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First Bites, Big Milestones
Starting solids the OT-approved way for strong sensory, motor, and mealtime skills
Eliana Savitsky
August 15, 2025
✨ Hey there!
Starting solids isn’t just about calories, it’s about development. Every squish, smear, and drop to the floor is part of your baby’s sensory, motor, and social learning. From the feel of avocado between their fingers to the sound of a spoon clinking against a bowl, eating is a whole-body experience.
Today, we’re looking at starting solids through an occupational therapy lens, so you can feel confident that you’re helping your baby develop the skills they’ll use for a lifetime.
✨ First Things First: Quick Wins for You
Feeding tools that make first foods fun and developmentally rich:
🥄 Soft Silicone Baby set– Perfect for tiny hands to practice self-feeding.
🍌 Banana toothbrush – Safe way to introduce textures and make it food themed!
🧊 Silicone Popsicle Molds – Make fruit or breastmilk pops for teething relief and oral motor input.
🧠 The OT Perspective on First Foods
Early feeding experiences are rich with developmental benefits:
Sensory input: Different textures, temperatures, and flavors help babies learn about the world.
Motor skills: Picking up food, bringing it to the mouth, and chewing builds fine and gross motor coordination.
Social learning: Eating together models mealtime behavior and keeps food a shared experience.
Confidence: Self-feeding (even when messy) fosters independence.
And here’s the big one, let them make messes and touch everything. Smearing banana on the tray, squishing sweet potato, or dropping a spoon to the floor is how babies learn cause-and-effect, improve sensory tolerance, and prepare for a lifetime of eating without anxiety around textures.
When my baby first started exploring food, I didn’t just feed him, I let him join me. If I was having breakfast, he was having breakfast. Lunch? He got the same thing. Dinner? Same deal. I’d just make it smaller or softer so it was safe for him to eat, but the flavors and textures were exactly what I was eating.
One morning, I gave him avocado and let him take charge. Pretty soon, it was on his cheeks, the tray, his bib, and the floor… and he was thrilled. That mess? That was therapy—tactile processing, hand-eye coordination, oral motor work, and confidence building all rolled into one delicious disaster.
💡 Pro Tips
Always supervise during feeding.
Follow your baby’s cues, don’t force bites.
Serve a variety of textures and temperatures.
Keep a wipe nearby, but wait until the end to clean so your baby can fully explore.
Wrapping Up for Today
Starting solids is a messy, joyful, skill-packed chapter. The more your baby can explore, copy you, and participate in real meals, the stronger their sensory, motor, and social skills will grow.
So go ahead, serve them what you’re having, embrace the spills, and know you’re building more than just eating habits… you’re building foundations for independence.
Here’s to tiny hands, big messes, and mealtimes that matter.
With you in every milestone,
Eliana
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