Gifts for children: ideas to introduce them to the kitchen

I still remember the surprise I had when a very dear relative came to me with three huge packages. I say huge, don't imagine they were the size of a house, but, gosh, each box took up its space and together they covered his whole belly and even his eyes! It made me laugh. And what was even more surprising, it was a set that I adored: it was the Maya the Bee cutlery set from WMF. I'm not talking about just any old thing: a ceramic set with beautiful prints, the cutlery made of very good quality steel and all the pieces of an ideal size for children.

I mention this last point because, as most mothers know, we tend to fill the plates of adults too much, and children recoil just from seeing so much food. With these sets for children, you can adjust much more to their needs, and mealtimes pass more happily.

I was given all three sets as a gift for the birth of my youngest son. So now each of my children has their own set, and that's how I discovered these collections. I loved them so much that I couldn't help but add them to the shop - these ones, and the Jungle Book ones - because I think they make a lovely gift: we often don't know what to give, and these pieces are pretty, practical and of high quality. The fact that they come in a generously sized box, with all the pieces beautifully presented inside, makes it a gift with a lot of presence.

Aside from these sets, there are a few other products that I haven't talked about, and I wanted to share them because, from personal experience, I know that many times we don't know what to give as a gift. So with the idea of ​​having something to give to the kids, and that both they and the parents will like, we incorporated several products that I find delicious, while helping the kids to get into the world of cooking in a way that they enjoy.

I'll start with one of my favourites: the Petit Chef set from Opinel . It's a shame you can't see this product in person because you'd love it: you'd notice its very appropriate dimensions (a big knife but somewhat reduced to make it proportional to children), and you'd perceive the safety that this set offers.

The set is ideal for children aged 5 or 6 and up, when they are eager to do grown-up things and are aware of the dangers that a knife can pose. The design is very well thought out: they are instructed to hold it by putting their index finger through the hole, and when they hold it this way, there is no risk of cutting themselves. It is completely safe, it has no point and its edge is not extremely sharp, so they can use it safely and at the same time learn how to hold it correctly.

Continuing with the cooking aspect, the Le Creuset muffin set includes some pieces that will inspire children to start baking, although several of them will be used very often by adults: the bowl is a delight, and the spatulas, despite being smaller in size, are ideal for stirring smaller pans. There is the blue and pink set, both beautiful, and with the quality of Le Creuset.

I have also given Nordic Ware stamps to my friends who have little ones who like baking, because they are very big, they hold them very well and the children love marking the dough to make their cookies. Since they come in a very well presented box, they are also a very good gift.

Although for fun products for them, and with a great variety to choose from, there are Zoku products for making ice cream and slushies . They love them! Both the ones that allow you to make ice cream in 7 minutes and the molds to leave in the freezer are very good options: we start from the basis that children love ice cream, plus they have very fun shapes, and they also make them with their favorite flavors! It is a fabulous option. In addition, they are so easy to use and children are so practical and have so much imagination, that they result in very appetizing creations: they take liquid yogurt and accompany it with the pieces of fruit that they most fancy, or they decide that horchata is better frozen but accompanied by teaspoons of cream. Yum! (There are many options from Zoku, to see them all you can visit the section here ).

Finally, a set that is not just for getting into the world of cooking, but for enjoying eating (which also has its own thing!). This is a very complete breakfast set that will delight children, but also adults. This is the Le Creuset breakfast set , with 4 pieces and available in blue and pink. Delicious!