Kid kitchen helper tower. Do any of you have thes

[tdk2]

one of these?
Kitchen Helper Tower 
or something similar 


I have seen them in the past, and thought they were kind of a bunch of $$ but the more my kid wants to help when I'm cooking, the more I think I would love something like this.   Is this dumb?   If you have one, do you use it? 

I'm watching Craigslist for someone getting rid of one, and considering making one, but honestly by the time I made it and made it safe, the time and materials might be = to $149 to just buy one.   I'd rather buy a used one though if I do decide to shell out.  Feel free to tell me it's dumb and useless.   (bear in mind, I love to cook and my kid is ALLLLLLLLLL about helping.  That's how we get her to go to one parent or the other "Oh wow, I think Dad really needs some help with that!" and she goes running to help.)

[mrsjuleshs]

I have never seen those. We just pulled up a chair and she climbed up to help.

[firedancer49]

We just use a regular step stool thingy with the two different steps. I didnt see the need to spend the extra $$ for those, but I know people who have them and LOVE them.

[sewpinkgal]

We don't have one, but it looks like something I'd be interested in when J gets a little older. It looks like it could be a great tool for you. I hope you can find one on the cheap on Craigslist.

[Deleted]

no, our kitchen isn't large enough. we just let her sit on the counter and island, or stand on the gigantic step stool we got at ikea. bad parents!

[softspot]

Ana White has plans on her website.

ana-white.com/2010/12/helping-tower.html

[tdk2]

She's way short for stools. She's a shrimp, but pretty agile. ALways in motion. Started walking around 9 months, so has had time to develop some grace, and has crazy finger dexterity. So, stool sucks so far, can't even reach bathroom sinks with one, and my mom has a big one at their place.

Probably could use a chair, but we have been using a card table for now since we don't have a dining room table. The folding chairs make me nervous. Currently I hold her on hip either loose or in sling, but have to put her down when I'm doing potentially dangerous tasks. She gets so bummed that she can't see it all.

[emsumm]

Yeah, there's no way we'd have the room to store two of those. They just stand on chairs, and yeah, they do fall sometimes, but they get up again

[Deleted]

One of the people I nannied for had high-backed dining room chairs and she used that, with the back against the counter to sort of separate him a little.

[tdk2]

Oh cool, re the Ana white plans.
I'll check that out.

I should look at ikea stools too, I hadn't thought about them. (funny, most of my bookshelves and temporary use items like this come from there.)

I liked that the other was folding.


I'll be honest - I hesitate to put another item on the "to make" list since we've got all these renovation projects currently in motion and I'm planning on building raised garden beds as soon as the weather clears. We also just built a kitchen. I'm getting a little burned out on building.

[tdk2]

I bet I could find a high backed chair on CL. haha.



Thanks for talking me down from a silly purchase.



I did love the folding feature of that one, but seriously, how long would she use it? I've got some time, so I'll see if I magically see anything pop up. I did put my mom on alert for garage sales. She gets me crazy expensive stuff in their area for about $3 usually. SHe might even spend $20 if she finds this on sale.

[candreco]

I got one on sale on Amazon, under $100. We used it all the time, and we loaned it to friends for their kid to use. I think the best part of it was that it kept DD contained- it was a little heavy for her to move easily, so she stayed put wherever we had it. There was room for two in it as well when my niece was here or DD had a friend over.

[sawyerthedestroyer]

I have the $15 step stool from IKEA. It's fine. No way would I spend $$ on something like that.

[lemondrop]

I have really wide dining room chairs. They're big and clunky, but if DD wants to help she drags one into the kitchen by herself.

[gretchenindisguise]

I've seen them, but they're expensive.

Plus our kitchen is tiny.

L sits on the counter, or now on a chair when she 'helps' us cook.

[tdk2]

can someone link the ikea step stool you find works w/ your kiddo?



I guess I just get paranoid about falls and head injuries. Lol, worrywart. She's going to fall, she'll be fine. I know. It happens.

To give you an idea of her tininess - she's 17 mo old and still in the infant carrier. We're probably a month or 2 from upgrading based upon size.

[keyslover]

I have always wanted one, but they are $$$. We have always used an arm chair from our dining room. They cannot really fall off the sides. Our kitchen is super small, they help in limited amounts. Our chairs are so fancy schmancy (we bought our set from CL a few years back so I am being sarcastic) they can both stand in one to help me cook.

Basically what I am saying is there is a cheaper way to have them help cook with you

[sawyerthedestroyer]

Here it is: www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60178887/

ETA: DS is two and was 33 inches tall at his last appointment.

[RBL]

My sister has one for my niece. My dad made it and the plans he followed are a little different from what you have in the picture. There is like a ladder on the side so niece can climb in/out of it herself. Also, the part she stands on can be lowered a bit for when she gets a little taller but still can not reach the counter.

I should add, my niece is a little person so will get quite a bit of use out of it. Though my nephew and the neighbor's kid also love the learning tower and when all 3 are in the same house they fight over who gets to use it.

[dragonfly08]

When my kid wanted to help cook but was too short to reach the counter, she either stood on a stool or I brought something down to her level...a bowl on the floor (set on a towel both to catch spills and prevent slipping on the hardwood), etc. I could probably have found room to store something like that but honestly would have considered it a waste of money.