16/06/2026
βDonβt play with your food!β
Itβs a phrase most of us grew up hearing, but when it comes to children learning about food, playing with it can actually be a really positive thing.
Exploring food with all of their senses helps children become more familiar and comfortable with different textures, colours, smells, temperatures and shapes. Before a child is ready to taste a new food, they often need opportunities to see it, touch it, squish it, pour it, mix it and investigate it without any pressure to eat it.
Food play can:
β¨ Build confidence around new and unfamiliar foods
β¨ Reduce anxiety and pressure at mealtimes
β¨ Support sensory development
β¨ Encourage curiosity and exploration
β¨ Help develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
β¨ Promote language development as children describe what they see, feel and smell
β¨ Create positive experiences with foods that they may eventually choose to taste
Food play doesnβt have to mean wasting food. It can be as simple as setting up sensory invitations using:
π Coloured rice
π Cooked spaghetti
π« Lentils or dried beans
π§ Jelly with small toys hidden inside
π₯£ Different cereals for scooping, pouring and sorting
π½ Cornflour mixtures
π Slices of fruits and vegetables to explore, stamp or arrange into pictures
Remember, for many children, learning to enjoy food starts long before taking a bite. The more opportunities they have to safely explore food through play, the more familiar and less intimidating it can become.
So do play with your food. π
