One of the best items we bought for our little girl was the Learning Tower. This acquisition turned out to be extremely useful, not only for our daughter, but for us too.
For those of you who don’t know what the Learning Tower is, I will explain it in detail.
The Learning Tower
The Learning Tower is a fully adjustable height step stool with safety rails made of solid wood (it is also known as a children’s observation deck). Its role is to safely help your child satisfy his curiosity regarding your activities in the kitchen by raising him up to the counter height.
In addition, The Learning Tower not only offers your child the possibility to help you out in the kitchen (washing fruits and vegetables, mixing different ingredients when preparing meals, cutting biscuit dough using different shapes, making crafts etc.). Besides these, it also stimulates your child’s learning ability, creativity and imagination and gives him the opportunity to feel independent, helpful, an active member of the family.
On the other hand, the Learning Tower give us, parents, the opportunity to do kitchen chores while our children help us or play in a totally safe environment which will work until they reach a certain age.
There are many types of Learning Towers on the market and some DIY tutorials, too (we, personally, don’t recommend making one).
However, before buying or making a Learning Tower there are certain rules of safety you must consider:
- It must be made of solid wood;
- It has to be heavy and stable, in case your child bends over the edge;
- It’s gravity center must be low to allow your child to move the Learning Tower around without hurting himself;
- It must have four-sided railings to provide support while your child climbs in;
- It must have a safety rail to prevent your child from falling while inside;
- It has to be smooth (with no sharp edges or corners);
- The paint used should be non-toxic and lead-free.
We bought ours when our daughter was 1 year and 9 months old (we should have bought it earlier). So, after a bit of research we chose The Original Learning Tower by Little Partners over Guidecraft Kitchen Helper. These two were the ones that we preferred.
Below is a comparison of the two products.
 |  |
| The Original Learning Tower | Guidecraft Kitchen Helper |
| $199.99 | $124.81 |
| Dimensions: 39 x 24 x 22 in | Dimensions: 20.2 x 5.5 x 40.2 in |
| Weight: 35 pounds | Weight: 21.5 pounds |
| Age: 18 months – 6 years | Age: 24 months – 6 years |
| Solid wood construction made from layered Birch & Poplar with a non-toxic, lead-free finish. | Birch plywood, beech solids with a durable UV polyurethane finish. |
| Platform adjusts to 3 heights. | Platform adjusts to 2 heights. |
| Tested to hold up to 500 lbs. | Lightweight unit holds up to 150 lbs. |
| It is solid, it doesn’t fold. | Folds flat for storage. |
| Cleans easily with a damp cloth. | Cleans easily with a damp cloth. |
| View The Original Learning Tower | View Guidecraft Kitchen Helper |
In conclusion…
The Original Learning Tower fulfills all the conditions above and we are very pleased with it. Our little girl (she is almost 2yo now) moves it around the kitchen by herself and she gets in and out of it by herself, too. She loves washing fruits and vegetables or playing in the sink with spoons and bowls filled with water. We both enjoy playing with dough, making biscuits, cookies or noodles. She also likes to sort various grain foods like beans, lentil, rice, millet, etc.
We can easily find a use for the learning tower while we spend time in the kitchen and our daughter is always excited. It gives her the opportunity to feel active, engaged in helpful activities and relieves her curiosity in a constructive way.
Is your child using a Learning Tower? Do you find it useful?
