When Baby Spoon-Feeds Herself – 5 Developmental Growth Benefits

Did your parents pull the ol’ choo-choo train trick when spoon-feeding you as a baby? I still remember the thrill I felt when the ‘train’ successfully entered the station – the cheers from proud parents ringing in my ears. 🚂

Choo-choo trains aside, spoon-feeding – specifically when you stick that spoon in baby’s chubby little hand – is an important part of helping your baby develop crucial skills.

Not only will she be able to wield utensils like a boss as she grows, but she’ll also gain some other ‘palatable’ benefits you may not have thought of!

Check out these 5 major developmental benefits your teeny bop will get from spoon-feeding herself👇

1. Builds muscle-memory

Handing your baby the spoon gives her the chance to familiarize herself with this method of eating. Not only will this build her confidence, but as she grows in her muscle memory, she’ll also make less of a mess as she gets older (and inevitably wants to do everything herself!).

2. Primes the palate for healthy flavours

Spoon-feeding allows for baby to try a variety of healthy new foods in puree form that you may not be able to feed her otherwise. For example, you could give baby chickpeas or peas in a puree form, which, in their regular forms, are choking hazards. Introducing new flavours not only helps baby discover some new favourites, but it also helps shape her palate (the foundation of which is somewhat set by age 3) for healthier foods in the future.

3. Strengthens mouth muscles

Sucking purees from spouted pouches is much like sucking from a bottle – it’s very different than using a spoon to eat. When baby spoons food into her mouth, she’s using her tongue and strengthening her mouth muscles as she moves food around and swallows. These new ‘mouth movements’ help her get better at eating over time.

4. Encourages sensory exploration

Yes, encouraging baby to spoon-feed herself can get messy (especially when most of her food might end up on her belly instead of in it), it is the ultimate opportunity for baby to explore a new skill along with the sensory experience it provides. The trick here is to play follow the leader. Sit with her and gently guide her little hand for the first few bites, then encourage her to ‘park’ the choo-choo train herself!

5. Sharpens hand-eye coordination

Your baby is already good at putting her hands to her mouth – toys, thumbs, snacks – and spoon handling is just another step in helping her develop her hand-eye coordination. When baby spoon feeds herself, she’s practicing this crucial life skill, which will help her pick up hand-eye-related skills faster in the future.

Boom Baby frozen pucks help Baby learn to spoon-feed

Our frozen baby food puree pucks are designed to help your baby learn to spoon-feed herself.

Not only are our pucks packed with healthy and unique flavours, but their consistency is thick enough to stick to a baby’s ‘wobbly’ spoon!

Our pucks are also the perfect addition to other meals like stir-fries with rice – which is another great, ‘stick-to-you-spoon’ food!