One question I get asked a lot here at Kids Cook Real Food™ is: “What are the best knives for kids?”
On today’s Healthy Parenting Connector, we’ve got all our kid knives out and we’ll be going over the pros and cons of each to help you decide which knives will suit your needs best!
We talk about knives specifically made for kids, plastic safety knives, our favorite kid knife that shows up in the Kids Cook Real Food™ videos, and even dollar store paring knives. Be sure to check out the links to everything we talk about below!
Watch BEST Knives for Kids Review on YouTube.
No time to watch the whole video? Here are the notes!
“Mooooom, I’m hungry!!”
How many times do your kids ask for snacks each day? Wouldn’t it be a relief if they were empowered to prepare their own snacks, instead of coming to you and whining about how hungry they are?
Download and print:
Our Reviews of Knives for Kids
- 0:47: We start out with a quick rating of each kid knife in case you want the overview but don’t want all the details of the review.
- 1:54: We start out with a plastic safety knife. Technically they’re made for cutting lettuce, but I’ve seen them promoted as good kid-safe knives. They actually teach poor knife skills and aren’t good for much more than lettuce and maybe some cucumbers. Not something I recommend for teaching kids to cook.
- 3:11: Your least expensive option here is a dollar store paring knife. It will have some of the same limitations as the plastic safety knife. Since the blade is so short you can’t easily cut something like an apple, and it may not be heavy-duty enough for a carrot. It’s definitely a good option for a kid knife when they’re just getting started since it can cut softer vegetables like cucumbers, zucchini, and mushrooms.
Knives Made for Kids
- 4:36: This set from TruChef is made for kids. We have a 4″ paring knife and a 4.5″ chef’s knife. They don’t have a point which could be a pro or a con depending on the age and skill of your child. Paul and Leah both don’t prefer these knives because they have more advanced knife skills and prefer a pointier tip.
- 6:55: Next up is the Kai Little Chef knife which is very similar in shape to the TruChef with a dull point, but it’s longer and sharper. We compare the two. If you don’t want a pointy tip, this is the closest you’re going to get to a real chef knife for your child.
Regular Knives Kids Can Use
- 10:03: The Victorinox chef’s knife has a nice handle. Paul likes this one because he can wash his hands frequently and the handle doesn’t get slippery. This is not a knife made for kids, just a regular chef’s knife. It’s ranked #2 by America’s Test Kitchen and is significantly more affordable than the #1 Wusthof.
- 10:57: We also have a Victorinox utility knife. Leah really likes this knife and uses it all the time. It’s a very solid knife for a low price point.
- 12:43: Paul demonstrates the Victorinox chef’s knife. This may be his favorite knife. Paul’s only complaint about this knife is that the plastic of the handle extends past the bottom edge of the blade so you sometimes have to adjust your grip. It’s nice and sharp and a good size for advanced knife skill students.
- 14:28: The 6″ Wusthof chef’s knife is our “standard for excellence” because it’s my personal favorite that I’ve had for many years. I wouldn’t go any longer than 6″ with knives for kids. Because it’s a full tang, well-made knife it will probably last longer than the others we’ve shown here, but it’s also the most expensive.
Safety Features for Kid Knives
- 15:43: We have a pair of safety gloves specifically made for children. Leah says she would rather cut with her bare hands, but if a child is timid about using sharp knives this may help reassure them. I’m pleased with the fit. They’d probably fit the average 6-10 year old well.
- 17:57: Our final knife is an Opinel kid knife which comes with a knife guard. The knife has a loop for your pointer finger to remind you how to hold it. The guard hooks onto your fingers and blocks your knuckles from the knife. This one seems good for someone who is just learning.
- 20:26: Watch the behind the scenes bloopers!
Clean Your House Green!
You can use Branch Basics floor to ceiling in your house. It comes as a concentrate which you mix with water in their reusable bottles for cleaning everything from windows, counters, floors…even laundry and hand soap!
I love that Branch Basics is a safe, all-natural cleaner. It’s environmentally friendly and unscented!
Give it a try! You won’t have to buy another specialized cleaner again!
I give Branch Basics a little boost in this natural all purpose cleaner recipe.
Not convinced about using green cleaners? Check out this interview!
Links to All the Knives for Kids
Kid Knives shown in the image above from left to right:
- Dollar store paring knife
- TruChef set (white and blue handle) (The set linked is slightly different from what we have and includes a third knife and a peeler now.)
- Victorinox Utility Knife (medium black handle)
- Opinel Le Petite Chef (red handle)
- Kai Little Chef Club (yellow handle)
- Victorinox Chef’s Knife (larger black handle)
- Wusthof 6″ Chef Knife (this is the one in many of the Kids Cook Real Food™ course videos)
Paleovalley Meat Sticks
It can be hard to find healthy snacks that you can take with you on the go. When I want the convenience of a jerky stick, but want a healthy, protein-packed snack option, I grab Paleovalley meat sticks. Paleovalley ingredients have these high standards that you can feel good about:
- 100% Grass-Fed Beef & 100% Pasture-Raised Turkey
- Never given antibiotics or hormones
- Gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free
- 0 grams of sugar*
- Contains no artificial nitrates or nitrites
- Non-GMO
- Naturally fermented and contain gut-friendly probiotics!
*With the exception of Teriyaki, which contains 2 grams of sugar from Organic Honey.
These beef sticks and turkey sticks taste delicious! My favorite is the Jalapeño but my kids love Summer Sausage.
Use this link to get 15% off your order at Paleovalley. Read my Paleovalley Review to learn more!
Knife Safety Tools:
These are the nylon knives we mentioned that we don’t love.
See here to see what another organization (who doesn’t actually show you the knives in the hands of real children) thinks!
You can see all the kid-friendly kitchen tools we recommend here.
What You Should Do Next:
1. Subscribe to the Healthy Parenting Handbook Newsletter
I interview experts about kids’ health every week – stay in the loop with a quick Saturday morning email:
New privacy measures can make pop-up buttons inaccessible – if the button doesn’t respond, here’s a simple, secure link to subscribe.
2. Try a Free Preview of My Cooking Class for Kids
Our members’ favorite lesson is always our 10-minute knife skills and safety class, teaching techniques with unique & memorable phrases from butter knives to chef’s knives (ages 2-teen). Take a peek here and try it out with your kids.
3. Enroll in the Online Cooking Course for Kids:
Enroll now in the Wall Street Journal’s #1 recommended online cooking class for kids (also rated 5 stars on Facebook). See what fits your family best HERE.
About Katie Kimball
Katie Kimball, CSME, creator of Kids Cook Real Food™ and CEO of Kitchen Stewardship®, LLC, is passionate about connecting families around healthy food. As a trusted educator and author of 8 real food cookbooks, she’s been featured on media outlets like ABC, NBC and First for Women magazine and contributes periodically on the FOX Network.
Since 2009, busy moms have looked to Katie as a trusted authority and advocate for children’s health, and she often partners with health experts and medical practitioners to stay on the cutting edge. In 2016 she created the Wall Street Journal recommended best online kids cooking course, Kids Cook Real Food™, helping thousands of families around the world learn to cook. She is actively masterminding the Kids’ Meal Revolution, with a goal of every child learning to cook.
A mom of 4 kids from Michigan, she is also a Certified Stress Mastery Educator, member of the American Institute of Stress and trained speaker through Bo Eason’s Personal Story Power.