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7 Best Kids’ Ice Cream Makers for Delicious Entertainment (2025 Reviews)

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There’s nothing better than ice cream on a hot summer day! It’s delicious, refreshing, and can help your kids cool off from playing out in the heat. These days, there are plenty of options to make your own ice cream at home. While there are some specifically geared towards kids, those created for adults aren’t very hard for kids to use with a little supervision.

Making ice cream is a fun activity that can get the whole family involved. I’ve gathered the 7 best ice cream makers for kids, so you can easily find one to use together.

The Best Kids’ Ice Cream Makers

  • 1. Cuisinart 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream Maker

    (Best quality — $$$)

    Why it’s great: This ice cream maker has a simple and basic design that’s easy for kids to navigate. It comes with a recipe booklet, giving you and your child all the instructions you need to create your own desserts at home. You can make ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and even frozen drinks. You’ll need to freeze the bowl ahead of time, but then all you’ll need to do is add the ingredients and press the button to start churning. It has a spout that you can use to pour in the ingredients without making a mess, and an easy-lock lid so your little one can watch as it works. It has a heavy-duty motor that works to make your treat in as little as 20 minutes.

    Keep in mind: You’ll need to freeze the bowl for at least 24 hours before making your ice cream and it takes up quite a bit of space in the freezer.

    Good for: Families who want a high-quality ice cream maker.

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  • 2. Playz Brain Freeze Ice Cream Making Food Science Kit

    (Most fun — $)

    Why it’s great: This kit will have your child creating all kinds of frozen treats, from ice cream to sorbets and more, all while doing science experiments. They’ll bolster their cognitive thinking and foster curiosity as they follow the instructions and conduct chemistry experiments. This kit has 18 different experiments and includes easy-to-follow laboratory guides and instructions that also tell a story. It comes with the majority of the ingredients and all the tools necessary to perform each activity. Not only will your child have a great time making yummy treats, they’ll also learn while they’re doing it.

    Keep in mind: This is designed for kids ages 8 and up, so younger kids may need help.

    Good for: Older kids who like doing experiments and making their own desserts.

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  • 3. Hamilton Beach Automatic Ice Cream Maker

    (Best value — $$)

    Why it’s great: This ice cream maker takes a little bit more work, but also makes 4 quarts of ice cream, giving you more than enough for the whole family. It can make all kinds of frozen treats, including ice cream, sorbet, gelato, frozen yogurt, and more. Plus, it’s still pretty easy for kids to use. You just add all the ingredients into the middle bowl and then fill the outer compartment with ice and rock salt. Press the button and watch it churn! It takes about 30-45 minutes and shuts off on its own once it’s done. It also comes with a booklet containing over 20 different recipes for all different types of desserts. The affordable price and large capacity make this choice a great value.

    Keep in mind: You’ll need to make sure you have plenty of ice and rock salt to make this machine work.

    Good for: Large families who need a higher capacity ice cream maker.

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  • 4. Nostalgia Electric Ice Cream Maker with Easy-Carry Handle

    (Most portable — $)

    Why it’s great: This bucket ice cream maker is great for taking to parties or visiting friends and family. It comes with a handle that makes it easy to carry wherever you need to go. This is another machine that makes four quarts of ice cream and needs ice and rock salt to work. However, Nostalgia streamlines the process by providing different ice cream kits, so you don’t have to worry about adding each ingredient separately. Of course, if you’d rather create your own concoction, you can easily do that as well. It has a powerful electric motor that churns your mixture into ice cream or other frozen treats in 20-30 minutes. Plus, it comes with a lid for the bowl, so you can store whatever you don’t finish eating.

    Keep in mind: You need a lot of ice and rock salt to make this one work.

    Good for: Kids who want to be able to take their ice cream maker to visit family or friends.

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  • 5. Play and Freeze, Ice Cream Ball- Ice Cream Maker

    (Easiest to use — $)

    Why it’s great: This ice cream maker is the perfect choice for kids of all ages. It’s super simple, easy to use, and doesn’t require any power or electricity to use it. Instead of using an electric motor, you can play, shake, and roll the ball to churn up your ice cream. The lid has two separate openings, so you’ll open one and add your ingredients, then close that and open the other to add the ice and salt. Once the lid is secure, your child can run around and play with the ball for 30 minutes or so. After that, you can serve up the ice cream!

