Do you let your toddler play with their food?

Question

My two year old is great with a spoon. Sometimes she starts grabbing food with her hands that should be eaten with a spoon (yoghurt this morning). Sometimes she’ll eat it. Sometimes she’ll play with it and paint her high chair tray. 
I know sensory activities like this were important when she was younger but when do you stop letting them play?

Answer

When they are playing because they are done/full, I remove them from the situation.
If they are playing while eating, I leave them be.

Answer

Yes. It's part of their development. If they're done then no, they leave the table, but if they're exploring their food AND eating they yes.

Answer

No.

Answer

My 15 month old will often ditch her spoon or fork and eat with her hands, my rules are that as long as it stays on her tray she can do whatever. When she starts throwing it on the floor, feeding the dogs, or rubbing it on the wall next to her that’s when I tell her all done and clean her up

Answer

I find my toddler (17 months) gets bored trying to use the spoon and resorts to finger eating. He also does this even when he manages to stab the fork into his food. Sometimes he's scooping from his bowl onto the table and picking pieces with his fingers or squishing a banana in his hands for the sake of doing it (he usually won't eat anymore when he does this). I only let him do it if he's still eating or it'll get messy real quick.

Answer

It depends on what’s meant by “playing”. Babies and toddlers learn to like foods by how they feel first. But when it comes to just squishing it and throwing it, no. I’d just assume they’re done by then.

Answer

Usually if my daughter starts playing with her food I know she’s done eating. I’m not the type to have my baby covered in food I just don’t like it and baby clothes get expensive when they keep getting stains and need replacing.

Answer

We don't really let her play with her food.
She has however since becoming 3 sometimes asked us what we think her food looks like. That's about as wild as it gets.

Do you let your toddler play with their food?

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