Key takeaways: Babies often show interest in holding a spoon in the second half of the first year. Trying to use a spoon is on the CDC’s 18-month checklist, and many children eat with a spoon by about age 2. Preloading a spoon with thick foods, offering a short-handled spoon, and accepting mess help your baby learn.
Spoon skills develop gradually. Practice and patience help.
Typical Timeline
- 6 to 9 months: babies grab the spoon and bring it to their mouth.
- 9 to 12 months: babies may dip a spoon or grab a preloaded spoon.
- By 18 months: tries to use a spoon (CDC milestone).
- By 2 years: eats with a spoon (CDC milestone).
How to Encourage Spoon Skills
- Preload a spoon and hand it to your baby or place it on the tray.
- Use thick foods that stick: oatmeal, yogurt, mashed sweet potato, hummus.
- Offer short-handled, chunky spoons.
- Give your baby their own spoon while you feed with another.
- Model by eating with a spoon yourself.
- Let your baby practice at each meal.
Accept the Mess
- Use a splat mat under the high chair.
- Use bibs with pockets.
- Save practice for times when you’re not rushed.
Fine Motor Play Helps
Stacking, scooping, and pouring during play build skills used in spoon-feeding.
When to Ask for Help
Talk to your doctor if your toddler shows no interest in self-feeding by 18 months, has trouble grasping, or you have concerns about motor development.
The Bottom Line
Spoon skills take time. Offer practice, use thick foods, and embrace the mess.
Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Important milestones: your child by 18 months; by 2 years. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly
- Zubler JM, Wiggins LD, Macias MM, et al. Evidence-informed milestones for developmental surveillance tools. Pediatrics. 2022;149(3):e2021052138.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Self-feeding. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
