Depending on how old he is but we have a toddler tower and my girl loves just watching me cook, she’s learnt to mix, scoop and pour into a bowl just by watching, would definitely recommend x
I’ll just let him play independently, but if he’s not in the mood for that I’ll put him in his high chair in the kitchen with me and give him a snack whilst he watches me and I talk through what I’m doing/sing with him. Once he’s standing and walking on his own I want to get him a toddler tower☺️
We have a playpen. It's a life saver. Plenty of toys in it. Sometimes i put a bit of miss Rachel on, no more then 30 but most of the time he plays by himself. I go and check on him regularly. We also meal prep on Sunday's the lunches and dinner for the week ahead so we don't cook every evening as we're either at gym or doing day time activities. Even for our son. Maybe that could help in a way.