Sticky Foods First

What you need

• a short-handled spoon
• a bowl of porridge or mashed potato

How to do it

1. Choose something that sticks to a spoon: porridge, mashed potato, thick yoghurt.
2. Put a small amount in their bowl.
3. Let them dip the spoon in and try to get some out on their own.
4. Save the peas and the chopped fruit for fingers. They roll straight off a spoon.

Why it matters

Food that stays on the spoon rewards every attempt, while food that rolls off punishes it, so choosing the right food is most of what makes early spoon practice work.

What they're learning

Scooping

Pushing the spoon in and lifting it out full is the core movement, and sticky food makes it succeed.

Spoon to mouth

A spoon that arrives still loaded is a lesson that's worth repeating.

Keeping going

Success at the start is what keeps them trying through the messier middle.

What to look for

Watch for them pressing the spoon down into the food rather than just stirring it about.

A tip

Sit them upright and stay with them the whole time they're eating.

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