Skip to main content

Is your toddler playing with food something you need to put a stop to?

Find out if it's beneficial to let your toddler play with food

Toddlers do all kinds of things that make parents question their sanity. One fun thing that toddlers do is play with the food you prepared for them. But is it a normal toddler learning experience or something else? If your toddler plays with food, the question is — should you let them?

The answer is yes — for the most part. While you may think it’s bad manners or that it encourages your child to misbehave, your toddler playing with food has many benefits for them. As long as you keep it within reason, it’s just fine to embrace the mess. Here are some reasons why you should let children play with food and a few tips on how to set boundaries.

A little girl feeding her food to her toy
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It helps exercise fine motor skills

It’s a sensorial experience

Meals are a delicious experience that awaken all the senses. Just like you as an adult, your child delights in the aromas, colors, textures, crunch, and tastes of their food. Let the wonder take over your toddler as they explore the food around them. As part of the exploration, they’ll eventually put the food in their mouth. Hopefully.

Rather than inhibiting their sense of adventure, get your camera ready for the moment when the flavors explode in your child’s mouth. The look in their eyes will be priceless.

These are some great finger foods that your toddler will enjoy:

  • Avocado
  • Crackers
  • Cheese sticks
  • Meatballs
  • Boiled eggs
  • Diced fruit

Finger foods are a wonderful way to help your toddler develop their fine motor skills. These fun meals have countless benefits for your little one’s oral motor progress and even help develop speech.

A toddler sitting on the counter while the parent hugs them with prepped food on the counter
c

It boosts independence

Children learn by touch and play, and crossing that over to food is no exception to this rule. When you let your child experiment with their food, you’re actually teaching them to feed themselves. This encourages your toddler’s independence and boosts their self-esteem.

Whether they use their fingers to pick up peas or a spoon to eat yogurt, watching your child try to eat on their own is an adorable experience. Resist the urge to rush or clean them up. Instead, sit back and motivate them to keep trying. Let them know how proud you are because this is a big milestone that deserves celebration.

It encourages them to try new foods

When your child pulls apart, smells, or inspects their food, it’s not because they’re being picky. In fact, it’s the opposite. You smell your favorite dish or use your fork to pick apart a food that you haven’t yet tried before you taste it. The same goes for your toddler.

By playing with their meals, young kids get to know new foods and are more likely to try them. The more varied your meals, the more they’ll get their hands dirty to explore them. Take this experimentation as a sign that you’re doing a good job as a parent. And before you know it, your child will be eating a whole rainbow of fresh foods.

It also gives parents a bit of a break

Are you tired of having to feed your child first and then you get to eat a cold meal? Hungry parents are as cranky as babies when they are “angry.” We all become the same when it comes to an empty belly.

Use this opportunity to model good eating habits and enjoy family meals. This is the beginning of a new stage in your child’s life. It’s also a chance for you to bond with your little one and introduce them to new flavors. Plus, if they become more confident in feeding themselves, you could sneak in a hot bite here and there while they are busy.

Young boy playing with his food
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to avoid too much mess

Of course, there’s such a thing as taking things too far. There’s a fine line between letting your child experiment with food and enabling poor table manners.

Here are some ways to keep it polite, age appropriate, and fun for all:

  • Don’t let mealtime turn into playtime. If your child starts tossing their food, remove the plate and let them play with toys. When they’re hungry again, offer the same meal.
  • Only feed your child when they’re hungry. Otherwise, they’ll end up playing out of boredom and won’t eat anything.
  • Keep portions small so there’s less food to smush.
  • When you have company, serve your toddler foods that create less of a mess.
  • Place a towel, blanket, or mat around your child’s highchair. Most of the mess will land there and cleanup will be much easier. Or have the family pet at the ready.
  • Remind your child to say “please” and “thank you” as a way to encourage positive table manners.

Next time your toddler gets as much food in their hands as their mouths, take a deep breath and let them play. This learning experience is more valuable and fun than you remember it being. As long as you’re supervising and making sure that they stay within limits, playing with their meals is a toddler milestone. It helps your child develop new skills and a love for healthy foods.

Kids are only little once. Let them have their cake, and play with it, too. Cleanup time may be a bit longer for you, but you’re creating great memories for your little one while helping them develop some big kid skills.

Editors' Recommendations

NewFolks
When babies get their first haircut: Everything you need to know to get through this milestone without tears
Here's when babies should get their new look
Baby getting a haircut.

The first year of your child's life is filled with exciting milestone moments, like their first smile, learning how to crawl, and taking their first step. For most parents, that first snip of hair is another milestone that is just as celebratory and emotional. The notion of cutting your baby's hair for the first time could bring parents and baby to tears.

Whether you choose to trim your baby's hair yourself or take them to a trusted professional, you may wonder when baby gets their first haircut. If you think your little one is ready for their first styling, we have tricks and tips to help make the experience enjoyable for everyone — with limited tears involved.

Read more
When can babies have water? You might be surprised
Here's why you need to wait to introduce water to your infant
Mom holding a cup while baby drinks from it

Water is a crucial part of almost every living being's diet, with proper hydration being one of the keys to good health and wellness. However, you may be surprised to learn that there is an age limit when babies can have water.

Although it may be tempting on those hot summer days to give your infant a bit of water, or you may want to supplement your regular feeding schedule with water if you think your baby is thirsty, experts warn against giving water to infants under a certain age. So, when can babies have water? Keep reading to find out.

Read more
Can pregnant women eat shrimp? What you need to know
How to safely eat shrimp during pregnancy
Pregnant woman on a bed

There are a lot of rules about what pregnant women should and shouldn't eat, so it's not surprising that many wonder if pregnant women can eat shrimp. After all, there are concerns about many different foods and varieties of seafood that aren't safe for pregnant women to consume, but is shrimp included in that list?

Can pregnant women eat shrimp?
You've probably heard warnings against pregnant women eating certain seafood while pregnant, including seafood high in mercury content like fresh tuna, swordfish, and shark. Fortunately, seafood like shrimp contains only low levels of mercury, making it safe for pregnant women to eat. Although shrimp is considered safe for pregnant women to eat, the FDA suggests that they limit how much seafood they eat weekly. A general guideline is no more than 8 to 12 ounces of seafood per week.

Read more