4 Best Baby Utensils + When You Should Start Using Them, According to an OT
June 2022
Last reviewed: October 2022
Author:
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
Coauthors:
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
About Kids Eat in Color
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Author:
Erinn Jacobi, M.S. OTR/L
Coauthors:
Jennifer Anderson, MSPH, RDN
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Inside: Our OT shares her top picks for baby utensils, plus she explains when to introduce them to your child and how to do it.
Your baby is starting solid foods, congratulations! We know that this is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming. You’re learning about what their first foods should be, what’s important in a high chair, what the best utensils for babies are, and so much more!
When shopping for baby utensils, there are a few things you should keep in mind. In this article, our occupational therapist talks about the best baby utensils, how to introduce them to your little one, and when your baby should start using them.
Some children may be ready to use utensils as early as 6 months with assistance. They may also be ready to practice with a baby cup. By 10 to 12 months, most babies are ready to use spoons on their own. (1)
Utensils can be safely introduced to babies with supervision and by using appropriately-sized baby utensils.
Related: Starting solids and not sure where to begin? Find out the top 25 first foods for baby recommended by our pediatric dietitian.
What if baby utensils make my baby gag?
A gag reflex is the body’s natural response to protect itself. In the first few months of a child’s life, their gag reflex can be triggered by food that the child is learning to experience for the first time.
Around six or seven months though, their gag reflex can start to diminish and allow the baby to experience more foods and food textures. (2)
If the child expresses gag reflexes while using cutlery, try to remain calm. Some baby utensils do have a lip to stop the spoon or fork from going too far into the baby’s mouth.
However, those spoons aren’t essential if the child is being supervised, which they should be when eating!
Related: Picky eating doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of toddlerhood. Sign up for our free picky eating guide to start your baby on the right path.
Tips for introducing baby utensils for self feeding
Introducing utensils to your baby or toddler might feel a little nerve-racking. Here are our top tips for when you start to give your baby spoons, forks or other utensils to help them self-feed.
1. Offer babies utensils with thicker handles
Babies need something they can hold onto, so spoons and forks with big and thick handles are good for them when they start out.
When your baby has gotten the hang of holding cutlery and is ready to move on, you can transition to toddler utensils with a slimmer handle.
If your baby prefers to use their hands, that is OK too! Children often continue to use their hands to eat for many years.
When your baby uses their hands to eat, whether they are using a raking grasp or a pincer grasp, it helps their body learn more about foods. This is a good thing! It can even help prevent picky eating in the future.
In the meantime, keep offering utensils when appropriate.
Food play can be a great way to get your baby interested and comfortable with new foods. It can be helpful to create a routine for food play when your child is first learning to eat. Get our ebook Food Play Every Day for ideas!
Our favorite baby utensils
Walk around any baby store section and you will surely come across an aisle with as many baby utensils options as the eye can see. There are so many great utensils for babies!
These are the options we consider to be among the best baby utensils.
1. NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils baby spoons
We like these spoons because they’re easy to pre-load for babies, and they have thick, contoured handles designed to fit in your baby’s hand.
2. Bumkins Silicone Chewtensils baby fork and spoon set
This baby spoon and fork set also act as teethers for teething babies. They’re dishwasher safe and they can be boiled for sterilizing and deep cleaning.
3. EZPZ Tiny Spoon set for baby-led weaning
With thick, non-slip handles and a narrow spoon to fit perfectly in baby’s mouth, these baby spoons are great for self-feeding.
4. Olababy Soft-Tip Training Spoon Set
Besides looking adorable, this set of baby training spoons allows your baby to scoop food at any angle. They can also be placed upright to help keep them clean while feeding your baby.
Get baby interested in eating foods
Sometimes when you try to force a child to eat a new food, they refuse. That’s why food play can be helpful.
Food play allows your baby to see, smell, touch and taste food in a low-pressure environment. Seeing, smelling and touching foods helps their bodies’ learn about foods, and once they learn about them, they’re more likely to try them.
Check out our ebook Food Play Every Day to get tons of food play ideas for your baby today!
Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Erinn Jacobi is an occupational therapist with almost a decade of experience in a variety of settings within pediatrics. Erinn has significant experience in outpatient, inpatient, acute, rehabilitation settings, working with families struggling with feeding, sensory processing, and how picky-eating is influenced by children's sensory experiences within their personal, familial, and community environments. Erinn has worked with a wide array of individuals and communities around the North East and is passionate about helping all families at mealtimes!
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Inside: Our OT shares her top picks for baby utensils, plus she explains when to introduce them to your child and how to do it.
Your baby is starting solid foods, congratulations! We know that this is an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming. You’re learning about what their first foods should be, what’s important in a high chair, what the best utensils for babies are, and so much more!
When shopping for baby utensils, there are a few things you should keep in mind. In this article, our occupational therapist talks about the best baby utensils, how to introduce them to your little one, and when your baby should start using them.
