Toast Finger Snack

What you need

• a slice of bread, lightly toasted, with a thin scrape of butter
• a ripe banana
• their plate

How to do it

1. Cut the toast into fingers and the banana into finger-length pieces.
2. Strap them into their highchair or supported seat, sit beside them, and put two pieces of each on their plate.
3. Crunch a bite of your own toast, then see what they do.
4. Leave them to bite, squash and put pieces down at their own pace, and take away what is left when they finish.

Why it matters

Toast fingers are firm enough to grip and soft enough to gum, so the whole snack is theirs to pick up and eat.

What they're learning

Feeding themselves

Holding a finger of toast and bringing it to their mouth.

Grip

A soft, squashy banana and a firmer toast finger feel different in the hand.

Eating at their own pace

They decide when to bite and when they have had enough.

What to look for

Watch for them biting a piece off and putting the rest back down for later.

A tip

Light toast is easier to hold and gum than soft bread, which can form a sticky ball. Stay beside them, with the straps done up and them sitting upright, until they finish. If you add other fruit, cut grapes lengthways into quarters, grate raw apple rather than giving slices, and leave out whole nuts and popcorn.

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