Skill· 10mo–22mo· 4 min
Spoon Explorer
Child attempts to self-feed using a spoon or hands during a real meal. Parent observes whether the child reaches for the spoon, loads food, and gets it to their mouth — even with significant spillage. Covers early self-feeding milestones at 12-18mo. Three phases: natural meal observation, spoon offer, and self-direction.
Free to do together whenever you like.
What you'll need
Set out a bowl of soft, scoopable food — yoghurt, porridge, soft mashed food. Put a child-sized spoon in or next to the bowl. Do NOT spoon-feed during the observation. A suction bowl prevents the bowl sliding away. A bib and surface protection are sensible.
How it works
The 3-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
Visual example
Coming soon