I have 4 kids ages 18 months to 7 years old.

We keep their plates, bowls, cups, and silverware in a lower drawer where they can easily reach them and they also put up their own dishes.

When they are old enough that we don't need plastic ware for them, I plan to move my dishes into those drawers.

We have a wet bar/beverage center that is 21 inches deep instead of the standard 25.5 inches. We keep our microwave on this counter and it has been perfect. Our 5 and 7 year old can easily reach it and heat things up but the 3 year old and 18 month old aren't tall enough to reach.

As far as island vs table, I really prefer the counter height island. When my kids want to help cooking, they just pull a bar stool over to help.

We have a dining room where we eat dinner but our island is for casual dining, doing homework while I cook dinner, etc.

Think long term. The kids will grow and change very fast.

My daughter's are 6 and 9. They are both pretty independent and feel comfortable getting themselves cereal with numb, breakfast sausages in the microwave, etc. I echo the tip about creating a space that allows you to keep kid friendly plates and glasses low. We recently decided to keep the microwave on the counter target than going with the OTR in our reno because I didn't want mine to get hot things above their heads or be leaving over my gas range. Mine started using the microwave with supervision at age five. Now I feel comfortable letting them use it on their own. Things change. Quickly, so make the right choices for you. They'll adapt.

i second what texas gem said about the drawers. i also have all drawers for snacks, etc and put all cans and baking dishes in upper cabs so kids can serve themselves. it is so much better than the pantry i had!
another suggestion, a frig with a water dispenser. my 9 year old goes into his drawer, gets a glass and gets his own water, yay!
i put in dark cherryish cabs and they show fingerprints constantly! not kid friendly at all! it is making me nuts and i am wishing i had not gone so dark. midtone would be better i am sure.

Great thread- keep em coming!

I have an 8 year old son, and I find our kitchen design (tupperware access and drawer microwave) works well for me when making kid lunches or baking. My son now gets his own snacks and occasionally makes microwave popcorn on movie night.

We have 4 kids ages 9 to 17. We changed some things in our recent remodel that enabled the little kids to do a lot of things for themselves that previously a grown up had to do for them. But none of it is so kid-specific that it is not also just general good kitchen planning.

- Careful layout/zone planning: when you create your layout, pay careful attention to where your prep, cooking and cleanup zones will be, and the ways people will enter, move around, and leave the kitchen. For example, if a kid is going to go the fridge to get a glass of milk while you are prepping or cooking or doing dishes, it would be great if they could get their cup (from a lower drawer), go to the fridge, pour it (having a counter to place the jug), and leave the kitchen without getting in your way. Same goes for people going to use the MW, access the fridge, or throw something in the trash. I also like it when the kids can load/unload the dishwasher without getting into my prep and cook zones. A lot of time all these things are happening at once, so it's been awesome having a good layout.

- Induction cooktop: I wanted this for me, and I could go on and on about how much I love it (it's embarassing, really). The kid-related benefits became clear afterwards. My kids have always been interested in cooking but I only used to let the younger ones help with prepping, not actually using the stove. Well now even my little ones are making their own eggs and other simple meals without the danger of an open flame. There are lots of other reasons why I love induction, but I would drive you insane listing them all.

- Microwave in a middle position in a cab stack. Our MW used to be on top of double ovens which was way too high and actually dangerous. We placed it in a cabinet with push-back doors in sort of a middle-height position. The little kids can use it now without it being too high and dangerous, and we can close the doors when entertaining (I don't use it much and I don't like expensive built in ones. I like it being a cheap one in a cab I can close up).

- Lots and lots of drawers. Besides having lots of drawers everywhere, we have what we call a "kid stack." This is a stack of 4 drawers at the end of a run (not in the middle of any zone). Here we have all the lunch boxes, sandwich wrappers, plastic utensils, insulated soup containers, water bottles and snacks for packing lunches and anything for going to sports practices and games. It's amazing; I used to have to do all the lunch packing, but now they do it themselves because everything is right there.

More about drawers: We have all drawers as lowers now. All the everyday dishes are in the drawer that is closest to the kitchen table, and across from the DW. So the kids can unload the DW (without getting in my cook/prep area) and later they can set the table straight from that drawer. We put the napkins in there too and the silverware is above. Of course my big kids can reach the cabinets, and eventually everything can be there, but my little kids are still pretty short, and so all the cups, bowls and plates are in 2 drawers. They are a lot more independent now, and don't have to climb up on the counters to get things. They like helping and since getting all these drawers they have been doing a lot less breaking/dropping while helping.

Extra outlet on the other side of the island: My kids like to bake, so we made sure to plan an extra outlet in the island so that they could plug in their mixers and such. This has turned out great especially when they have friends over and everyone wants to make cookies when I might be busy doing something with the cuisinart on the other side.

Seating: If you have a pennisula or island, it's so cozy and conversational to make the seats in a right angle rather than lined up diner-style. We lived here 14 years before remodeling the kitchen and we had 4 counter stools all lined up in a row. When we remodeled we made it so that there could be 2 or 3 on one side and 2 on the end. I just realized the other day that I never ever sat at one of the stools before (for 14 years), but now I sit down at the end all the time and talk to the kids or a visitor. It is just way more conversational and comfortable than the lined-up diner-style style seating.

