bread, and more. They are also super affordable at less than $10 for a set of 3.

Priced at less than $10.

This brand makes incredibly sturdy and durable cooking tools for kids, including the knives and peeler included here. The design makes each easy to hold and use, and they’re so durable that they will last for years.

Priced under $50.

I love this giant set of big bowls, a colander, and measuring cups and spoons. It’s a great set to get you started and to last for years as your kiddo grows and is able to help with more steps in the kitchen.

Priced under $20.

My kids cookbook is a perfect complement to any of these kids cooking tools, as it has easy kitchen activities designed for little kids. Each recipe is assembly-only and made with accessible ingredients to help expose kids to new foods and help you keep them entertained!

Best Tips for Kids Cooking Sets

What are some of your favorite toddler kitchen tools or kids cooking sets? I’d love to hear in the comments!

This post was first published November 2019.