Wooden starter knife
Product description:
Eco-friendly and safe wooden knife for toddlers (with adult supervision) and kids (independently from 3+) that actually cuts. It is a tool to encourage fine motor control and independence. 
It’s a great way to encourage children’s involvement in food preparation and kitchen tasks. This involvement correlates between where food comes from and encourages healthy eating patterns. It also may encourage fussy eaters to try new foods and be more experimental with new flavours and textures. It allows children to safely cut through fruit, vegetables, cheese and more…
Product Brief:
Wood type: Hard Beech wood
Dimensions: L 8.5cm X W 1.5cm X H 8cm
Handle: Grooved for easy grip
What are the benefits of involving young children in food preparation?
Meal preparation encourages a multi-sensory exploration. 
It is an important aspect of practical life.
Young children get introduced to healthy foods and promote healthy eating habits.
Children learn useful skills to gain independence and develop confidence.
They will be encouraged to try new tastes and textures. Food becomes more appealing to children when they have contributed to making it, it becomes a good strategy for picky eaters to become more adventurous and feel more connected to their food.
Young children can start with small and simple tasks through a sequence of activities. 
Assure that all tasks are developmentally appropriate for the child’s skill level and interest.
The developmental aspects of cooking with young learners.
Social-Affective Development: Hands on cooking activities help children develop confidence and new skills. Following recipes encourages children to be self directed and independent, it also teaches children to follow directions and develop problem-solving skills.
Physical Development: Fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills are developed through chopping and slicing. It trains dexterity in children’s hands at a young age. 
Cognitive Development: Cooking encourages children’s thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. It also allows children the opportunity to use the knowledge they have and apply it by counting, measuring, following a sequence, following directions, and cause and effect.
Language Development: Cooking offers the opportunity to develop language development by linking it to all other areas, including Mathematics, Science, Arts, and Literacy. This is done by encouraging children to talk about what they are doing, counting, and watching materials change color, texture, and medium.
Teaching knife skills to young children:
Teaching knife skills to children allows them to engage with their food in a pressure-free way within safe boundaries and sets them up with the life-long skill of handling sharp objects. 
Firstly, make it clear that knives are tools and not toys. 
Explain the function of the knife. 
Decide on boundaries before you start using the knife. 
Teach, Model, and Remind children. 
Toddlers are unable to use knives appropriately and perfectly at the beginning. Encourage experimentation under adult supervision and make learning a new skill a positive experience.
What’s a good age to start?
Every child is unique and develops at their own rate and pace. You know your child best. 
This is a general timeline to start using a knife:
Between 18 to 20 months: Possibly, even before. Choose a safe, stable space. Stand behind the child, holding the knife together, and cutting something soft (like a banana). Even making one or two slicing motions together counts as an introduction. Introduce simple cutting activities with adult supervision.
2 years old: By this age most children are ready to use the knife more independently. However, fine-motor control isn’t quite strong enough to control the knife with precision. Let children safely experiment under adult supervision.
3 and 4 year olds: By this stage, children will have gained more experience and due to their fine motor coordination developing, they are able to handle the knife with more precision and confidence. You may now be able to set children up with a cutting station while you work on other parts of the meal, while still supervising.
Product care:
After each use, wash the wooden knife with hot soapy water, rinse, and dry immediately. Allow to dry completely between uses. Store in a dry place.
Safety:
Use with adult supervision. Do not put in the microwave or dishwasher. Keep away from heat sources. Not recommended for cutting meat. Wash thoroughly after each use, avoiding products or materials that may scratch the wood, in order to prevent bacteria to set.