Child-Friendly Kitchen Ideas

Child-Friendly Ideas

The acclaimed celebrity chef Albert Roux is involved in helping Charleston Academy in Inverness to open a kitchen in which pupils studying home economics can learn catering skills. This innovative idea got us thinking here at My Beautiful Kitchen about child-friendly kitchens. Generally, kitchens and children don’t tend to mix – they can be dangerous for one thing, and there often isn’t much incentive for getting children involved in food preparation. However, at My Beautiful Kitchen we think there are plenty of ways to make your kitchen more child-friendly and perhaps even to inspire your child to explore and develop their culinary talents!

A child-friendly kitchen layout

Using an island in the kitchen is a great way to create a child-friendly environment. An island actually reduces the risk of collisions in the kitchen as people must move around rather than criss-cross through the room.

The use of an island can actually be very encouraging for children who are interested in helping you prepare dinner. You can incorporate a lower section in the island for children to use, and a seated area also allows them to get comfortable whether they are preparing food, snacking, doing their homework or simply watching you whip up dinner!

Child-friendly surfaces

High gloss surfaces look amazing, but they’re not the best with children in the house, unless you enjoy looking at sticky finger marks all over your kitchen counters! Surfaces that are stain resistant such as corian provide a softer landing for glasses and plates that may be slammed on the countertop, whereas durable surfaces like stone and wood are hardwearing and won’t be dented easily.

It’s a great idea to go for painted surfaces if your children are quite young, as they can be easily retouched or repaired if they suffer damage, and it makes it all the easier to change the look of the room with a quick repaint! While you’re at it, smooth curves rather than corners in the kitchen can help avoid any injuries if small children bang their heads. If it’s a little too late to change the corners in your kitchen design, it’s possible to buy plastic tops especially for kitchen corners and tables to make your kitchen that bit safer and more child-friendly.

An encouraging kitchen

Encourage your child to get involved rather than being a bystander by giving them their own utensils. It’s possible to get some beautiful, safe utensils in vibrant colours that will make your children long to get involved in cooking and baking up goodies! Fill a drawer just for them with plastic spatulas, measuring cups, napkins, wooden spoons and unbreakable bowls. If you have more than one child you could even label the drawers with their names, giving them a sense of responsibility and ownership.

Kids love to be involved, and they will be thrilled to see their work transform into something edible that they can enjoy.

It’s also a wonderful bonding activity, so take a look at your kitchen and see how you can make it more child-friendly today.

For more great kitchen ideas, give us a ring at My Beautiful Kitchen on 0141 771 3640, or pop in for a coffee and a chat.