Food Play for fussy eaters

Forget everything you were told about not playing with your food 😊. Food play is a very simple and fun sensory activity. Food play can benefit language development, you can discuss colours, smells, textures, I like/don’t like. It could also greatly benefit children who are picky or selective eaters, and offers them a pressure-free interaction with food. By not being expected to eat the food, you could also counteract anxiety that may be associated with trying new foods or eating times. You could provide a platter of different types of foods and let the kids explore, or you could also make it a game, such as 'Fruit detective’, by blindfolding the kids and have them guess the food from smell, touch or taste. Some tips that may help: 1. Start at the child's level. Your child may dislike trying new foods, or may be sensitive to certain textures or smells. Don't expect too much from the child, to start. This may be something you ease into. If you know your child may struggle with this activity, and all they do is sniff a food, then that's ok. Lots of little gains can add up to big ones. If this is something you know your child will enjoy, then jump right in. We want it to be a positive experience for the child with no added pressure or expectations. 2. Model: The child may be concerned that they have to taste the food, so you model, or allow them to watch someone else in the group interacting with the food. Be silly with it. By watching others play with their food, they may be encouraged to give it a go. 3. Make sure to have some food the child likes to encourage them to engage with the activity. On the other hand, I would not include items that I know the child dislikes. 4. Use visuals if necessary. You may need to use a first/then board with some children. Or a visual for smell/sniff, touch or eat. 5. Food play should not be done at the regular eating times, or where you usually eat. We don’t want our kids throwing fist-fuls of porridge across the room at breakfast time. 6. Prepare. Put down papers/sheets, wear old clothes/aprons, whatever to protect surfaces. You don’t want to be worrying about mess when you're having fun. Let me know if you give it a go.