A learning tower, also commonly called a “toddler tower” or “kitchen helper,” is a special stepstool designed to help a young child up to counter height with a few more safety features than a generic stepstool.
I’ve been using the Little Partners Explore ‘N Store Learning Tower with my toddler for several months, and it’s a great tool to channel her energy while I’m in the kitchen. She gets to be near me while I cook or wash dishes, and I know she’s more stable than if I were to perch her on a kitchen chair or a regular stepstool.
My daughter loves to “wash dishes” from her learning tower, and I love that she’s happily occupied and contained. Although this tower isn’t perfect (keep reading for details), I’m pleased with the purchase.
Explore 'N Store Learning Tower
Specifications
- Weight limit: 150 pounds.
- Dimensions: 22.28 inches long x 19.56 inches wide x 33.50 inches high (with step down).
- Recommended age: Children 2 to 6 years old.
- Colors: Six.
- Levels: Four.
- Foldable: Small step folds up.
- Safety tested: Yes.
- Warranty: Lifetime.
Pros
- Has four levels to grow with your child.
- Features a slim profile.
- Is short enough to fit under my kitchen counter.
Cons
- Is slippery when wet.
- Isn’t truly foldable (just the step folds up).
- Shows scratches and marks.
Learning Tower Assembly
I purchased the Little Partners toddler tower on Amazon about 5 months ago. It arrived in a tall, skinny box, and it required assembly. Little hands were not helpful due to all the parts and screws, so I worked on putting the tower together while my husband kept our daughter in the other room.
I thought assembly was straightforward while following the included instructions, and I was able to put the learning tower together by myself. The most annoying part of the process was cleaning up the little pieces of packing material that flaked off and floated around my kitchen floor.
Explore ‘N Store Tower Safety
Although not a hefty piece of furniture, I’ve found the Little Partners tower to be reasonably sturdy. I also checked saferproducts.gov for this model and didn’t find any complaints.
Little Partners states that the tower is safety tested and is “certified safe and non-toxic.” The company references several ASTM (Advancing Standards Transforming Markets) standards, as well as compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s TSCA Title VI and the Forest Stewardship Counsel (FSC). Little Partners did not respond after I reached out asking for more information on how safety testing was conducted.
Sturdiness
This learning tower is fairly light, and my toddler can push it across the kitchen and up to the counter when she wants to use it. Although this could be seen as a downside, I far prefer her being able to scoot it across the floor than being able to topple it over.
So far I haven’t had any tip-overs while my daughter is using the kitchen helper tower. She likes to go on tip-toe to reach items on the counter, and I keep a close eye on whether her weight is shifting too far for safety. The tower has a sticker with a line on it cautioning that your child’s waist should not be above it. This keeps the center of balance in a safe spot.
Potential Fall Risks
I’ve noticed that the platform can get slippery when wet. The package contained little foot-shaped “treads” for the step, which I opted not to use since they didn’t cover much space on the step and looked difficult to wipe clean.
Little Partners separately sells a silicone mat that is non-slip with a textured surface for the platform, but it’s been sold out when I’ve sporadically checked the website. I haven’t found another satisfactory mat or solution, so I’ve stuck with closely monitoring that the platform stays dry when my toddler is “washing dishes” in the sink.
Another caution I have about the Little Partners toddler tower is that it lacks a middle back safety bar that some competitors have. Even though my toddler is a confident walker and has good standing balance, I still stay very close when she’s on the tower. When she first started using it a few months ago, I’d prop my foot on the back edge behind her to physically block against an accidental slip.
Size Adjustments for the Learning Tower Platform
The Explore ‘N Store tower offers four platform height options. My daughter currently uses the top level.
The platform is easy to adjust. It’s attached with four screws with a plastic end that is easy to grip and turn. You remove the four screws, then re-insert them at the new level and tighten to secure it.
The recommended age from Little Partners for this toddler tower is 2 years old (up to 6). My daughter is younger than that but a confident walker, so she’s on the short side for using it. She can’t yet use the step to crawl up to the platform because of the height, so I lift her up into the learning tower. Once she’s tall enough for the lower levels of the platform, I think the step will come in handy for her to climb in herself.
Space and Storage for the Toddler Tower
Due to my kitchen layout, the learning tower gets shuffled around my kitchen space when not in use. While it advertises as being a “folding toddler tower,” only the step folds up. It’s not truly foldable like some of the brand’s other models or competitors.
I find its height (33.5 inches) to be perfect. In fact, one of the reasons I bought this tower was because it is on the shorter side of toddler towers I’d looked at, and it fits under my kitchen counter overhang.
The tower has a fairly small footprint at roughly 22.25 inches by 19.5 inches, which I find manageable as it floats around my kitchen space. Like many learning towers, the Explore ‘N Store tower has “feet” that stick out from the tower base to aid stability. The side ones protrude about 4.25 inches from the base on each side.
The feet in front (which will come up against the counter) protrude about 3 inches from the base, and about 2.25 inches past where the top of the tower is. This means that if you pushed it up against a wall, the top edge would be a little over 2 inches from the wall because the feet would stop it from going flush. This hasn’t been a big issue for me because of how my under-counter cabinets sit, but I think it’s worth mentioning.
Explore 'N Store Learning Tower
Years of Use
I anticipate we’ll get several years of use out of the Little Partners learning tower, and I look forward to making many dinners with my daughter. I’m pleased with my purchase, but if I wanted to upgrade to an easier-to-store option, I’d consider the Little Partners Learn ‘N Fold model that is truly collapsible and would be much easier to stash in a closet.
