Gift ideas · Cooking and baking
Gifts for kids who love to cook and bake
Kids who love to cook want a real job in the kitchen, not a pretend one. Good gifts give them tools that fit their hands and a reason to make something you'll all eat.
Skip: Toy ovens and kits with one packet of mix. They make one thing, once. Real tools get used every weekend.
Not sure how they play? Take the quiz.
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Ages 4 to 6
- 1A real baking set and their own apronOur pick: Curious Chef 11-piece set with apronReal tools sized for small hands. Then bake the first thing together. Find it
- 2A cookbook with picture recipesOur pick: Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes (Mollie Katzen)Every step is drawn, so a kid who can't read yet can follow along. Find it
- 3A kitchen helper stoolOur pick: Guidecraft Classic Kitchen HelperCounter height with rails around them, so they can help without a wobbly chair. Find it
- 4A salad spinnerOur pick: OXO Good Grips Salad SpinnerLittle kids love spinning it. Suddenly they're the one washing the lettuce. Find it
One we made ourselves
Ages 7 to 9
- 1A kids' cookbook you'll work through togetherOur pick: The Complete Cookbook for Young ChefsRecipes tested by kids at home, and written for them to read themselves. Find it
- 2A real knife made for kidsOur pick: Opinel Le Petit Chef knife and finger guardA short blade, a rounded tip and a finger guard. America's Test Kitchen picked it for kids around 8. Find it
- 3A mini waffle makerOur pick: Dash Mini Waffle MakerSmall and hard to mess up, though it gets hot. Saturday breakfast becomes their job. Find it
- 4A cupcake decorating setOur pick: Wilton Cupcake Decorating Set, 12 piecesPiping bags and tips. Decorating is the part they'll want to do every time. Find it
Ages 10 to 12
- 1A baking cookbook for young chefsOur pick: The Complete Baking Book for Young ChefsBreads, cookies and cakes, explained well enough that they can do it alone. Find it
- 2A pasta makerOur pick: Marcato Atlas 150Hand-cranked and a little slow, which is the fun part. Pasta night becomes theirs. Find it
- 3A kitchen scaleOur pick: OXO Good Grips 11 lb food scaleBakers weigh, and kids like watching the numbers. Recipes come out the same every time. Find it
- 4A real chef's knife, just smallerOur pick: Victorinox Fibrox 6-inch chef's knifeSharp like a grown-up's. Good for 12 and up, once they know how to hold the food. Find it
Things to do near you
Gifts are one way in. Camps, classes and weekend events for kids who love cooking are another. Tell us where you are and we'll email when there's a good one close by. About once a month.
How kids who love cooking tend to play
A lot of kids who love cooking are Builders, and some are Storytellers. Most kids are a mix of two Play Types, so the quiz is the quickest way to know which lists to use.
Gifts for other things kids love
Gift ideas by Play Type
Holiday gift lists
Buying for the grown-ups too? Gifts they'll still own, scored on warranty and repair: for dad, for mom, under $100.
