The kitchen is a hazardous environment for children: hard surfaces, sharp corners, sharp edges and flammable materials, to name but a few. It wouldn’t really be practical to simply ban them from this room, but it’s worth taking a few precautions to ensure their safety.
We have previously written about the fact that How to make your kitchen safer for your children. Here are another 5 tips worth considering and putting into practice to ensure our children and grandchildren are safe in this corner of the home too.
#1. Choose rounded corners
Did you know that there can be a big difference between the edge finishes on kitchen worktops? Although this isn’t true of every material, the range of edge profiles available is very wide: from rounded edges and semi-circular profiles to countless variations featuring more complex cross-sectional designs. In a child-friendly kitchen, always opt for the rounded version; that way, if your little one accidentally bumps into or falls against the worktop, they’ll get away with only minor injuries.
#2. Hygiene is very important
Has your child ever spilled or dropped something on the kitchen worktop? Let’s face it, this doesn’t just happen with children. But they might actually find it fun to play with food or splash it about. It’s worth choosing materials that can withstand a bit of rough and tumble, such as quartz or HPL worktops. You can read about the different types of worksheets and their basic features in our previous article.
#3. Child-friendly heights
Children love imitating their parents, and especially when they’re still little, they enjoy helping out in the kitchen. If you can, set up a section of the kitchen that’s at the right height for the little ones, so they can use it happily and safely. For example, a small table with little chairs or a mini „kitchen worktop” where they can make sandwiches together with a bit of help from their parents. This is great fun for the children, keeps them occupied, and is far safer than having to stand on a stool and clamber onto the kitchen worktop.
#4. Touch-free hand washing
Children may find it difficult to use taps, and let’s face it, they don’t really like washing their hands that much. Traditional taps are inherently harder for them to turn on, and what’s more, there’s a risk of children scalding themselves with both these and the easier-to-operate lever taps. By choosing a touch-free solution and setting the default temperature to a safe level, it’s much easier and safer to „teach” children to wash their hands.
#5. Have your own account
Child-proof storage is important, but it’s also important for them to have their own drawer or small cupboard where they can keep things that aren’t dangerous but are interesting enough to take their mind off further „explorations”. They can keep their own plastic plates, bowls and cups in there, along with a snack or two that they can decide when to eat. This way, we can show them that we don’t want to exclude them from kitchen activities, whilst at the same time keeping them safe.
If we really want to design a child-friendly kitchen, it’s worth looking into everything thoroughly. Of course, a professional kitchen designer can be a great help here too; they can provide us with detailed recommendations, are familiar with all the „pitfalls”, and can also advise on which materials to use to bring our ideas to life, ensuring the kitchen is robust and durable without compromising on design. Please feel free to contact the experts at Mobilan!
