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Resource Downloads & Teaching Advice

Academics Blog Cooking Life Skills

10 Adapted Tools for Cooking in the Classroom

Cooking in the classroom with students with physical disabilities and fine motor weakness can make adapting each recipe a challenge. I was lucky to work in schools who supported getting students the adapted tools they needed to participate in every activity- and I’m sharing my favorite adapted cooking tools with you!

Why are adapted cooking tools important? INDEPENDENCE!

((This blog post contains affiliate links for your convenience. You don’t pay any more by clicking my link (and I actually find the best prices for you!) but I make a small commission off of sales. This helps me to test out more materials and bring you more quality content. Thanks for supporting my little blog!))

ROCKING KNIFE: This knife has a large grip friendly handle and allows a person to rock back in forth with one hand in order to cut independently. If you can only get one adapted tool- this is the one!

ANGLED MEASURING CUPS: These angled measuring cups allow you to check measurements from above and as you pour. This eliminates the need to fill, check, and adjust, making it a more simple task.

SPIKED CUTTING BOARD: The spikes in this cutting board holds the food in place to allow you to cut, spread, or slice with one hand. The L shaped corner allows food to stay on the board.

EVERYTHING OPENER: This tool opens EVERTHING. From gripping caps, opening jars, and twisting bottles… this is the tool you need to add grip and make all of these things possible with one hand.

ADAPTED CUTLERY: This adapted cutlery set offers a more stable grip to standard cutlery. The handle allows a person to grip even when wet.

SCOOP DISH: This scoop dish has a non slip base and allows a high corner to scoop against to make picking up food easier.

NON SLIP CUTTING BOARD: This cutting board DOES. NOT. SLIP. The raised side allows you to scoop food against it or pour into a bowl.

MULTI USE SPATULA: This spatula allows you to grab, flip, and pierce all with one hand. It even has a launch to help with the release control!

PARING BOARD: This cutting board has suction feet, prongs to hold food, and the holding mechanism also allows you to mix with one hand by holding any container, vegetable, fruit or bowl in place.

ANTI SLIP BOWL: This anti slip board attaches to the table and allows you to eat or mix the contents without the bowl moving. Holding the bowl in place allows for one hand mixing.

Try a free visual recipe here.

Use these 10 adapted tools to start cooking in the classroom! You can find adapted visual recipes here!

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Hi amazing teachers!
I'm Alyssa Shanahan -- a former Elementary Special Ed & Life Skills teacher. My classroom focus was always to keep things simple, increase communication, and build independence. Simply Special Ed's goal is to help teachers and students reach their full potential in and out of the classroom!

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