Fine Motor and Language Skills at Lunch Time

Soft, hard, chewy, mashed, chopped, crisp, creamy, and rough are all textures. It is wise to combine textures when planning meals and snacks for young children. This makes the meal more interesting for the children. For instance, at mealtime, serve one soft food, one crisp food, and one chewy food. Combine contrasting textures for a pleasing effect. This also provides you with an opportunity to include language concepts during meals and snacks. Dry foods are hard for children to eat. Serve dry food only in combination with two or more moist foods.

Serve most foods in bite-sized pieces. Children have poorly developed fine motor coordination skills so they find it difficult to use spoons and forks well. Therefore, slice cooked carrots and other vegetables in large pieces rather than dicing them. Try adding diced vegetables to another food. For instance, add diced carrots to mashed potatoes.

Soup is also difficult for many young children to eat. They become tired from spooning. Children may get frustrated if they spill on clothing or the table. Two methods can be used to make soup easier to eat. One method is to thicken the soup. This can be done by adding solid ingredients, crackers or mashed potato flakes, or a thickener, such as flour. The second method is to let the children drink the soup from a cup. For broth or tomato soup, you can even use a straw.



Related training:
Nutrition: Curriculum Development Tools (.1 CEU/1 Hour)
A Basic Approach to Feeding and Care - 2 hours
Express Nutrition Package - Healthy Choices (2 hours / .2 CEU)
Portions Healthy Choices on the Go (2 hours / .2 CEU)