Mommy. . . I spilled

As your preschooler moves closer to kindergarten it is important that they have a level of independence that will help get them through their day. Unlike at home or in preschool, kindergarten classrooms will not have a low adult-child ratio, there may be only one teacher and one aide to 30 children. This means that your kiddo may not have the help they need to get through snack or lunch.
So now comes the tricky part, how do you practice independent feeding at home without creating a flood of apple juice every time you sit down to eat? Just like previously mentioned in this blog for learning to dress themselves, you can take play time to work on these skills, preferably outside J.
To help your child address the treacherous task of eating with a spoon without the tears, create an activity that involves using spoons to scoop up different types of materials. Lay out multiple bowls and cups in an area, some empty and some with materials like dry rice, dry beans, water, glittery, or beads, and a large pot or bowl. Create a scenario such as making a magic potion or cooking soup for your restaurant and let them practice scooping the ingredients with standard kitchen spoons into the pot. This will allow them to practice the motion of scooping and balancing the materials in the spoon without resulting in mac and cheese all over the floor.
The same activity can be used to practice pouring liquid from one container to another (like pouring juice from a pitcher into a cup). Just modify the materials to be different types of liquids and add some things that float like the glitter or beads to make it interesting, and use all cups and no bowls or spoons. Have the child practice pouring the liquids from one cup to another.
These type of activities give your child the time to practice and develop the fine motor and hand-eye coordination required for independent eating in a fun environment that isn’t as rushed or pressured as meal time. So get out the utensils and let the games begin.