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A Learning Tower is a unique step-stool meant specifically for toddlers and young children. It has enclosed sides so they don’t fall. The term “Learning Tower” was created and trademarked by Little Partners, Inc. so there is only one actual “Learning Tower”. Due to popularity, many people know the term and call all similar step-stools for children by that name. Similar to “Kleenex” for tissue, “Google” for searching or “Popsicle” for flavored ice on a stick.
Learning Towers are also called “kitchen towers” or “kitchen helpers” when made by other companies, as they are commonly used in the kitchen to bring young children to counter top-height.
This allows toddlers and young children to participate in the kitchen (or other places in your home). Learning Towers are much safer than traditional step stools (or standing on chairs) to reach counter-top height, but they still require supervision.
In the Kitchen
In the Bathroom
In the Dining Room
A Learning Tower or kitchen helper can be used from the age a child can confidently walk. There’s really no maximum age, but once your child can confidently reach and work on counter-top height, the Learning Tower/kitchen helper may not be as useful. For many this will be around ages 5 or 6.
Children can get years and years of use out of a Learning Tower/kitchen helper. The specifics will be dependent on your child and your specific Learning Tower. Many Learning Towers have adjusting height options to account for growing children.
There are SO many benefits to having a Learning Tower – for both you and your child!
We talked about the benefits, or pros, to getting a Learning Tower, but what about the cons?
There are a couple downsides:
Even taking into consideration the cons, we find the Learning Tower/kitchen helper to be well worth it!
If budget is a concern, you can often find Learning Towers used.
Although Learning Towers or kitchen helpers are often found in Montessori-inspired classrooms and homes, the Learning Tower in and of itself, is not Montessori.
However, the Learning Tower fits in perfectly with the Montessori philosophy. Montessori teachings emphasize the importance of child independence and learning/engaging in practical life skills.
There are several places to buy a Learning Tower or kitchen tower in the United States. Though the premise is the same, there are different variations that may appeal to you based on your specific wants and needs. Here are some of the most popular ones starting with the Original Learning Tower:
The Original Learning Tower from Little Partners (as mentioned above) is the only actual Learning Tower by name. It can be had in seven different colors ranging from white to apple green. It is constructed using layers of solid poplar and birch wood and painted using lead free and non-toxic paint.
The foldable kitchen helper from Guidecraft is a popular learning tower that can be found at Target. This is a good one if you’re tight on space as it can fold down to store easily. It also has extra features like a small dry erase board and chalkboard on the side.
Sous-Chef Toddler Tower from Sprout Kids
The Sous-Chef Toddler Tower from Sprout Kids is another popular Learning Tower/kitchen helper. This is the one we ultimately picked – keep reading for our review.
Various Handmade Learning Towers/toddler towers from Etsy
There are tons of Learning Towers/toddler towers on Etsy to choose from.
As previously mentioned, we ultimately ended up buying the Sprout Kids kitchen helper (called the Sous-Chef Toddler Tower). We decided on this specific Learning Tower for a couple of reasons:
We bought this for our daughter when she was slightly less than 18 months old so we were really conscious of the extra safety features that the Sprout Kids toddler tower had compared to other brands.
We have been VERY happy with the Sprout Kids Learning Tower/kitchen helper. It has a permanent home in our kitchen. We love that it allows our daughter to be involved in the kitchen. We often put her to work washing vegetables or fruits. She can do this task independently. Our Learning Tower also is a huge time and sanity saver as it allows our daughter to stay busy within our sight so we can make dinner of get things done in the kitchen.
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