Raising Independent Toddlers: How a Learning Tower Helps Them Do More for Themselves
A learning tower helps a toddler do more for themselves by bringing them up to the bench, where everyday jobs happen. From there they can rinse fruit, stir a bowl or set out a snack, with an adult close by and actively supervising. The independence comes from the jobs themselves, one small job at a time.
This guide covers what a tower changes, which routines to start with, how to set up the kitchen, what a Montessori approach looks like at home, and what goes into our tower.
How does a learning tower help with toddler independence?
A learning tower, sometimes called a toddler tower or kitchen helper, changes where your child can stand. At bench height they can see the whole job, reach the parts you've set out for them and do one piece of it themselves, instead of watching from the floor or asking to be picked up.
Independence at this age is less about doing things alone and more about having a go: pouring, rinsing, stirring, putting a lid back on. The first few years are an especially active time for learning, connection and growing independence, and a tower gives those small attempts a place to happen.
A tower doesn't guarantee a confident child, and it doesn't need to. What it does is make "Can I help?" easier to say yes to. If you're curious why toddlers are so keen to help in the first place, we've looked at what the research says about toddlers wanting to help.
Which everyday routines can a toddler join from a learning tower?
Start with jobs you're already doing at the bench, where your child can take one clear part: meal prep, plating up, snack time, setting the table and drawing.
- Meal prep. Rinse vegetables, stir a bowl of cold ingredients or tear lettuce into a salad bowl.
- Plating up. Move the pieces you've already cut onto their own plate.
- Snack time. Choose between two snacks you've set out and fill their own bowl or tray.
- Setting the table. Put out plates and cups, then carry them over one trip at a time.
- Drawing and craft. Paint, glue or draw at bench height, or turn the tower into a table and chair and sit down for it.
For ideas sorted by age, see our list of kitchen jobs by age. Our five Montessori activities for a learning tower go through a few of these step by step.
Handwashing and teeth brushing at the bathroom sink are a different setup. Our tower is made for the kitchen bench. For the bathroom, our Toddler Wooden Step Stool, listed for ages 3+, is made for handwashing, brushing teeth and toilet training, and our guide to choosing a toddler step stool covers the bathroom checks.
How do you set up the kitchen so they can do more themselves?
Set up the space so the part your child can do is within reach, and everything else isn't. A few minutes of setting up makes the job theirs.
- Pick the spot. Put the tower at a clear stretch of bench with no cooktop, such as beside the sink.
- Clear the bench. Before your child climbs up, move knives, hot food and drinks, and cleaning products well out of reach.
- Set out only what the job needs. A bowl, a spoon and the fruit to rinse is plenty.
- Stay with them. Stay within arm's reach and actively supervise the whole time the tower is in use.
- Put it away after. Store the tower where your child can't climb in without you.
A low drawer with their own plate, cup and cloth also helps, because they can fetch what they need and put it back. Our care and safety guide has the full checklist.
Then hand over one small job at a time. Name it, show it once and let them finish it, even if a few carrots end up somewhere unexpected.
What does a Montessori approach look like in a home kitchen?
It means giving your child real, child-sized work in a space prepared for them, then stepping back enough to let them try.
In Montessori education, a prepared environment is a space that's organised, accessible to children and sized for them. At home that doesn't need special equipment. It can be a tower at the bench, a low shelf with their own plate and cup, and a cloth they can reach to wipe up a spill.
A learning tower is one way to bring the bench within reach. That's how we think about it, rather than a claim that a tower makes a home Montessori. Spills and slow jobs are part of it, and so is the moment they wipe up their own mess.
Why do families choose The Little Bunny learning tower?
Families choose ours for the 3-in-1 design, the testing behind it and the materials, from The Little Bunny, an Australian owned and operated family business.
- 3-in-1. It works as a tower at bench height, turns over into a table and chair, and has a chalkboard. Here's more on whether a 3-in-1 learning tower is worth it.
- Tested. It has been lab-tested to AS/NZS ISO 8124 by Eurofins.
- Materials. Made from sustainably sourced FSC-certified wood.
- Fit. The standing platform is fixed at 40 cm, the climbing step refits in three positions, and the frame is 86 cm tall on a 40 × 36 cm footprint.
- Age and supervision. Designed for children aged 1 to 5. Direct adult supervision is required every time the Learning Tower is used.
Ready to bring your little one into everyday routines, one small job at a time? Meet the Fox Learning Tower.
Common questions: Raising Independent Toddlers
Quick answers to what usually comes up next
What age can a toddler use a learning tower?
Ours is designed for children aged 1 to 5, and direct adult supervision is required every time it's used. Within that range, choose jobs that match what your child's hands can do now.
How is a learning tower different from a step stool?
A step stool lifts a child up. A learning tower lifts them up and puts a frame around them, so they can stay at the bench for the length of a job. For a quick boost at the bathroom sink, a step stool is the simpler choice.
Does a toddler need a learning tower to help in the kitchen?
No. Plenty of jobs work at a low table, like tearing lettuce or putting wooden spoons back in their place. A tower helps when the job is at the bench and you'd like them beside you.