Children’s first foray into utensils should start with a spoon! Babies are born with a grasp reflex but the conscious “Fist Grasp” or “Palmer grip” starts to develop early on around 5 - 8 months. The movement comes from the shoulder. Children will grip with the whole of the hand moving from the elbow. As a result, the wrist and fingers stay in a fixed position.

Toddlers may start using a Pincer grasp around 6 months generally. At around 12 months you’ll notice children using their forefinger and thumb together to ‘pinch’ or grasp an object. It’s an important fine motor skill that’s key to many functions that your little one will use in the future.

Children will start to be able to use a “Tripod grip” around 3 - 5 years old. The tripod grip involves holding objects lightly between the thumb, index finger and middle finger. Using cutlery, writing, buttoning and fastening are all tasks that involve fine motor skills. The tripod grip is an essential part of children’s fine motor skill development.