Why playing with food is essential for fussy eaters

Allowing your child to play with food can seem counter to a culture that teaches us manners at the table. It can also conjure up nightmares thinking of mess.

However, playing with food is an important part of learning to eat. Babies smoosh food on their trays, wipe it in their hair and rub it into their faces for very good reason. They are discovering what it feels, smells, sounds, and tastes like.

In fact, as adults we do the same thing in a more controlled way when faced with a new food. We may poke it with our fork, we may have a little sniff or touch it to our tongue.

All of these are the more mature version of what babies and toddlers do.

Some children though seem to skip this phase and don’t want to put their fingers in the puree or squash food into their trays.

Perhaps, even at a very young age they are/were not comfortable around certain foods. Or perhaps there are textural challenges that make the thought of close interaction uncomfortable.

Feeding experts agree that tactile (touch) experiences with food is very important. Even if your child is older and they have missed this stage, it is helpful for more competent eating to revisit — in an age-appropriate way.