Features

Positive Relationships: A parent's guide to ... spoons

Head for the cutlery drawer, for the humble spoon is as good a learning aid as anything you'll find in the toy shops for your baby or toddler.

Children under the age of three use their senses - seeing, touching, tasting, smelling and hearing - to find out about the world around them. So, banging, touching and 'tasting' spoons gives children from three months old an early lesson in textures and materials as well as helping to develop their visual awareness. Metal, they'll discover, is cold and hard, wood is warmer and lighter, while rubber can feel softer and be brightly coloured.

By the toddler stage, your child will be able to use spoons in many more playful ways and with that will come extra fun and learning, as our suggestions below will show. Playing with spoons also benefits children's physical development.

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