My 10 yr old niece is starting her chef summer camp on monday and was asked to bring a tagged kitchen knife.
I believe a sharp responsibly handled knife is safer than one with a “safe” dull blade, which requieres much more force to cut and can lead to accidents.
So, I taught her how to safely and responsibly handle a sharp kitchen knife, and had her practice using it for several days before gifting her first personalized knife.
How fun for her! I am constantly amazed at young kids who can cook so much better than I can! I never really learned to cook until after I was married. Mainly because I never needed to. My mom was always home and did it all. So kudos to your niece. Hope she really enjoys the cooking camp and learns a lot.