Using a spoon: how the skill grows from 12 to 30 months
Using a spoon means loading a spoon with food and getting it to the mouth without tipping it. Spoon feeding asks for a steady wrist turn and lots of messy practice, and it gives a toddler real independence at meals.
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Using a spoon: the ladder, step by step
Pick the step that looks most like your child today. The next step and activities that practise it appear below.
No step picked yet. There is no wrong answer: pick the closest one.
Next step: Eats from a loaded spoon. Takes a spoon you filled and brings it to the mouth, often upside down.
Activities that fit this step
- Pre-Loaded Spoon Hand-Off · 13–20 months · 5–15 min
- Stir the Big Pot · 17–28 months · 5–10 min
- Basin Spoon Scoop · 18–28 months · 5–15 min
Next step: Scoops thick food. Digs into yogurt or oatmeal and gets some of it to the mouth.
Activities that fit this step
- Pre-Loaded Spoon Hand-Off · 13–20 months · 5–15 min
- Stir the Big Pot · 17–28 months · 5–10 min
- Basin Spoon Scoop · 18–28 months · 5–15 min
Next step: Feeds most of a dish. Eats most of a bowl of thick food by spoon, with fingers helping at the end.
Activities that fit this step
- Stir the Big Pot · 17–28 months · 5–10 min
- Basin Spoon Scoop · 18–28 months · 5–15 min
- Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice · 28–36 months · 5–15 min
Next step: Spoon away from home. Uses a spoon at a relative's table or a cafe without being reminded.
Activities that fit this step
- Stir the Big Pot · 17–28 months · 5–10 min
- Basin Spoon Scoop · 18–28 months · 5–15 min
- Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice · 28–36 months · 5–15 min
Top of the ladder (spoon away from home). Keep it flexible: offer it in a new place, with a different person or with new materials.
Activities that fit this step
- Stir the Big Pot · 17–28 months · 5–10 min
- Basin Spoon Scoop · 18–28 months · 5–15 min
- Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice · 28–36 months · 5–15 min
The using a spoon ladder
5 steps from the first sign to a flexible skill, covered here from 12 to 30 months. Children move at their own pace: use the steps to see what comes next, not as deadlines.
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Holds and waves
Grips a spoon in a fist and bangs it on the tray.
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Eats from a loaded spoon
Takes a spoon you filled and brings it to the mouth, often upside down.
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Scoops thick food
Digs into yogurt or oatmeal and gets some of it to the mouth.
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Feeds most of a dish
Eats most of a bowl of thick food by spoon, with fingers helping at the end.
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Spoon away from home
Uses a spoon at a relative's table or a cafe without being reminded.
When using a spoon usually shows up
Trying to use a spoon is a CDC 18-month milestone, and feeding themselves with a spoon is a CDC 24-month milestone. Spilling, flipping the spoon and finishing with fingers are all part of the normal path.
This page follows using a spoon from 12 to 30 months, a window that spans the 12-month, 15-month, 18-month, 24-month and 30-month CDC checklists.
In the library, 4 activities practise using a spoon (2 as their main skill), for ages 13 to 36 months. Each needs a few minutes of setup. By age, they sit closest to steps 2, 3 and 5 of the 5-step ladder.
Related items appear on the CDC checklists for 18 months and 24 months.
Related milestones
CDC checklist items (paraphrased) that involve using a spoon. Checklists are for monitoring, not a test.
| Checklist | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 18 months | Tries to eat with a spoon. |
| 24 months | Feeds themselves with a spoon. |
Activities that practise using a spoon
Placed on the closest ladder step by age. By primary domain: 4 practical life. Quickest to start: Stir the Big Pot (5–10 minutes).
Step 2: Eats from a loaded spoon
Step 3: Scoops thick food
Step 5: Spoon away from home
Skills practised alongside
The activities for using a spoon most often also work on pouring (2), household helping (1), imitating actions (1), problem solving (1) and using a fork (1). Pairing them keeps practice playful: one activity, several skills.
Practise it inside everyday routines
- Start with foods that cling to the spoon: thick yogurt, oatmeal, mashed potato.
- Give your child their own spoon while you feed with a second one.
- Use a bowl with high sides so food has something to scoop against.
- Put a mat or towel under the chair so mess does not end the meal.
What to avoid
- Taking the spoon away whenever it gets messy; mess is how the turn of the wrist is learned.
When to mention it to the pediatrician
If your child shows no interest in trying a spoon by 18 months, or cannot feed themselves any food with one by 24 months, mention it at the checkup, along with any coughing or gagging at meals.
Worried about using a spoon between visits? Call the pediatrician; CDC's free resources also explain how to contact your local Early Intervention program directly. Milestones are for monitoring, not diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
When do toddlers start using a spoon?
Trying to use a spoon is a CDC 18-month milestone, and feeding themselves with a spoon is a CDC 24-month milestone. Spilling, flipping the spoon and finishing with fingers are all part of the normal path. The first step to look for: grips a spoon in a fist and bangs it on the tray.
How can I help my toddler with using a spoon?
Start with foods that cling to the spoon: thick yogurt, oatmeal, mashed potato. Give your child their own spoon while you feed with a second one. A good first activity is Pre-Loaded Spoon Hand-Off (13–20 months).
What should I avoid when practising using a spoon?
Taking the spoon away whenever it gets messy; mess is how the turn of the wrist is learned.
When should I mention using a spoon to the pediatrician?
If your child shows no interest in trying a spoon by 18 months, or cannot feed themselves any food with one by 24 months, mention it at the checkup, along with any coughing or gagging at meals. You can also contact Early Intervention yourself.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.