The toaster was easy to use. It had a dial to set how brown you wanted the toasted item to be and a lever to push down to start toasting. The openings were wide enough for a large sliced bagel and it toasted it evenly. I  think the design would make it safe for a child to use. They're a tray to hold crumbs to make it easy to keep clean. This is a welcome addition to my kitchen and makes hectic mornings just a little easier to prepare toast.