I believe picky eaters are made, not born, and my post on 33 tips you can use to prevent such behaviour might be of help.
But if you already find yourself in the position to deal with a fussy eater, then the following children gift ideas will help you:
- make meals fun
- involve the little ones in the kitchen
- get them to stop the fussy eating by appealing to their sense of wonder
There are gifts for boys and girls alike, for baby led weaning and traditional weaning, for the young and for older kids as well. These are gift ideas for Christmas or birthdays and some of them are quite unique in concept.
Let’s see how you can make a guaranteed positive impact to your meal times.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you make a purchase.
26 children gift ideas even Santa should know about
Let’s talk plates, bowls and utensils. The ones that your little one can actually play with while eating.
Starting out strong with this constructive eating bundle: cutlery, plate and placemat.
Click to buy this from Amazon.
When I was a little girl I used to like playing with boys’ toy cars, so this one is definitely not one just for boys. The colours make it appealing to both genders too.
The plate is divided and has designated locations where you can place the knife, fork and spoon when not in use.
For the Star Wars fan, there’s a Luke Fork, Yoda Spoon, and Vader Knife utensil set that you can purchase.
They are stainless steel and go well with my belief when it comes to introducing cutlery to little ones: start with what you intend to use in the long term. Meaning no plastic utensils or any special age-defined cutlery that you are going to throw away after a while anyway.
While we’re talking about Star Wars, here’s what else you can give as a gift to a picky eater.
An ice pop maker that will turn your house into a space battle if more than 1 child is a fan. BONUS: they actually light up so watch out for epic battle scenes with dripping ice lol.
If your little one is a star baker (or just a simple baker, that works too!) then he’ll love this nesting measuring cups that once assembled turn into a droid. The measuring cups are 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup.
Last but not least for the Star Wars fans, this set of 4 bowls can make morning cereal more interesting. Even though the specifications mention they are not dishwasher safe, that’s not what the reviewers are saying.
If you remember that plane game that parents use to play with their children in order to get them to eat, then they probably would have had a better shot at it if they used this cutlery set.
Because they are 3D shaped, it is easier for smaller hands to get a proper grip on them.
Speaking of airplanes, maybe you would like a matching plate? And another set of airplane cutlery?
If your little one is not that into airplanes, you also have the option of buying either a dump truck, a fire engine, mermaid, police car, robot, tractor or even a unicorn. All of them with the same structure: divided plate for portion control and matching cutlery. So plenty to choose from for boys and girls alike.
So far I haven’t mentioned trains. But what kid doesn’t love trains? Especially when they join the table at meal times.
The cool thing about this train though, is that it transforms into a bowl, small plate, another plate, fork, spoon and cup. It’s guaranteed to spark your little one’s imagination and he will have fun putting the pieces back together. After he’s finished his meal, of course. If it looks too boy-ish for you, then they also have the pink version and a princess castle version.
The following set of plates looks fun even without any food on them.
Imagine what you can do when you actually serve something on them. Try them with colourful food and make them look different at every meal. They are shatter resistant too, so you don’t need to worry about kids breaking them.
Ever heard of stainless steel chopsticks? Neither did I. Until I saw this cute little picnic-ready set, with chopsticks, fork, spoon and little case.
I really like the LEGO look of the whole set and if your little one is into LEGO, then this is bound to be a hit.
However, if you’re looking for something fun and that sticks to the highchair table at the same time, then EZPZ mats are the way to go. And you get a FREE bib with your purchase of chosen mat or bowl.
Click here to purchase and get a FREE bib when entering code SILLYBIB at checkout
What I love about their silicone mats and bowls is that they are dishwasher friendly and stackable if you have more than one. That’s mess and space sorted!
Speaking of bibs, these ones are not free, but they’re cute and they come in a pack of three.
They have a girls version as well and the neckline accommodates children from 3 months old to up to six years of age!
You could also opt for a long sleeved bib like the 3 pack below.
They cover the whole upper body and come in various colours and patterns to suit both boys and girls.
If you liked the idea of cute ice lolly moulds, then I have two more funny shaped ones for you.
First is this fish and sea creatures 6 popsicle moulds. No need to run it under hot water, simply pull the lollies out!
If your little one likes rabbits, then this 4 popsicle mould set is the perfect gift.
Enough with the ice lollies. Time to get serious.
What I love about the next one is that it’s such a great idea to spark children’s creativity while eating. I wish I had invented this.
It’s a colouring tablecloth. And it’s machine washable, meaning you get to draw on it over and over again.
It’s also educational, because it’s a world map and kids can learn a bit of geography at the dinner table.
Let’s talk food prep. How can you bring some funny looking food to the table and break the monotony of everyday food?
Disney and waffle lovers will enjoy this waffle maker with their favourite mouse character.
Feeling stuck for a waffle recipe? I’ve got you covered, so don’t let that stand in your way.
Not a Mickey fan? They have Minnie as well. Or if you’re totally against Disney (say whaaaat?!) you can also grab a waffle maker that does various animal shapes instead.
My daughter isn’t a great fan of eggs, to tell you the truth. She has a love hate relationship with them, so I stumbled across this egg poacher set, with various shapes and sizes.
It also comes with a silicone brush included, so you can brush some oil onto the pan before frying.
Do you like to cut food in shapes for your little one? Then drop that knife and buy some of these cutters instead.
You can get a set of three cutters (triangles, hearts and squares) that cut through mostly anything.
Or you can grab a bigger set, including sandwich, vegetable and fruit cutters, as well as food picks and silicone muffin tins. It’s a massive 52 piece set.
Serving rice will never be the same with these moulds.
One thing which I found rather time saving and versatile is using a spiralizer. It doesn’t do only spiral shapes though. You can make apple chips, onion rings, potato nests, salads and vegetable pizza toppings.
This can also bring children to the prep table and get them excited about the food, as they watch it being prepared.
What you would need for that to happen safely though is to put them in a sort of chair that can sit right next to your counter top so that they can watch you getting the meal ready.
A kitchen helper stool is sturdy and foldable so that it doesn’t take up much space and it looks great.
It comes in three colour options and styles to match your kitchen decor perfectly.
Once your little one is old enough to master kitchen tools on his own, then why not grab a set only for his use? This baking one is for ages 6 and up and includes recipe cards for kids to follow along.
Last but not least, what experience would be complete without a recipe book for little ones? If they make it, chances are they’ll eat it. And it teaches them basic techniques and how to follow step by step instructions to a desired result.
All in all, these gift ideas make up a great way for little ones and picky eaters in particular to get excited about meal times and leave out the monotony that sometimes can happen when we simply cannot come up with another game to bring them over to the table.
Remember, kids love to play and I believe having them associate play with food can have a positive impact on how they view meal times. Food is nothing to be rejected on the sole reason that is not fun. Bring the fun to the table, don’t leave it out!
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