I knew I wanted a “kitchen helper stool” or “toddler learning tower stool” (whatever you want to call it) but the only ones I could find here in the States were so expensive. They look great quality, like this one from Little Partners, but just out of our budget. Like ever.
So as I was scrolling through Pinterest, as one does, I saw Sina from Happy Grey Lucky had instructions for an Ikea hack and I sent Daniel the link straight away. I am not handy at all, and neither is he (he will be the first to tell you that) but these instructions were great so I knew he could pull it off.
True enough, he did a great job with the toddler stool and Oliver loves helping him and I in the kitchen.
Pros and Cons of the Ikea hack toddler kitchen helper stool
Pros: 1) It’s cheaper than buying a ready made one. 2) Children can help with food preparation and enjoy their experiences with food. 3) It’s so light so you can move it around very easily to reach the sink for washing hands or even help with laundry.
Cons: 1) It’s not flat on the bottom where your child stands. It has a “handle” that little feet can lose their balance on. 2) The safety pole is very thin and Oliver actually lost his balance from his heel going in the “handle” and fell backwards, bum first, onto the step and then the floor. Obviously I was right next to him but didn’t see this coming so am a lot more careful when preparing food with him. I would buy a thicker dowel next time.
The stool looks very nice white, and probably would be better with a paint and sealer to help make cleaning it a little easier, but we are just leaving it “as is.”
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