The human brain is amazing. In the first year of life, children change and grow in so many incredible ways! Development doesn’t always follow a typical linear track, and new skills are often being simultaneously developed together. Speech and other development therapists are always looking for ways that we can support this multiple skill development. This is one of the reasons I am so proud to have been involved in the development of Little Spoon’s new Puffs, which were specifically designed to allow babies to better develop their fine motor skills while simultaneously learning to explore textures and flavors.
When first introducing your child to solid foods, they are very busy babies! Babies at this stage are typically new to sitting up, are working on dexterity and grip strength and are also developing a coordinated chew. Puffs were designed to be helpful at this stage, because they are textured, meltable and come in two fun and easy-to-rasp shapes and flavors: Organic Kale Apple Curls and Organic Banana Pitaya Rings. Not only does your child have practice with solid foods, they are also receiving physical input from the texture and shape, and working on their grasp. This helps develop your child’s dexterity while also improving their chewing pattern in a developmentally appropriate way.
Both oral motor skills and closely correlated gross motor skills play an essential role in feeding. This is why we designed the shape of the Little Spoon Puffs to give babies the chance to have more varied experiences with texture, shape and size, both in their hand and in their mouth. They are also designed to be attractive and fun (if we do say so ourselves)! Oral motor skills for the purpose of feeding develop progressively and are not initially driven solely by hunger, but rather curiosity. Children often explore objects and foods in a variety of ways (looking, smelling) including putting them in their mouths! Eating requires a lot of hand-to-eye coordination for them to locate, reach, pick up and bring the desired food or object to their mouth. The unique shapes of curls and rings make the experience more fun!
As babies experience success moving food to their mouth, we want to be sure the foods are safe, interesting and tasty. There is no “right” or “wrong” first food for your child. Fed is best, whether that be starting with naturally puréed foods, solid foods (like avocado) or a combination of both! What I like about a munchable solid like the Puffs is that they give a bit of both worlds – while they melt in babies’ mouths, they are firm enough to grasp in their hands. They won’t slip like avocado or banana might in little fingers, but also allow parents not to worry that they will be too rigid in your baby’s mouth. This helps make them not only developmentally appropriate, but a safe option for beginning eaters.
Finally, as a mom, I also love that they do not contain rice (the main ingredient in many puffs), are made with only 6 organic ingredients, are allergen free, and have no added sugars! I often have them in the diaper bag when we go to a restaurant-–they are a great way to include babies in meals in a low pressure way! Wishing you and your little ones much success in exploring first foods!
