I bought these kids' knives so my 6-year-old and I can spend time together in the kitchen — they're safe and easy for her to use

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• I flourish when doing activities with my daughter as a way to spend time with her, and the Tovla & Co. Knives provide that opportunity in the kitchen.
• The knives are a cheap and safe way to get your kid involved in the kitchen.
• They are dishwasher safe, BPA free, and made from FDA-grade nylon.

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Growing up, dinner prep was an uneventful part of the day with my mom working solo in the kitchen, and us kids being sent outside to run around. I wasn't invited to join in the prep, but honestly, I wasn't going to give up tackle football for mixing flour, and my mom liked working alone.

In the small Brooklyn apartment where I now live with my wife and daughter, though, we don't have room for "alone." So eventually Ellis, my 6-year-old daughter, asked to help with meal prep, and since she and I bond by doing rather than talking like she and my wife, I was excited to have her be a part.

But handing over a glass mixing bowl and a large santoku knife to a first-grader would have been a major dad fail, so I took to Instagram where a friend suggested the Tovla & Co. Knives for kids, and now my daughter loves them.

At this point, you might be thinking, "My kid would never want to help," but I'd bet with their own knives they'd feel ownership in the kitchen. At the very least, try by reframing the ask: "Wanna help smash some walnuts with a hammer?" Yes!

Design and specs

The Tovla knives are recommended for kids ages 4 and older with adult supervision, feature a nonslip grip and serrated blade, and are made of BPA-free, FDA-grade nylon. They come as a set of three sizes: 10.5 inches, 9.5 inches, and 8.5 inches. You can get them in two different color packs featuring muted purple, pink, and green handles or the more vibrant yellow, green, and blue handles. We chose the former because my daughter likes seafoam green — not just "green," mind you.

Helping parents everywhere, these knives are dishwasher safe, and after more than a year of use, the handles have impressively retained their color without fade. Thanks to the nylon material, each knife is very light and easy for kids to use, and they don't scratch countertops when the cutting board is inevitably missed.

What they're like to use

Ellis loves anything new so she was excited to get into the kitchen and give them a shot. We started by talking about kitchen safety and the difference between Dad's knives and Ellis' knives. I wanted her to feel comfortable with hers, so I let her touch the nylon blade to her hands to see that it's safe and then we started cutting.

The key to the knives, we discovered, is using them on larger food items like apples, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, and celery and using a back and forth sawing action to utilize the serrated edge. My "if it's not perfect, it's broken'' perfectionistic daughter would sometimes get frustrated when the knife didn't cut with laser precision, but a little patience on both our parts usually saw us through.

Side note: I also use them for cutting up my scone dough because the nylon slides easier than my metal blades and doesn't ruin my Silpat baking sheet when cutting.

What makes them stand out

After more than a year of using these knives, there are few things that really stand out. Being nylon makes them easy to clean and dishwasher safe. I don't hand wash unless I have to, but they clean very quickly by hand if you need to reuse them on the spot. The design is simple and the colored handles set them apart from just being a basic baking knife.

Having them has definitely encouraged Ellis' work in the kitchen. Certainly, there are times she's not interested in helping out, but when I set out these knives and a small cutting board, all of a sudden she's much more interested, which is well worth their price tag.

The cons

One of the downsides is the obvious fact that they aren't super sharp, which can lead to kids being frustrated or wanting to give up. Also, the serrated edge makes cutting softer foods like tomatoes difficult, and it usually ended up squishing them and making a mess.

The bottom line

Of course, Tovla doesn't have the market cornered on kids' kitchen knives. A simple Google search brings up everything from wooden knives on Etsy to Opinel's more expensive stainless steel option, but unless your child is training for "Chopped Junior," these knives are an amazing way to introduce them to the kitchen all while creating an opportunity to spend time together, and who knows, after cutting the broccoli for dinner, I'll bet they might even eat it!

Pros: Light, cheap, safe, easy to clean, come in fun colors

Cons: Cutting certain foods can be frustrating, limited color options