Your child wants to watch you at the kitchen counter and drags a kitchen chair over. Recognizable, and not very handy. A wooden learning tower solves this: your child stands on an adjustable platform with sides and a safety bar around them, at exactly the right height to join in. In this guide, you will read from what age it makes sense, what to look out for when choosing one, and what you can do together at the kitchen counter.

What exactly is a learning tower?

A learning tower, also called a kitchen helper, is a wooden step stool with a platform that you can adjust in height and a safety frame at the top. The idea comes from the Montessori philosophy: a child who wants to help out at home simply joins in, under their own power and without you having to lift them up all the time.

The difference with a regular step stool lies in that safety frame. On a small ladder, your child stands freely on a step. In a learning tower, they stand inside an open frame, with something to hold onto and support behind them. That is why children also stay standing in them longer, because they do not have to constantly focus on their balance.

From what age, and until when?

As soon as your child stands and walks independently, usually around 18 months, they can use a learning tower. One child is ready sooner than another, so look especially at whether they stand firmly on their feet and can climb the steps themselves.

At the upper end, it usually wraps up around five years of age. By then, your child is tall enough to reach the counter with a regular step stool. So you can count on three to four years of use, and keep that in mind regarding the price. The 3-in-1 wooden learning tower from Fits4Kids is made for 18 months to 5 years and has three heights, so the platform grows with them instead of being too low after a year.

What should you look for when buying a learning tower?

Stability and weight

A light tower slides away when your child pulls themselves up on it. Therefore, look at its own weight and the weight capacity. Around 9 kg is a nice middle ground: heavy enough to stay put, light enough to move around yourself. Non-slip feet make a big difference on a slippery floor or tiles.

Adjustable height

This is where models differ the most. A single fixed height often only works for a year or a year and a half. With three positions, you set the platform high in the beginning and lower it as your child grows. Also check how much work it is to adjust. A screwdriver and five minutes is fine, half an hour of puzzling with loose bolts is not.

Safety bar or closed sides

A learning tower should have protection on all sides: closed sides and a bar or panel behind your child. This allows them to turn and reach without stepping off. Also pay attention to the entry side. A low entry with wide steps is something your child can manage themselves, a high first step is not.

One thing remains true, no matter how good the tower is: stay close by as long as your child is standing in it. Especially near the stove, hot water, and knives on the counter.

Foldable or 3-in-1

If you have a small kitchen, this point is very important. There are two routes. You can fold a foldable learning tower flat after use and place it against the wall or in the hallway closet. Great if the tower really needs to be put away, less convenient if your child wants to use it three times a day, because then you will be folding it up and down three times as well.

The other route is a 3-in-1 model. You fold this down into a small table with a chair, so the tower does not disappear but becomes something else: a place to draw or eat. This works well if you have a corner where it can stay. The 3-in-1 model from Fits4Kids goes from an 87 cm tower to a 44 cm table with a seat, and has a chalkboard in the tabletop.

Wood or plastic

Wood is heavier and therefore more stable, and you can sand away a scratch. Plastic is lighter and easier to wipe clean, but is more likely to slide on a slippery floor. If you go for wood, look at the finish: plywood with a child-friendly lacquer has no splinters and can handle a wet cloth. Also ask where the tower is made and if it has been tested. The model in our learning towers collection is made in Europe and has been tested by TÜV Rheinland.

What do you do together at the kitchen counter?

A learning tower that just stands in the corner is a waste. These are chores that already work from about two years of age:

• Washing vegetables. A colander, the tap on, and a handful of carrots. Your child will easily be busy for ten minutes, and it does not have to be neat.
• Kneading dough or cutting out cookies. Messy, but there is little to ruin and the result goes into the oven.
• Pouring drinks themselves. A small pitcher of water and a cup. The first few times it will go wrong, but after that, it goes surprisingly well very quickly.
• Helping with the dishes. Cutlery and plastic containers in soapy water. The suds are the main attraction.
• Brushing teeth at the sink. The tower does not have to stay in the kitchen.

If your child is tired of the kitchen counter and you have a 3-in-1 model, fold it down into a table. Drawing on the chalkboard works well, and magnetic tiles fit perfectly on it from 3 years of age because your child can reach them standing or sitting.

Frequently asked questions

From what age is a learning tower suitable?

Usually from 18 months, as soon as your child stands and walks independently. It remains useful until about 5 years, after which your child can reach the counter with a regular step stool. Always follow the manufacturer's age recommendation.

Is a learning tower safe?

A good learning tower is stable, has closed sides, a safety bar behind your child, and non-slip feet. That does not make supervision unnecessary: stay close by as long as your child is standing in it. Toys and children's furniture we sell comply with European requirements. Moreover, the learning tower has been tested by TÜV Rheinland.

What is the difference between a learning tower and a step stool?

A step stool is a step without a safety frame. A learning tower has sides and support behind your child, allowing them to turn and reach without stepping off. This also allows them to stand in it longer, which makes all the difference when cooking.

Which learning tower fits in a small kitchen?

Look for a foldable model that you can place flat against the wall, or a 3-in-1 that you fold down into a table with a chair. Measure the free space in front of the counter beforehand, because a tower of about 42 by 32 cm still needs space around it to get in and out.

Are you still doubting between models? Put your child on a chair at the counter once and see how long they stay standing. If they stick around, a learning tower will be used daily in your home. View the Montessori products from Fits4Kids and choose something that fits your child's age.