Kid-jobs: At my house the kids are in charge of the food and water for the dogs and walking them and such. Unfortunately I forgot to plan for the perfect place for dogfood in the kitchen. Ideally it would have been in the vacinity of the kids stack and near the back door area where the dogs eat. So instead the dogfood and leashes are in the pantry, which has worked out fine. But if you have any pet-related things, plan for them in your remodel. Whether it is you or the kids that are in charge, it's nice to have all that at hand in the kitchen.

Materials and finishes: Get the materials and finishes that you want and teach your kids and spouse how to properly care for them. A lot of people will tell you to get this or that if you have kids, but I think you should get what you want and the kids should learn to care for and respect what you have chosen.

Hope this helps.

My remodel was very small. I had to keep the footprint virtually the same due to money and space contraints. I have a very narrow galley. I have 9 and 12 year old boys.

I too have only drawers/pullouts for base cabinets (except under the sink). Not only is this kid friendly, it's old knee friendly because you don't have to get down on hands and knees to find stuff. It's just friendly! ;) My 30" middle drawer on the cabinet side has plastic drinking glasses, cereal bowls and the lunch bags/tupperware.

Our pantry cupboard features pullouts and the top one is too high for the 9yo but otherwise they can reach everything.

Due to space constraints I do have an OTR microwave. The 12 year old can easily access this. The 9 year old only makes popcorn and is on tip-toes. There is a stool next to the stove, if he needs it. I have an old fashioned coil top stove. When it dies, I'd like an induction, but it seems to be going strong (thankfully!).

Kids grow fast. I don't think I'd want a microwave down low, but then, I'm kind of tall. I think Strayer's idea of a middle type position, is reasonable. Not too low for adults and not crazy high for kids.

I have 5 kids, ages 7 to 21. I agree that an otr microwave is a bad idea. We are moving ours in the remodel to a middle shelf in the pantry. We keep dishes in a drawer so its easier for them to set the table. The water dispenser on the fridge is great. We have a french door fridge, which I love, but it is hard for the kids to reach things in the top. Which is great when they are little and I didn't want them in it, but not so great when they are big enough to help set and clear the table. Ikea sells a sturdy stool that we all use all the time in my kitchen. I like eating meals as a family in the kitchen where everything is near to the cooking. We wouldn't all fit at the size counter I could fit in my kitchen. And I can't help but think that sitting at a counter would not be as inducive to conversation as sitting around our round table together. The round table is great for playing games together at, as well.

I have mostly drawers for lowers, and designated one as the art drawer, which has worked well. DD has taken over the kitchen table drawers with collections, mostly rocks and found objects. Kitchens are for science, too. Have fun!

My mother-in-law had a part of her island drop down to 30" high because she herself is short. It turned out to be great for the grandkids to help her cook. So when I redid my kitchen in my last house, I also did a drop down section. It was perfect for my kids to pour milk and cereal and make a sandwich and it broke up my big island with some interest and it hid the mess from what you could see from the foyer. (the silver bowl is just a bowl, not a sink, on that area). I don't have a picture of my MIL's, but hers was a butcher block area with an L shape granite island top at regular height around it.

I have three kids (3, 7 and 9). When we redid our kitchen 7 years ago I intentionally chose to keep the microwave oven high. At times, I question that decision since it is too high for the kids to use. However, at the end of the day I don't think I would change it if we were to do it again.

Here's the thing - my kids really have no reason to use the microwave. The only time we really use it is when we are preparing dinner (cook veggies, defrost meat, etc). None of their snacks are microwaved. What we HAVE done since the remodel is: putting all plates and bowls in a lower cabinet so they can set the table and unload the dishwasher, and all plastic items for lunches/kids drinks/ etc are in a lower drawer. I also have a shallow cabinet in the end of the island with all the kids snacks. Any snack that I don't want them free reign to (e.g. cookies or chips) are in a higher cabinet that mommy has to access and dole out for them. Yes - I want them to be independent and have access to items - but I also don't want them to have the temptation of the "treats" when they are getting their midday snacks.

I have also moved the toaster to a more accessible area for them (not pushed in the back of a corner) so that they can make toast or bagels without use of a chair. The only thing I do wish was a little different is the French door refrig that we got. I love it - but the shelves are pretty high. So - all the shelves have been arranged so that the milk, yogurt, fruits, cheese are on the lowest shelf (although that isn't as efficient use of space) so that they can access it.

Just wanted to add that a stepstool is a wonderous thing.
My kids are now 9 and 12 (but tiny) and have been helping themselves to upper cabinets and even the OTR micro for a couple of years.

Echoing the induction cooktop/range suggestion. It is awesome for many reasons, and one of those reasons is that the surface doesn't get hot--a little extra safety with kids around.

My eleven year old fixes stuff for himself in the microwave sometimes. It's nice for me not to have to do it for him, and good for him to be developing skills/independence. He's right around five feet tall so it would be hard for him to do that with an OTR microwave. I'm planning to leave ours at countertop height (I've also got a four year old so several years of kid in kitchen left)

I store cereal, bowls and cups so kids can reach them. Every day that means my oldest fixes his own breakfast--he'd be able to reach higher now, but he's been fixing his own since he was seven. That's four years that I haven't had to fix his breakfast. I'm working on his little sister! (He gets hers some days too.)

I also have a lower countertop (mine is a pull out in a built in Hoosier style cabinet from 1936) and it is super nice for kid cooking. I'm not sure if I would build that into a new kitchen though as I'm hoping ours will last well past the kids being little enough to use it.