Families across the country have been using the Little Partners Learning Tower™ to introduce their toddlers to new worlds of adult-height enrichment activities. From baking, to art activities, to helping with chores around the house, the Learning Tower is the perfect way to transform those days of screens and chores into opportunities to share and bond.
Our families have spoken and we’re listening: the Learning Tower is a DO, and we’re proud to be a small part of their wellbeing and success! As with all of our products, we want to help you have the best experience you possibly can.
That’s why we’ve put together our comprehensive list of dos and don’ts with your Learning Tower. If you follow these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to make your Learning Tower time the most rewarding, safe, and exciting experience possible for you and your little buddy.
Hey! I’m New! What’s This Learning Tower Again?
The Little Partners Learning Tower is an all-wood, adjustable platform that takes the traditional step stool to new heights of creativity and functionality. By raising a child safely up to counter height, it nurtures a child's innate desire to be independent and to participate alongside parents and siblings.
Learning Towers are great for empowering your child to participate in those higher-up activity spaces where parents spend a lot of their time. It’s all about breaking down barriers that separate you from your child, and exploring new environments for learning, playing, and laughing together.
And Without Further Adieu…the Dos!
The Learning Tower is all about the doing, so let’s start there. Here’s everything you need to know to quickly and safely get your Learning Tower into action.
1. Make the Adjustment
Our Learning Towers were created to be sustainable and functional, and that means making them adjustable to keep up with children of all sizes, ages, and abilities. It’s designed for toddlers aged 2-6, and our platform adjusts to four different heights (Level 1: 10.59”, Level 2: 13.19”, Level 3: 15.79”, Level 4: 18.39”) to make sure everyone can get in on the action from the smallest to the tallest,
Oh, and unlike that IKEA table you barely managed to assemble, the Learning Tower doesn’t require tools of any kind to adjust.
And just how simple is it to get the right height for your child? Easy. All you have to do is adjust the platform to a height that is most approximately level with their lower mid-back.
That’s it! You’re good to go!
2. Watch and Learn
Like any product for little ones, we always recommend adult supervision when the Learning Tower is out and about. We’ve designed it to be stable and secure, but we’ve also noticed that kids have a way of discovering trouble when they’re on their own. Make sure to keep an eye out when it’s activity time.
3. Bring it on Home
Learning Towers are designed to give your child access to spaces like countertops they couldn’t otherwise reach, and making sure you push it all the way up against the counter will give your child added stability and support while they’re flying high.
By making sure there’s no open space in the front you’ll make sure everyone is having a fun and secure experience.
4. This Tall to Ride the Ride
Like all products for toddlers, we recommend a minimum of age of 2 for our Learning Tower, Explore ‘N Store Learning Tower, and Chef Series Learning Tower. The Limited Edition Learning Tower, however, is approved for 18+ mos. Little legs need enough strength to both stand AND balance comfortably to get the most out of all the new opportunities a Learning Tower can unlock, as well as arms that can reach far enough to get in on the action.
The Don’ts
As with any activity, there are always some things to avoid to make sure it stays enriching and fun. Here’s a few tips to consider when using your Learning Tower.
1. Pastry Chef, Yes! Sous Chef, No.
Shaping cookie dough and helping with the cakes are wonderful sensory activities for toddlers that fill their world with tastes, smells, and all kinds of magical ideas. However, stovetops are hot, and they are never safe spaces for curious, inexperienced hands.
The stove—or for that matter, any hot or unsafe surface—is ALWAYS a no-no.
2. Vegan is Great, but Avoid Raw Foods
When it comes to exploring food, it’s always best to make sure the things we handle are going to be cooked. Raw foods can house bacteria, and just like in the finest restaurants, err on the side of health and safety when it comes to consumables.
3. Watch those Sharp Edges
Adult-height spaces provide many wonderful opportunities for kids to form deeper, richer bonds with us. However, we do have to take a moment and remember that these spaces are where we sometimes keep adult things.
Give your countertop a once-over to make sure any kitchen knives, scissors, or other potentially inappropriate objects are stowed and secure.
4. Make Sure You’re Doing the Heavy Lifting
You’ve probably noticed that your child will model almost any behavior they see you do. They’re amazing, that’s for sure, but transporting the Learning Tower is an activity that’s best handled by you.
5. Safe Fashion Choices
Skip the socks while the tower is in use, little feet go a long way to secure their stance as they learn with you.
That’s It! Now Get Out There and Have Some Fun!
We’ve worked hard to make our Learning Towers as safe, fun, and enriching as we possibly can. Now that you know the dos and don’ts with your Learning Tower, you’re ready to start exploring!
For more information about the Learning Tower and all of our other products like easels and climbing and balance games, visit us at littlepartners.com.