Guidecraft Classic Kitchen Helper - Natural: Adjustable Height, Folding Step Stool For Little Kids, Toddler Safety Cooking Tower with Write-on Wipe-off Message Boards. Kids Learning Furniture

My wife had me convinced we wanted the Little Partners Learning Tower (accept no imitations, right?!?), but the size was a put-off in our rather cramped quarters, not to mention the price premium. This Kitchen Helper is typical bolt-together furniture quality -- nothing special, but after 4+ years of use, has proven durable enough for regular duty while being easy to assemble and convenient to fold & store. Its weight is relatively light -- light enough for our (at the time) 20 month old son to push around the kitchen to the location he desired, yet with a platform high enough for him to access the counter. It's also demonstrated remarkable stability, without any hit of tipping when our (now 5 and 3 year old) sons are sharing the space. We do hover in close proximity while the tower is in use. The chalk board and dry erase board are cheesy "painted on" surfaces, and each is centered on the folding side wall and so divided with large gaps smack down the middle. I don't see them being very usable surfaces to write on, especially since even light writing pressure on the writing surfaces will cause the unoccupied stand to slide across the floor. I suppose adding rubber grip strips on the feet would help a bit, but really I think was just a case of Guidecraft opting to fill available space with something of questionable value in order to fluff up their bullet list of "features." The biggest annoyance is the fold-down standing platform. As soon as I begin to unfold the flattened stand into its box shape, this hinged platform tries to flop down into its working position. Trouble is, there are two pivoting metal clasps below the platform that need to be locked in place to secure the tower sides from folding back in. Since both hands are involved in opening the stand, the platform usually bangs down in a loud and uncontrolled manner, and I'll have to lift it out of the way to work the latches. It's not a major problem, but I'd bet Guidecraft could have engineered in some magnets to keep the platform up and out of the way. And again, a rubber strip would soften the impact when this surface falls into place. In reality, the two latches are superfluous because the standing platform itself prevents the sides from folding back in. Also, I haven't yet used the single retaining screw to lock the platform into its deployed position. I might use it if I weren't interested in regularly folding the tower up after use, but it's unnecessary unless you have two kids and are worried about one sliding their fingers under the platform while another puts weight on the platform, creating a pinch hazard (though this hasn't yet presented itself as a problem). All in all, this is a great, lightweight, decent quality, stowable tower to get the little one in on the action in the kitchen. Hits for my guys are sorting noodles in Tupperware containers, helping to put wet dishes and silverware into the drying rack, cooking pancakes, and observing meal prep & cooking.

Came almost fully put together! We bought this as a second learning tower for our younger toddler because our kids were fighting over the one we had. Our first one was an older version of this same tower. We received it used and have had it for 3 years, we love that it folds and it looks attractive in our kitchen. Very sturdy, my kids love it. The new one has an addition of a non-slip pad where you stand, which I think is amazing for safety and love the upgrade.

This toddler step stool is very well made and very sturdy. The size is perfect for my one-year-old grandson. If folds up nicely and can be stored with little room. Very little work to put together. Highly recommend this product.

When we first saw the learning tower I fell in love. I wanted it. But we live in a small apartment and there was no way we could fit it reasonably. When we found this I was really excited though a littler nervous about the reviews that question it's quality. We ordered it anyway. We absolutely love it. Ours is really solidly made, not the least bit wobbly, and perfectly sized for our small kitchen. It folds easily and we love the adjustable height (though it should be noted that it is not foldable on it's highest height setting). WE don't use the screw on the platform and it is fine. Perhaps over time it will get more wobbly, who knows. I think it will be excellent for many purposes until then though--it is already great climbing practice and it will make a great puppet theater some day soon. It is very inexpensive so we can afford to replace it if we have to, it will still end up being the same as the learning tower while fitting our needs better. The only drawback are the cut out holes on the side that are very cute and great for peek-a-boo but do encourage further risky climbing. I just did an amazon search and it looks like now there is a "learning tower" just like this one but with open sides. I might have bought that one instead if it had been available.

Item arrived quickly and largely already assembled. Leg supports are all that needs to be added and my 22 month played on it while I put them on (8 screws, you'll need a phillips screw driver). Unlike some other reviewers, all holes lined up well, and on the whole, I'd say the quality is no worse than current IKEA stuff. I chose this over the pricier item because it can fold up and be put aside. Our small kitchen made this the right choice. About folding it up: a screw that attaches the platform to the base has to be removed in order to fold it up, giving you the choice of leaving this screw out to allow easy to fold at the risk of potential pinched fingers of a curious toddler (catching their fingers in the unsecured platform) or securing the platform and making it harder to fold up. I've gone with the former (though the screw comes out easily with a provided allen wrench). Quality: like I said, just fine. The hinges that allow it to fold up were a bit loose but easily tightened. I added felt to the bottom of the legs to protect our wood floors. Features: on one side is a chalkboard and the other a whiteboard- nice touches. The height of the platform is adjustable for your growing child. Issues: the leg supports extend beyond the item and I trip/stub my toes on them fairly routinely (again, small kitchen). As others have mentioned, the shapes on the side are a nice touch but also tempt children to climb on them. It hasn't fully solved our problem of our child wanting to be constantly held while we're cooking/cleaning... but it helps.

