Even before your baby is eating solids, he or she sees you using utensils and becomes curious about them. Help acquaint your baby with the spoon a little early by playing these games with some milk or formula, or use them for variety once you've introduced baby foods.
Appropriate for:
5 to 10 months
Skills developed:
Being spoonfed
What you'll need:
A baby spoon, breast milk or formula
Though you probably know about the tried-and-true "airplane coming in for a landing" trick, there are endless variations. A good one for surprise value is "rocket, landing on the moon": Hold the spoon down below the table or highchair tray, then bring it up quickly but carefully (as close to vertical as you can without spilling the contents) and gently place it in your baby's mouth just as you say "moon."
Or use a horizontal move to bring the spoon into your baby's field of vision as you say "here comes the racing speedboat" or try using an up-and-down bobbing motion to introduce a "whale swimming in the ocean."
Some babies are particularly partial to choo-choo trains (make a "chug-a-chug-a-whoo-whoo" sound as you bob the spoon along) and leaping dolphins (a dramatic arcing move sure to make a "splash").