“Finger Foods”
Eating with the fingers allows your child to enhance skills such as coordination, grasping, and independence.
- Introduce foods that are easy to hold.
- Point to the food and then to your child’s mouth.
- Guide your child’s hand to pick up the food and bring it to his mouth.
- Cut your own food into pieces and present it so your child can be part of the family meal.
- Demonstrate eating with your fingers.
- Verbally direct your child to pick up the food, put it to his mouth and chew it.
- Feed your child and allow him to feed you.
- Introduce finger snacks during play.
- Encourage your child to feed dolls and stuffed animals.
- Allow your child to put fingers in things like ice cream, yogurt, etc. Have your child lift the foods off his fingers.
- Keep non-refrigerated (goldfish, cereal) snacks in a bowl. Place the snack where your child can reach it. This will allow your child to finger feed throughout the day.