Article contents:
When babies start using utensils
What to do if utensils make your baby gag
Tips for introducing utensils to babies to help them self-feed
What to do if your baby refuses to use utensils
Our list of the best utensils for baby
Getting babies interested in foods
More expert advice on starting solid foods
When can babies start using utensils?
Some children may be ready to use utensils as early as 6 months with assistance. They may also be ready to practice with a baby cup. By 10 to 12 months, most babies are ready to use spoons on their own. (1)
Utensils can be safely introduced to babies with supervision and by using appropriately-sized baby utensils.
Related: Starting solids and not sure where to begin? Find out the top 25 first foods for baby recommended by our pediatric dietitian.
What if baby utensils make my baby gag?
A gag reflex is the body’s natural response to protect itself. In the first few months of a child’s life, their gag reflex can be triggered by food that the child is learning to experience for the first time.
Around six or seven months though, their gag reflex can start to diminish and allow the baby to experience more foods and food textures. (2)
Related: Learn the difference between gagging and choking in our article about common choking hazards for babies and toddlers.
If the child expresses gag reflexes while using cutlery, try to remain calm. Some baby utensils do have a lip to stop the spoon or fork from going too far into the baby’s mouth.
However, those spoons aren’t essential if the child is being supervised, which they should be when eating!
Related: Picky eating doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of toddlerhood. Sign up for our free picky eating guide to start your baby on the right path.
Tips for introducing baby utensils for self feeding
Introducing utensils to your baby or toddler might feel a little nerve-racking. Here are our top tips for when you start to give your baby spoons, forks or other utensils to help them self-feed.
1. Offer babies utensils with thicker handles
Babies need something they can hold onto, so spoons and forks with big and thick handles are good for them when they start out.
When your baby has gotten the hang of holding cutlery and is ready to move on, you can transition to toddler utensils with a slimmer handle.
Related: Did you know that iron is an important nutrient for babies? Learn tons of iron-rich foods to serve your baby.
2. Pre-load food onto the utensil to help your baby eat
Pre-loading a baby utensil means that you scoop the food onto the spoon or fork yourself before offering it to your child.
Placing a pre-loaded spoon on your child’s tray or baby plate makes it easier for new eaters to feed themselves.
3. Give your baby a second (or third!) utensil
Offering your child more than one utensil to hold on to or play with while eating can help improve their chances of using the utensil to self-feed.
It also may help them from getting distracted while eating.
Related: Does your child like to throw food? We can teach you how to end toddler food throwing.
4. Prepare for the mess your baby will make when learning to use utensils
Independence can be messy and that’s OK. Babies are still developing their motor skills and they are bound to spill and drop food.
Here are a few tips to help you deal with the mess:
Read our blog for more tips on how to manage messy eaters and messy mealtimes.
What if my baby refuses to use utensils?
If your baby prefers to use their hands, that is OK too! Children often continue to use their hands to eat for many years.
When your baby uses their hands to eat, whether they are using a raking grasp or a pincer grasp, it helps their body learn more about foods. This is a good thing! It can even help prevent picky eating in the future.
In the meantime, keep offering utensils when appropriate.
Need help with older kids? Learn how to teach your toddler to use utensils.
Food play can be a great way to get your baby interested and comfortable with new foods. It can be helpful to create a routine for food play when your child is first learning to eat. Get our ebook Food Play Every Day for ideas!
Our favorite baby utensils
Walk around any baby store section and you will surely come across an aisle with as many baby utensils options as the eye can see. There are so many great utensils for babies!
For toddler spoon, fork and cutlery set recommendations, check out our top utensils for toddlers and kids.
These are the options we consider to be among the best baby utensils.
1. NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils baby spoons
We like these spoons because they’re easy to pre-load for babies, and they have thick, contoured handles designed to fit in your baby’s hand.
2. Bumkins Silicone Chewtensils baby fork and spoon set
This baby spoon and fork set also act as teethers for teething babies. They’re dishwasher safe and they can be boiled for sterilizing and deep cleaning.
3. EZPZ Tiny Spoon set for baby-led weaning
With thick, non-slip handles and a narrow spoon to fit perfectly in baby’s mouth, these baby spoons are great for self-feeding.
4. Olababy Soft-Tip Training Spoon Set
Besides looking adorable, this set of baby training spoons allows your baby to scoop food at any angle. They can also be placed upright to help keep them clean while feeding your baby.
Get baby interested in eating foods
Sometimes when you try to force a child to eat a new food, they refuse. That’s why food play can be helpful.
Food play allows your baby to see, smell, touch and taste food in a low-pressure environment. Seeing, smelling and touching foods helps their bodies’ learn about foods, and once they learn about them, they’re more likely to try them.
Check out our ebook Food Play Every Day to get tons of food play ideas for your baby today!
More expert advice on starting solid foods
References