The best family mealtime products for babies and toddlers
Family mealtimes can be fun, messy and a great opportunity for parents and little ones to bond together. Here's our collection of clever products to help you all make the most of your time round the dining table.
1. Nana’s Manners Children’s Cutlery, £19.95
Type: Cutlery
Persuading babies and toddlers transition from finger foods to using cutlery can be a challenge. Enter Nana’s Manners, cutlery with a clever ergonomic grip and positional stickers which helps little hands feel comfortable when first using a knife and fork.
This cutlery set encourage independent feeding but instils confidence around meal times, too.
MadeForMum tester Eva says: “This cute cutlery set looks great and it works well too. The design of the handles really helped my two-year-old to get to grips with cutlery and be more independent at mealtimes. I loved the packaging and the conversation cards have sparked all sorts of discussion at the dinner table!”
Available from: JoJo Maman Bébé, Amazon and Nana’s Manners
2. Annabel Karmel’s Baby & Toddler Recipe App, £3.99
Type: Recipes and meal planning
Annabel Karmel’s range of fantastic baby weaning recipes has special interactive features that really help busy parents in the kitchen.
With more than 200 recipes at your fingertips, as well as meal planners and an intuitive speaker function which lets you navigate to a recipe by saying “next” to avoid touching the screen – brilliant if you have your hands full and you can’t remember the next step!
MadeForMum tester Natasha says: “Lots of useful features could keep you using the app for ages – chief among them is the planner, which allows you to add a recipe to a handy list of meal plans, or use the ready-filled planner arranged by age. A handy button also lets you add a recipe’s ingredients to a shopping list.”
Available from: iTunes and GooglePlay
3. Skip Hop Zoo Smart Serve Plate and Bowl, from £5.00
Type: Dinnerware
MadeForMums Jayde says her little ones love the bright and colourful designs of the Skip Hop range.
“My two toddlers love the cute characters, all designed with kids in mind. This smart serve bowl and plate set is no exception, war nearly broke out over who was going to get to use it first!”
From characters including Eureka Unicorn and Marshall Monkey, the dinner set helps minimise mess while encouraging independent feeding.
It also has a handy training rim to guide food onto cutlery, as well as non-skid bottom, and is microwave and dishwasher safe, too.
Available from: Amazon, Boots and Bella Baby
4. EasyMat Mini, £14.99
Type: Weaning
Imagine a product that can be easily transported while out and about and still keep food fresh for your toddlers? The EasyMat Mini’s ingenious design sees a silicone integrated plate with three sections that is portable and sticks to any flat surfaces courtesy for the four-corner suction pads.
Not only that, but the sealed lid means you can prepare food in advance of an outing and keep in the fridge or freezer.
Perfect for travelling and for toddlers to explore food at their own pace.
“This is probably the best product we have tried that really helps with weaning and makes the baby interested in trying to feed himself. I absolutely adore it and both our kids do,” says MadeForMum tester Izabela.
Available from: Amazon and EasyTots
5. Bibetta Weaning Pack, £26.99
Type: Weaning
Soft, durable and easy-to-clean, Bibetta’s range of weaning products comes in one useful pack, so you are fully equipped to tackle weaning your little one.
From a large placemat which can be folded up and taken out and about, to a stretchy comfortable long sleeved bib, all have a pull out pocket to catch food.
Such a great plastic-free option which comes in a fabulous range of designs from dinosaurs to cars.
MFM Editorial Director and mum of 3 Susie says: “Love the placemat - it helps make meal times fun. I also like the ultra-bib pocket that catches all food but can be folded inwards to lie flat, too.”
Available from: Bibetta
6. bobo&boo 5 Piece Bamboo Dinnerware Set, £16
Type: Dinnerware
It’s hard to believe that the bobo&boo set is made from scraps - but it’s true. Eco-friendly and presented in biodegradable packaging, the dinnerware is made from non toxic, natural bamboo fibres, a by-product of the bamboo industry – an amazingly green alternative to so many plastic products in the home.
MadeForMum tester Katharina agrees: “I loved this set and it appealed to me straight away. It's made from bamboo fibres and therefore eco-friendly whilst not breaking the bank.
“The set might be a bit more expensive than others but in my opinion with its sleek and simple yet stylish design, this set can easily last you from toddler all the way through to primary school.”
Available from: Amazon, Yumbles and EatWell
7. Doddl’s Children’s Cutlery, from £11.95
Type: Cutlery
With a blade designed to cut through food but completely safe on skin, the Doddl cutlery set promises to make meal times a doddle.
Contoured to fit little hands, and encourages pincer grip movements, Doddl’s cutlery is fantastic at helping toddlers feed themselves.
MadeForMum tester Karens says: “I really like the cutlery. My wee one is too young to use the knife, but the fork and spoon are easier for her to use due to the short bulky handle. She finds them easy to hold and more food gets to her mouth. The design is nice and they are small, so easy to pack away to take out with us.”
Available from: Amazon, Boots and Kidly
8. Yumbox, £24.95
Type: Lunchbox
Lunch on the go couldn’t be easier with the bento-style Yumbox.
The Yumbox’s brilliant design means that you can mix up mealtimes with a variety of different food, keeping toddlers interested and engaged, as well as offering up healthy snacks as part of a balanced diet by using the informative tray guide.
With its leak-proof lid, you can also include dips, yoghurts or similar without any mess. Perfect for travelling, too.
Available from: Amazon, EatWell and Not On The High Street
9. Lunch Punch Sandwich Cutters, £10
Type: Sandwich cutters
Getting toddlers to eat nutritious food is part of the battle at mealtimes so why not introduce an element of fun. The Lunch Punch Sandwich Cutters are brilliant at turning boring sandwiches into fun and enticing shapes such as planes and trains, hearts and unicorns or dinosaurs.
Simple and easy to use, they are made from bright and sturdy BPA free plastic so they are great for little hands too. Sandwiches will never be the same again!
Available from: Amazon and Not On The High Street
10. We Might Be Tiny Placemats, £16
Type: Placemats
Stylish, simple and available in a range of gorgeous contemporary colours such as charcoal and blue dusk, the We Might Be Tiny Placemats are a great addition to any dining room table.
Made from silicone, they are durable, dishwasher safe and most importantly great at catching any stray food and spillages from your little ones.
Choose from 3 animal designs – a bear, a bunny and a cat.
Available from: Amazon, Kidly and Trouva
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