When Should My Child Feed Themselves With a Spoon

buying guides

The best cutlery sets for children

First published on Tuesday 4 October 2022 20:40 BST

Sally J Hall

Netmums contributor

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Weaning your child is an exciting time and it's not long before your child will want to grab the spoon and start trying to feed themselves. This makes it a good time to look for a lovely child-sized cutlery set to help your toddler feel more independent.

What should I look for in a children's cutlery set?

You need to bear a few things in mind before parting with your money when buying a kids' cutlery set:

• Can you wash it easily? Make sure there aren't nooks and crannies where food may collect. Also, can it go in the dishwasher and can it stand repeated cleaning?
• Is it easy for your child to hold? Look for child-sized handles
• Is it attractive? Make sure you buy something your child will want to pick up
• Is it durable? Make sure the materials used will stand the test of repeated use and washing
• Is it a good size? Choose cutlery that suits the size of your child's hands and mouth

Here are our favourites

1. Doddl Cutlery Set

Best for – easy to grip

See more at Amazon

Suitable from 12 months, these were developed by a mum and although they are not dishwasher safe, they are lovely to look at and quite different in design. The handles are the right size for your baby's palm and they have been offset at an angle to make feeding themselves easier for your baby. Easy to hold, the handles help your child develop their pincer grip – and that comes in handy for everything else as they grow, including writing. The spoon helps babies scoop up their food and the cutlery is perfectly weighted to sit comfortably in the hand.

2. Vital Baby Nourish Chunky Cutlery Set

Best for – first weaning

See more at Amazon

Babies can get interested in food early on, so as soon as you hit the six month mark, you can start them on 'normal' food. These rounded, chunky utensils can be used straight away with you feeding your baby, or they may try to help themselves. They come in bright colours and are just the right shape and size for your baby's hands. They have shallow bowls, which helps your child scoop just enough for a mouthful. They are dishwasher safe and come in packs of two of each utensil.

3. Munchkin Splash Toddler Cutlery Set

Best for - older toddlers who are getting better at feeding themselves

See more at Amazon

Sometimes all you need is a good, standard piece of kit when you are caring for a child and this basic set of three utensils is great for toddlers who have mastered a spoon (from about 18 months) and now want to use more cutlery. They come in different colours to appeal to your little one and the knife's shape makes cutting easy, while the fork and spoon, with their wide, curved surfaces, means food is easy to scoop. The handles with their well-rounded shape are easy to grip and they are dishwasher safe too.

4. Vicloon Baby Fork and Spoon Set

Best for – scooping food into their mouth independently

See more at Amazon

Made from food grade silicone, these are suitable from six months and will protect your baby's soft gums. Their handles include a soft wire that can be angled so that your baby finds it easier to transport the food from their bowl to their mouth. The handle is the perfect size for baby fists to grasp and is non-slip. They can be washed traditionally or in the dishwasher. The colour and shape of these utensils is very appealing.

5. Done by Deer Easy Grip Cutlery Set

Best for – their smart Scandi looks

See more at Amazon

Used from six months, this cutlery set shows Scandinavian design at its best. The handles are curved and easy-to-grip and they have appealing characters on them too. They can be used in role play games to encourage your child to eat their food all up. Made from food grade stainless steel with an easy grip soft handle, they come in a range of weaning products that includes bibs, bowls and plates too.

6. Acehome Toddler Utensils in Travel Case

Best for – baby meals while travelling

See more at Amazon

When you have a baby, your life does not need to stop and weaning can be even more fun when you're out and about. This neat travel cutlery allows you to take all you need for feeding your baby out with you. They are made from 100% food grade stainless steel with rounded, gum-safe edges. Their silicone handles are BPA, lead, latex and phthalate free and just the right size for your baby to grasp. They can be used from 12 months and are dishwasher safe. They have a neat travel case to keep them hygienically clean

7. TUMTUM Children's Cutlery

Best for: easy to grip

See more at Amazon

Once your little once has got the hang of this self-feeding thing, you may want to treat them to some more 'grown-up' cutlery when they are pre-schoolers, from around three years. This set mimics adult-sized cutlery and has a silicone sleeve covering the handles, making them easy-to-grip and to prevent them from slipping. These can be taken off when your child is older. The bowl of the spoon and fork are deep so they can scoop food like peas and soup and the child-safe knife is set at an angle that helps your child cut their food. They are dishwasher safe too.

8. BamBam Bamboo Fork and Spoon Set

Best for: sustainability

See more at Little Love Baby

This rounded, sustainable bamboo cutlery is great for mini eco-warriors and it's biodegradable too. They are a good size for your little one to grasp and their ends are softly rounded to protect baby mouths and gums. They can be used with a matching range of plates and bowls. They are not dishwasher safe, sadly.

9. Viners Jungle Personalised Cutlery Set

Best for: a personalised gift

See more at The Laser Boutique

This personalised set of cutlery featuring your child's name is a lovely keepsake and comes in a gift box with a picture book. The jungle theme sees cute animals and motifs on the packaging and handles, such as teddies, monkeys and footballs. They are made of durable stainless steel, can be used from two years and are dishwasher safe.

10. HAKACC Kids Training Chopsticks

Best for: oriental food

See more at Amazon

If you typically use chopsticks at home or feel it's important for your baby to master them, this training set is idea. They are fixed together at the top, lettings kids practice with the grip while not having to worry about holding two utensils at once. They're also great for either left or right-handed kids and help develop your child's fine motor skills. They can be washed in the dishwasher.

Discovering more weaning products?

Read on

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The best buys for weaning and feeding your baby

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Source: https://www.netmums.com/reviews/buying-guides/the-best-cutlery-sets-for-children/4-vicloon-baby-fork-and-spoon-set

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