So, I understand from my brother how my nieces are all into "American Girl" which would naturally make a great gift for them. Just like the "Thomas the Tank Engine" crap I had to buy my nephew until he moved on to Pokemon fifteen minutes later.

I think I'm going to get them a pizza peel, stone and cutter and we'll make some pizzas together. That part is easy and I know where to get that. But I'd like to get a kid-sized apron and even a kid-sized chef's hat, just like the guy who says, "You've tried all the rest. Now try the best!" on the pizza box.

Any suggestions on where I can pick something like that up? Fast? Like by Friday? Bonus points for the suggestions that are closest to Arlington.

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Dude -- Perfect!

-----> Clique deux

I once got an electric ice cream maker for a special child, along with an age-appropriate recipe book, and it was a huge it.

My sister tells me that my 6 year old nephew is showing an interest in cooking and I would like to get him something cooking related for the holiday. Do any of you have any recommendations for kids knives, cooking classes, or other gifts?

Thanks in advance!

Here are a few ideas: Click.

Molly Katzen (Moosewood) has a couple of cute cookbooks for young kids - Pretend Soup and Salad People. They might be a little TOO young for a six year old, but they do include step-by-step illustrated instructions so kids can help prepare the dish. Key here is to have an adult who is willing to take the time to do the cooking with their child helper.

Not sure you want to be supplying a 6y.o. with a knife , but Williams-Sonoma does have kitchen tool set for kids with a whisk, spatula, and grater ($39). Better yet, La Cuisine has a very complete little cook tool set for half the price. Buy local !

Depending on where your nephew lives, the Post cooking class list includes a long list of classes for children with varying age minimums.

Years ago, I gave a friend's young daughter Fanny at Chez Panisse. I thought it looked like an interesting combination of story and recipes. I have no idea how much it got read/used.

The Molly Katzen books are a good place to start. My girls like the Marion Cunningham kids cookbook quite a bit as well. Williams Sonoma has several kids cookbooks - we especially like the baking one, but use both quite frequently.

Depending where your nephew lives, cooking classes for most ages are offered at the McLean Community Center - the teacher has extreme levels of patience.

I don't think 6 is too young to teach how to use a knife, peeler, etc for food such as some vegetables and fruit - we started even earlier with an Oxo paring knife and vegetable peeler, but I will say that girls tend to have better small motor skills at ayounger age and may handle the tools a bit better than boys at the same age.

My kids love to work with a manual pasta maker - they started this at a very young age as well. Even a young child can turn the handle or drop the filling into ravioli squares.

Other ideas are to group some of the very inexpensive but colorful measuring cups and spoons such as those sold at Safeway, with a wooden spoon, cookie book (Klutz used to have a great laminated brochure with the ten most popular cookie recipes). a cookie sheet, and dishtowel (encourage cleaning up after themselves early and hope it sticks; unfortunately, it doesn't always!).

For future reference, seeing the first post about aprons - Michael's and AC Moore craft stores usually carry plain aprons in child sizes - you can give as gifts with puffy paints for the kids to decorate.

Here's another one. I saw a kid's apron and tools set for $39.99 in the Cooking Enthusiast catalog. Click here and enter item# W7305010 under Catalog Quick Order for Kid's Cooking Set.

There's one for older kids too, called Honest Pretzels. The Moosewood books are vegetarian, and my little carnivores are not so interested in them. The Kid's Cookbook from Williams-Sonoma has been a hit with my 8-year-old. My 5-year-old loves The Good Cook series, but you may not want to have to track them down on the internet.

Why fool around with kid stuff? I say teach them young that life is hard and life is earnest. Give them Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and a good chef's knife

My mom recently dug this out of a box behind the furnace or something. My first cookbook.

Ikea has cute children's aprons for $4.99, as well as attractive kitchen stuff you could put a "kit" together with very reasonably.