Safe use of a fork and knife is a lifelong skill. There is no shortage of events where food will need to be cut! Weddings, business lunches, retirement parties, weekend brunches, and even more mundane meals such as the random Tuesday dinner. Kinder Cutlery can help with the learning process so that children can be independent and you can relax more.

This varies from child to child. One indicator is the strength of their fine-motor skills. For example, their ability to draw or write, use scissors, dress themselves, or do puzzles. Proficiency in these activities is not a prerequisite to introducing a fork and knife; however, children can get discouraged if they are forced to try things before they are ready. Other signs include showing an interest in using a fork and knife or learning new things, and their eagerness to be more independent and take on challenges.

We suggest soft foods, such as certain fruits (bananas, pears, peaches, melon, strawberries, and squash) and vegetables (roasted, steamed, or boiled carrots, potatoes, broccoli, or cauliflower), pancakes, waffles, omelets, sausage, hotdogs, meatloaf, lasagna, ravioli, and fish. Kinder Cutlery’s fork and knife can be used to cut many foods, including tender cuts of meat! 

Your child’s feet should be touching the floor. If they aren’t, place a cardboard box underneath their feet. This promotes stability and balance. Also, make sure the table height is below your child’s sternum and above their bellybutton. You may need to use a booster seat or use a different chair or table. This helps your child feel comfortable and places them in a strong position for cutting food.

We recommend use by children between 4 and 8 years old. This is when children are strengthening fine-motor skills, growing more independent, and want to try new things and demonstrate their achievements. In addition, we tested the shape and size of our handles to fit this age group.

Ask your child to place their index fingers into the fork and knife finger pockets. Typically, the dominant hand holds the knife. If it isn’t clear which hand is dominant, you can ask your child which hand they use to write or color, or like to give high fives with.

Using a mnemonic device—such as “stick, slide, slice”—can help children remember the steps to cut their food into bite-sized pieces. Stick the fork into the food. Slide the knife along the back of the fork until it touches the food. And slice, slice, slice with the knife until the bite comes free.

Finally, and importantly, confirm the food is bite-sized so that it is safe to eat. You can tell your child they should only eat “baby bunny bites” so that they, too, can think about the size of the food they are eating.

You can also visit our Product Use Guide for visual, step-by-step instructions.

First, they are designed to be easy-to-use, for both child and parent. The finger pockets help children quickly learn where to place their fingers without much intervention from a grown up. No more hand-over-hand instruction!

Second, they actually teach a skill. Your child will learn how to safely and efficiently cut their own food the right way.

And finally, they are fun! Fork-and-knife skills may not be the most exciting life lesson to learn. Our kid-friendly colors and cute details help keep children engaged.

Yes. Our utensils are made of stainless steel and food-grade silicone. They, along with our packaging, have passed quality control standards and U.S. consumer safety tests for children's utensils. They are free from toxic materials, including lead, cadmium, BPA, and phthalates.

Yes, we think so! Great Britain has granted us a utility patent, and we currently have utility patents pending in the United States and Norway.

Here's a link to our Shipping Policy. For information on returns, refunds, and exchanges, check out our Refund Policy.

Not yet. We are working on it! Stay tuned.

For information on returns, refunds, and exchanges, check out our Refund Policy.