Why should practicing your feeding skills at home be boring? While you don’t want to have to go out and spend too much money on a bunch of plates, cups, utensils, sometimes having a few novel items can help eating be a little more enticing. Here are a few of my favorites to use:

 

• Num Num Pre-Spoon by Gootensils – These pre-feeder spoons are great for early feeders. When children don’t quite have the dexterity and fine motor skills to scoop, rotate their wrists, and balance a spoon to get the food to their mouths, these pre-spoons can be very useful! All the child does is dip it in puree and the pre-spoon catches/holds food much easier than a regular spoon. They can get lots of practice with the hand-to-mouth motion of eating without too much food sliding off.
• Offer a variety of forks and spoons to use at the dinner table – For older children who are more proficient with fine motor skills, offering a variety of utensils (maybe 2-3) at mealtime might build some novelty into the meal. Kids love being independent, so if they are given the power to choose which utensil they will use, they might be more willing to use it to pick up some new foods. They might like a choice as simple as which color utensil they will use! I have also used small coffee stir straws and toothpicks as a novel way of picking up small pieces of food. It can make it new and exciting to try something on their plate.
• Dinner Winner Plate – This plate has been one of my more successful tools to date! A small portion of food it placed into each section and at the very end of the plate, the child gets a special treat of their choosing. It is so useful because the child sees a clear start and end to what they are eating, plus it is fun to know there is a “prize” at the end. You can find this plate on Amazon or at Kohl’s or Bed, Bath and Beyond!!