Update 7/11/19: Kiddo just shy of his fourth birthday, and we're still using this. Still no damage from water spills, I tie a flour sack towel through one of the shapes and he uses that to dry his hands. Kiddo can push this thing around the kitchen by himself, so he can go wash his hands anytime he needs to, and wet a cloth which he uses as a napkin/reuseable wipe for messes in the sink. Thanks to this, he's learning to prepare meals and cook with me still, and we have moved and are about to move again and this thing has withstood the test of time and durability. If your kid can stand up, seriously, just buy this for them. My kid is a little above average height for his age and he'll still be using this for a few more years yet. Most worthwhile "baby" item we've ever bought. Update 11/18/17: My kid is a little over two years old now, and this thing is still just as amazing as the day we bought it. He actually has started dragging it himself to get where he wants to go! So I'd say if you have a mischievous toddler and don't want them to get on the sink/counters by themselves to fold it up when not in use. We recently took it on a cross country move, and it was easy to disassemble the pieces that would stick out like the foot legs. Despite getting a ton of water exposure over the last year, this thing's finish is still beautiful and we've had no issues with water damage. It wipes up so easy and doesn't stain. Occasionally the top handle bar becomes a little wobbly, but it's a separate piece only about an inch thick on two sides of the rails and it's not like the whole side panel is wobbly, so it's not a big deal just to tighten once in awhile and does not affect the safety of the child using it. This thing has been one of the best investments we've ever made and I'd recommend this to any parent of a toddler! We got it when my son was 13 months old, and he loves to "help" in the kitchen. I was told by several he was too young for this, but I completely disagree! This keeps him busy for at least as long as I have to get things done and saves me from having to hold him the whole time. He's now 14.5 months old and is still on the highest setting. This thing gets SOAKED on a daily basis and is still in perfect first day condition. I would recommend getting some strips to help with slipping as the finish is great at keeping water out, but gets slick when wet. We got a package of this - "Adhesive 7.5" Non-Slip Safety Shower Treads - Clear" and they have been soaked, scraped and abused and are still going strong. This is easy to fold, but we keep it set up in our kitchen all the time. Our son does try to stick his feet through the cut outs when he's ready to get down and I can see how that might be a safety hazard. I don't ever leave him alone though, so we never have a problem, but I can see how it could turn into one. Overall, great purchase for a one year old and up, would highly recommend! This has quite possibly saved my sanity as a new mother. If I could afford it, I'd get this for any 1st birthday party gift from here on out!

Get it! This thing is surprisingly high quality. My toddler and I are both in love with it. It started out as an easy way to keep her contained while happy to be able to see what was going on in the kitchen, now it's an easy way for her to independently join in on cooking/eating/playing. It is sturdy enough that we can leave the side mesh panel open so she can climb in and out on her own. It's also super easy to clean. Highly recommend!

Best thing I bought for my toddler. It was easy to assemble and it is sturdy. We use it every day, worth every penny!

Bought this for our grandchildren. It went together without issues, folds very flat to store in the kitchen, is extremely sturdy and lifts the children to counter height where they can enjoy helping their mama cook and bake. Best used with one child at a time although our two year old twins will fit it it at the same time.

I absolutely love the Guidecraft Kitchen Helper! I bought it for my 18 month old daughter, so that she can be next to me while I'm in the kitchen, see what I'm doing, and get involved with some basic food prep as well. I hesitated at first, due to the price, but I am so glad I got it. It's one of my favourite purchases. When it is folded up, my daughter often asks for me to get it out. She just loves to be at the counter, and it's nice to not have her pulling at me and wanting up. She loves to to be in the Kitchen Helper. The quality is really good, and it's easy to fold up (we keep the bolt out as we take it out and fold it up frequently). It's also very easy to put together. A really great product that has made time in the kitchen with a toddler much more enjoyable!

We love our kitchen helper and so does our little one! She is slightly younger than the recommended age but was so eager to get in the kitchen with us so this was a great solution for that, and must safer than the step ladder she was climbing up and down on! We only wish there was a height level slightly higher as she isn't very tall yet and maybe a foot hole for getting up onto the platform. That would make it easier for her to get up herself as she is very independent! The non slip mat was a nice touch we didn't realize was included.

Fantastic product. Easy to assemble (most of it is already put together), well made. Worth the $$$

My wife wanted this for our 3-year-old. We've only had it a day, but they both love it already. He helped cook supper and was practically begging to help with dishes afterward. It's too early to tell if it's going to have this effect on him daily, but with any luck, it will at least help foster a love of cooking at a young age so that he can do more than heat up some nasty hot dogs and whip up some mac and cheese by the time he moves out. Assembly is super easy, too. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver to put the feet on. The only thing we don't like is that there is one hex key bolt that you need to install when in use, and remove to fold up for storage. You need to keep the key somewhere handy and it takes a bit of time to put in and out. It would have been much nicer if it was some kind of built-in locking mechanism, but hey, you can't have everything.