Two-Handed Cup Hold

What you need

• a small cup, ideally with two handles
• a splash of water
• a towel

How to do it

1. Dry your toddler's hands properly. Wet hands slip on a cup.
2. Fill the cup no more than halfway and set it in front of them.
3. Guide both their hands onto it, one on each side.
4. Let them lift and tip it themselves while you keep a hand ready underneath.

Why it matters

Two hands share the weight and steady the wobble, which is why a cup with a handle each side is the easiest one to learn on.

What they're learning

Two-handed grip

Both hands working together on one object is the same control they'll need for a bowl, a jug and a book.

Judging the tip

A half-full cup needs a smaller tilt than a full one, so there's less to get wrong while they learn the angle.

Steady wrists

Holding the cup level on the way up is wrist work, and it gets easier every time they do it.

What to look for

Watch for the cup staying level on the way up rather than tipping before it reaches their mouth.

A tip

Half full is the sweet spot: enough to reach without a big tilt, little enough that a spill is a wipe rather than a change of clothes.

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