18 Great Gifts for Foodie Kids

Chances are, your little foodie will want to help you in the kitchen long before they can reach the counter. This foldable tower, designed for kids 18 months to 6 years, gets them the extra inches they need to reach the countertops safely — and it looks beautiful while doing it.

I could write an entire guide exclusively about kids’ cookbooks, but because this isn’t that guide, I’m highlighting just a few of my favorites, including this one by grown-up cookbook author, Mark Bittman. What I love about it is that it doesn’t just include tested, well-written recipes — it also pushes kids to think about cooking in a more practical way, which is a skill that will serve them well into adulthood.

For little bakers, crumbs come with the task of whipping up (and eating) cakes, pies, and cookies, and this little bug-shaped crumb vac will get them, dare I say, as excited about cleaning up as they are about eating.

Kids love having their own tools to use in the kitchen, but this cutting board is so cute that you might want to snag it for yourself. Available in bear, elephant, and whale shapes, these boards are made of beechwood, and hand-washing is recommended.

Set your mini chefs up with success with a bundle of useful tools, including a whisk, spoon, spatula, spreader, and pastry brush in fun, bright colors that will help distinguish them from your own boring adult utensils.

C is for Cookie, and A is for this adorable apron from Hedley & Bennet, in a bright blue color with the cookie-loving monster. These durable, stylish aprons are the gold standard for pro chefs, home cooks, and your budding baker, and if Cookie Monster isn’t their monster of choice, you can also find Star Wars characters and sweet designs.

Encourage the food-loving kids on your gift list to play with their food with this super-fun dodgeball-meets-card game, Throw Throw Burrito. The fast-paced, silly game is a recipe for family fun. It's ideal for any kid 7 and up who has always dreamed of chucking a burrito at their mom (so, all of them).

We’ve had several play kitchens over the years for my two food-obsessed kiddos, and this stylish, white retro kitchen is by far my favorite. With its clean lines, retro finishings, and gold details, it is lovely enough to grace a shared space, not just a playroom. Kids will appreciate the included accessories — especially the cordless phone, which is a novelty to today’s youth.

Naturally your foodie tot will want some play food to stock their play kitchen, and this set of wooden play food comes with a little wooden knife so kids can practice their chopping skills. When they’re done, the pieces re-attach with Velcro.

If you know a kiddo who always wants to bake, an Easy Bake Oven will make all their culinary dreams come true. A revamped version improves on the design from when I was a kid, with a functioning heating element for whipping up cookies, cupcakes, and, with this particular bundle, some unicorn-themed treats.

Whenever I write a gift guide, I try to include toys that my kids have actually asked for, and this one is at the top of my 6-year-old’s list this year. With two main structures featuring kitchen appliances and a plethora of accessories, this is a foodie American Girl-lover’s dream. My favorite feature is the kitchen’s pink oven, which "cooks" a pan of lasagna or cinnamon rolls with an oven light that causes the items to change color.

America’s Test Kitchen is one of the best resources for grown-up cooks, so it’s no surprise that their kids’ cookbooks feature some of the smartest, most user-friendly recipes you could hope to find. This book is packed with tips that kids will appreciate learning as they try their hand at everything from kale chips to chewy chocolate chip cookies.

One of the best ways to understand different cultures is through food, and this subscription service delivers globally inspired culinary kits to kids every month. From Korean kimchi to Jamaican jerk, kids will get excited about traveling the globe from the comfort of their own kitchens.

A good chef’s knife is a non-negotiable for any serious chef, and Zwilling, maker of some of my own favorite knives, also makes a perfect knife for young chefs. Unlike plastic knives, the Twinny looks and feels like a real knife with a real stainless steel blade (so, adult supervision is a must), and it includes a handy cutting guide that helps teach kids the ever-important claw technique.

Help nurture a love of good food in the tiniest babies with these swoon-inducing booties shaped like little dumplings. If you already felt tempted to gnaw on wee baby feet, this set, which comes in an adorable felt steamer basket, is only going to make things worse (but, at the same time, so much better).

Maybe your resident foodie is more of a snacker than a maker. In that case, a subscription to the globally focused snack box Universal Yums will be a hit for them. Each month, they’ll unbox a smattering of snacks you can’t find at your local grocery store.

Give your toddler positive associations with fruits and vegetables with this shape-sorting grocery cart from Melissa and Doug. They’ll get to hone their imaginative play and hand-eye coordination while exploring shapes and colors, all while communing with cute, friendly veggies. Perfect for kiddos 12 months to 2 years old.

Food-related clothes and accessories are very on-trend at the moment, so if you’ve got a food-lover in the house, hook them up with something cute and kitschy, like a hair claw in the shape of their favorite foods, like shrimp cocktail, avocado toast, or pizza.