You are going to quickly learn that din din time can be family fun time, but like most things in life safety should come first. As parents we need to be the ones creating the safe environment in our childrens lives- since we are working the kitchen lets take a look at  my top 10 family friendly kitchen tools. These tools will be used in almost every recipe we will be working on.

1. Apron


Is this really safety? Yes – consider you could be cooking something with hot liquid- this is your first line of defense. Also, if your child is like mine- getting a stain on her clothes is worse then a 1st degree burn. Seriously, does anyone else child need to change her outfit 3 times a day?

2. Oven Mitts

Ovens= Hot, Grills= Hot – do the math – you need to have a high quality set of mitts. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not use the decorative ones that match the china/dishes. Key word here is decorative- they aren’t called practical or effective mitts.

3. Magic Bullet

No not the cool visual effects from the Matrix- Im talking my lifesaver. You know the infomercial where the over enthusiastic man and woman cook things in no time flat by chopping stuff up. IT WORKS- When I had my Lapband surgery in February all the other Bandsters – that was people who get bands call themselves- suggestd it- great kitchen tool I own and my girls can use it to. We chop, mix, blend everything in it. trust me- I may use it in 75% of my recipes. Actually in my kitchen pic- you will see this is the only tool I keep out 24/7.

4. Kids Scissorrs

Lettuce, veggies, thin chicken or pork- these scissors will do the trick but you know your child will be safe. Most importantly, they get involved and feel ownership in your family meal.

5.  Silicone Spatula

The one pictured is a great example of tool for younger kids. Even though my daughter is nearly 4 she wants to use what Daddy uses to cook, however, my 2 year old daughter would play with the little person spatula all day long. Keep in mind- spatulas are like oxygen and water to recipes- 99% of the recipes will require that ingredients be mixed in or poured out. This is the perfect and safest tool for that job.

Did I miss anything? I would love to hear about what tools you use in your kitchen- feel free to comment or add on to this list.