Why do I need to let my child get messy and play with their food?
In infancy and early childhood being clean is not a priority for a child, especially in comparison to play and having fun. Somewhere in childhood or adolescence we learn that hygiene and appearance matters. So when we become adults and parents, it feels against our better nature to let our kids get messy. We were always told "don't play with your food".
Well now we know that playing with food can actually have a positive impact on wanting to eat it.
A 2019 study looked at the impact of storybooks and sensory play on eating vegetables. The study found that storybooks and sensory play both in congruence and separately increased the likelihood of children eating the vegetables that were learned about and played with (Nikitsing et al., 2019).
The tactile system (touch) and oral sensory system are very closely connected and when we touch a piece of food and explore it with our hands, this gives our brain a rehearsal of what it might feel like inside the mouth. From touching and feeling a piece of toasted sourdough bread we learn that it has a tough, textured and crunchy exterior with a soft, smooth inside. We also can glean information about the probable taste/flavor of this food by using our olfactory system (smell). When a child digs their hands into a bowl of spaghetti with tomato sauce they learn that this food is wet, slippery, firm and elastic but breakable. That's a lot of preparatory information that the brain would not otherwise be able to assume just by visually inspecting.
How do I incorporate food play into my child's routine?
For infants 6 months and older, allow regular opportunities for baby to use hands to explore mashed, pureed and/or table foods
For toddlers and older children offer regular opportunities for them to assist with food preparation, create art with food or use cookie cutters to cut common foods into fun shapes
Ideas for sensory play outside of mealtime:
Rainbow spaghetti
Rice
Beans
Pumpkin guts
Jell-o
Whipped cream
Sour cream
Yogurt
Pudding
Play doh
Slime
Sand bin
Water beads
Shaving cream
When engaging your child in sensory play activities outside of mealtime be sure to use consistent language in calm tone to help them learn which items are "FOOD and SAFE to EAT" and which items are "NOT FOOD and NOT SAFE to EAT"
Reference:
Nekitsing, C., Blundell-Birtil, P., Cockroft, J., Fildes, A., Hetherington, M. (2019). Increasing Intake of an Unfamiliar Vegetable in Preschool Children Through Learning Using Storybooks and Sensory Play: A Cluster Randomized Trial;
Brittany Glass, MA, OTR/L, SWC, CLC
Occupational Therapist and Feeding Specialist
Owner of Eat Play Love
(949) 701-1896