    Keep in mind: This makes more of a milkshake consistency than hard ice cream unless you can really shake the ball a lot of 30 minutes straight.

    Good for: Kids of all ages who want to be able to make their own ice cream.

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  • 6. Yonanas Classic Original Healthy Dessert Fruit Soft Serve Maker

    (Most healthy — $$)

    Why it’s great: This machine is another super easy-to-use option. Plus, your kids will be making super healthy fruit desserts. All you need to do is turn it on and then add whatever frozen fruits are your favorite. Over-ripe bananas help give it a super creamy consistency, turning all your favorite fruits into a frozen yogurt treat. It comes in a variety of colors and all the parts that come into contact with food are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. You can make as much or as little as you want by continuously adding ingredients into the chute until you’ve made enough.

    Keep in mind: A lot of frozen treat gets stuck in the tube, so you’ll want to scrape it out to get the most of it.

    Good for: Kids who need a dairy-free, healthier ice cream option.

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  • 7. Chef'n Sweet Spot Ice Cream Maker, Includes Recipe Book

    (Fastest results — $$)

    Why it’s great: This is a unique ice cream maker that’s unlike any of the other options. It’s basically just a dish that you freeze ahead of time. When you’re ready to make ice cream, you’ll mix all your ingredients and then pour them into this pan. It takes 15 seconds to a minute to fully freeze the contents. Plus, it comes with scrapers that you’ll use to roll or scrape off the ice cream. It’s definitely the fastest way to make a frozen treat and it comes with a recipe book for more ideas on what to make.

    Keep in mind: You’ll need to make sure the dish is completely frozen ahead of time and it works even better if you chill your mixture a little bit ahead of time, too.

    Good for: Kids who are a little more impatient and need a fast ice cream maker.

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Best Overall

Cuisinart 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream Maker

The Cuisinart 1.5 Quart Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream Maker is our overall top recommendation. It's the highest quality product we have found with the most affordable price making it the best value on our list..

juice maker

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FAQs about Kids’ Ice Cream Makers

  • 1. What are the benefits of ice cream makers for kids?

    Making your own ice cream rather than buying some at the store means you’ll know exactly what’s in it. You can make it healthier buying subbing out certain ingredients, and you can choose exactly what mix-ins and how much to use. Getting an ice cream maker for your child to use offers them some independence, fine and gross motor skills, and entertainment.

  • 2. Can I buy a regular ice cream maker for kids or do I need to buy a kids’ version?

    Most kids’ ice cream makers double as a toy, which means they won’t make as much ice cream and may not be as good of quality as a real one. Fortunately, most ice cream makers are suitable for kids to use with a little help and supervision. Buying a regular ice cream maker will give you more ice cream and will likely last longer, so you can absolutely go this route.

  • 3. How much ice cream do ice cream makers produce?

    This will depend on the ice cream maker you choose to buy. The ice cream makers on this list each have different capacities from single servings all the way up to four quarts, but you can find even larger ones if you want to make a bigger batch at one time.

  • 4. How long does it take to make ice cream in an ice cream maker?

    Again, this will vary based on the one you choose. There are different styles that may require some prep work, but when you actually go to freeze the ice cream, are ready in seconds. Others take 20-30 minutes of churning before they’re ready.

  • 5. What features should I look for in a kids’ ice cream maker?

    The biggest factor you’ll want to take into consideration is ease of use. Since you’re trying to get your kids involved and allow them to make their own ice cream, you’ll need to find one that’s suitable for their age. Younger kids may need help and supervision, regardless of the style you choose. The next thing you’ll want to think about is capacity/size. If you have multiple kids or want to indulge yourself, you’ll likely want one that makes more than one serving at a time.

Conclusion

An ice cream maker is a great investment and will help your child develop independence in the kitchen. It’ll also provide your family with a fun way to cool off in the summer months, while also building in some bonding time as you work together. No matter which ice cream maker you choose, your little one will be sure to have a blast creating their own sweet treats.