Learning to use a spoon takes months, and for a good while most of what's on it ends up somewhere other than a mouth. That's the process working, not failing. The right baby cutlery shortens the messy part and makes the whole thing less frustrating for both of you.
First Spoons and Soft Tips
The spoon you start with is one you hold, not your baby. Soft silicone tips are gentle on gums that may already be sore from teething, and a shallow bowl means a manageable amount actually makes it in. Long handles help you reach the bottom of a jar or a pouch without getting purée on your knuckles.
Some first spoons flex, which is useful when your baby clamps down mid-mouthful, as they will. Two or three in rotation is about right, since a dropped spoon is out of action and you don't want to be washing one mid-meal.
Handing the Spoon Over
Somewhere around nine to twelve months, most babies want to do it themselves, and that's where self-feeding cutlery comes in. Short, chunky handles suit a fist grip, which is how toddlers hold everything before they develop a pencil grip.
Curved or angled designs help the food arrive roughly where it's aimed. A guard or a wider section near the bowl stops the whole spoon disappearing into a mouth. Expect a stretch where your baby holds one spoon while you quietly use another, which is a completely normal way through and takes the pressure off everyone.
Forks, Feeders and What Comes Next
Forks arrive after spoons, usually past the first birthday, with blunt tines that still manage to spear a piece of pasta. Matched spoon and fork sets keep things simple and are what most families settle on.
Fresh food feeders are a different tool altogether, holding a piece of fruit inside a silicone or mesh pouch so your baby can taste and chew without loose pieces coming free, which suits teething as much as feeding. Stainless steel with a soft-grip handle is where things end up eventually, once the throwing phase has passed and you want something that lasts.
Cutlery Brands for Learning to Self-Feed
Done by Deer makes easy-grip spoon and fork sets in the same illustrated prints as its plates, so the table matches without any effort.Beaba covers the early stages with soft silicone spoons sold in multipacks.
OXO Tot brings its grip expertise to fork and spoon sets built for small hands.All4Ella is Australian and works in curved silicone,Mushie makes starting spoons and fresh food feeders, andTommee Tippee covers the practical self-feeding end. These are just some of the brands we carry.
Everything Else on the Tray
A spoon needs something to scoop from and something to catch what misses. Suction bowls stay put while your baby learns, and a decent bib saves an outfit a day. Our full baby feeding range has all of it, and these are the ones that pair with a first cutlery set:
- Plates & Bowls
- Tableware
- Feeding Bibs
- Baby Cups
- Teething Toys
- High Chairs
- Food Storage & Lunchboxes
- Cleaning & Accessories
Come and feel how they sit in the hand atAlexandria orMiranda, or order online and we'll post it out.

































































