Feed Your Baby With These Best Toddler Utensils

Toddler Utensils Buyer’s Guide

Toddler utensils are the perfect way to introduce your baby to how to eat on their own. This guide will cover all there is to know about baby and toddler utensils.

Why Do Toddlers Need Utensils?

Like many different skills that we take for granted today, the use of utensils is something that our parents or parental figures teach us at a young age. Unlike walking or talking, using utensils isn’t something that we humans are really “made” for — sure, we can use utensils now, but that’s because we made tools that worked with what we’re able to do with our hands. In other words, using utensils is something of an artificial skill, and it can take a while before a baby learns how to self-feed.

Of course, because they’re still so young, it’s unreasonable (and irresponsible, even) to let them use silverware for adults. These utensils are too large, too heavy, and in some cases, too sharp. And even if they weren’t, adult-sized utensils are thin enough that your baby could choke on them if left unsupervised.

As such, babies need something made for them if they want to be able to use utensils at a young age. Toddler utensils are just that — utensils made to accommodate the growing and developing brain of a child. They’re safer and easier to use, with smaller and lighter parts that are easier to self-feed with.

Types of Toddler Utensils

Spoons

Spoons are probably the first utensil you’ll be introducing to your child at a young age. Before they begin to teeth, they can only really eat baby food, and this can only be fed via a spoon. So even if they aren’t able to hold a spoon on their own yet, they’ll be introduced to one at a very young age.

Forks

Forks are usually introduced once your baby begins to teeth. They’ll usually be first used on fruits and vegetables, and as your child becomes old enough, they can use it on meat, too. Forks are usually duller in toddler utensils compared to adult silverware, so they won’t cause as much harm to your baby even if they end up getting careless with it.

Tips When Using Toddler Utensils

Keep an eye on your kid at all times

This is probably the most important takeaway is the entire guide. If you have to remember one thing in this whole article, let it be this. Babies must be supervised when they’re self-feeding because you’re basically giving them two tools that they have full control over. Some babies may be curious enough to shove the utensil in their mouth or even stab themselves with the pointy end, and this can be a recipe for disaster. Try being as near them as possible to stop them in their tracks if they begin doing anything reckless.

Wash them thoroughly after use

Babies are very prone to sickness as their immune system isn’t as fully developed as an adult’s. Because of this, you need to thoroughly clean their utensils after every use. This ensures no bacteria or viruses end up on the utensil the next time your baby uses them.

Toddler Utensil Price Range

The price of toddler utensils isn’t something you can just estimate. In fact, the price of any given utensil set can vary on many different factors. For one, the materials used can heavily affect the final cost — silverware, for example, costs more than plastic utensils. There’s also the concern of the number of utensils per set — a set of six utensils will cost more than a set of two. You can expect to spend no more than $25 on a good set of utensils, and these should usually come in sets of more than one so that you can use them interchangeably as needed.