Kala: Safe Kitchen Tools for Children

Varun Varma ’26 MFA (industrial design) created kitchen tools that help children cook safely alongside the adults in their lives. They were designed for Varma’s thesis research project.

The kitchen tools design problem

Children as young as 7 are capable of real cooking, and cooking at home builds fine motor skills, healthier eating habits, and family connection. Yet most kitchen tools for kids are either toys that don't really work or scaled-down adult tools that aren't intuitive. The result is parents keeping children out of the kitchen.

The kitchen tools design solution

“Kala” is a set of kitchen tools for children ages 7 to 11. Each utensil uses its form and color to guide small hands into a safe grip: a hand guard that teaches the claw grip, a peeler with a raised bump that keeps fingers clear of the blade, and wider tongs for hands still building strength. “Kala” is not a toy. It gives children real confidence in the kitchen and provides families with more ways to cook together.

The complete "Kala" kitchen tools set designed for an RIT industrial design MFA thesis project. It comes with a cutting board and storage caddies.

The wide tongs in use.

The kitchen tools set, designed at RIT, features a peeler with a raised bump so that it keeps fingers away from the blade. All photos by Elizabeth Lamark