When it comes to finding the best baby spoons for self feeding, there are a couple of key things we need to understand, especially for new parents. Unfortunately, even the best baby spoons for self feeding will not prevent mess – babies are babies, and a face full of goopy food and clothes stained beyond recognition come with the territory. But this does not mean we shouldn’t encourage self feeding, and the first thing we will look into is why it is a necessary step for your baby. We must then explore what makes a baby spoon conducive to self feeding, and what makes it difficult and thus what we should avoid when it comes to choosing the best baby spoons for self feeding.
Self feeding skills are important for a number of reasons in a baby’s early stages, as well as for awarding them a sense of independence from their mom or dad. It teaches them fine motor skills to grasp and keep hold of objects, as well as their mouth’s role in feeding. You might interpret your baby continuously getting their food on every part of their face apart from their mouth as negative, but it is actually a vital part of developing sensory processing skills. Mush to the face makes the baby understand that sensory discomfort is part of everyday life and not something to worry about. It allows them to explore the world of hand-eye coordination – whether they are scooping the food into the spoon, or they are directing that food into their mouth, these are skills that are vital to their development. With all these benefits in mind, it is important to choose the best baby spoons for self feeding to make sure your baby takes the right steps at the right time as they age. We’ve identified a number of different spoons on the market that target each of these benefits.
Best Baby Spoons for Self Feeding
Animal Baby Spoons
Some people might think that any spoon will do – it gets the job done, right? Well, actually: no. The secret to the best baby spoon for self feeding is creating some excitement for the baby, and what better way to do that than with a funky spoon?
Our recommendation: Animal Baby Spoons
These animal inspired baby spoons are the best for self feeding because they develop a sense of identity and enjoyment. The more the baby enjoys the experience of eating and feeding itself, the more independence they feel. Moreover, if the baby enjoys the spoon enough, they are going to start looking forward to meal times. Better yet – they are squishy and made of harm-free silicone, meaning they are soft and will not result in sore gums after a big bite!
Heat Sensitive Baby Spoons
While developing your baby’s sense of independence is a great focus when it comes to which spoons are the best baby spoons for self feeding, your baby’s safety must always be a top priority. If a baby has a negative sensory experience from food that is too hot, they may start to resent feeding time and be resistant to being fed comfortably and without force. So, it is essential that you make sure the food is the appropriate temperature for your baby’s soft, sensitive pallet.
Our recommendation: Temperature Sensitive Baby Spoons
These Maberry Baby Spoons are probably some of the best baby spoons for self feeding that you will find on the market. They are heat sensitive, meaning the tip of the spoon changes color if the food is too hot for the baby to eat. This is useful for the obvious reason of your baby not getting burnt. However, the less obvious but equally important reason is that you can monitor this without having to take control or mess with the ownership. You can keep an eye on the spoon for color changes for safety purposes, while your baby enjoys the freedom and independence of feeding themselves without parental interference in the process.
Cased Baby Spoons
It is not something people always think about, but a loose spoon in a bag – because you are bound to travel with your baby at some point – is incredibly unhygienic. Think of the things it might engage with on a day to day basis – everything from stray hairs, dust and the gunk at the bottom of your bag. When it comes to self feeding, your baby will have the spoon and its contents all over them, and their little bodies are very susceptible to germs. The best baby spoon for self feeding is one that, once washed, can be packed into its case so that every use is guaranteed hygiene.
Our recommendation: Baby Spoons in Case
This product is great because of multiple elements: the fun owls on the handle have the effect of making meal times entertaining and exciting, the casing is attached to the spoon once clipped in correctly, regardless of whether it’s being used or not, which eliminates the prospect of losing pieces. Where’s the value in a case once it has fallen victim to the bottom of the baby bag, nowhere to be found again? If there is one baby spoon for self feeding that can be added to the list of bests, this Edison baby spoon is certainly one of them.
Weighted Baby Spoons
While different styles of baby spoons have different benefits, there are certainly some overriding benefits in a spoon that is weighted the same as the knives and forks we, as adults, use in our kitchens everyday. It is important for babies to understand weight and strengthen their fine motor control.
Our recommendation: OXO Tot Training Fork & Spoon Set
These baby spoons are the best for self feeding because they simulate the weight of actual cutlery. This is important because it prepares babies for feeding themselves in the future.
Essentially, the best baby spoons for self feeding are the ones that support the baby’s comfortability with the utensil as well as its enjoyment of it. As soon as meal time becomes a bore, getting your child to eat becomes a nightmare. Look through these options and you are almost guaranteed to find a spoon you think is perfectly suited to your baby, as well as the needs and developments in them that you wish to target.
For self feeding, we would also like to recommend you to try these best reusable baby food pouches. It’s great for home-made baby food.