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      • Pre-feeding set by ezpz in sage green includes the tiny pops and oral development tools (silicone teethers)#color_sage

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    • ezpz oral development tools in sage green / silicone teethers for motor skill development

      Pre-Feeding + Oral Care

      For Baby-Led Weaning

    • The Happy Mat in Blush by ezpz / Self-Suctioning Silicone Plate & Placemat

      Placemats, Plates + Bowls

      The Original Silicone Mat

    • Cups, Straws + Utensils

      Sized for Development

    • Feeding Accessories

      Popsicles, Bibs, Cutters, Lids, Cleaning and More

    • Shop All

      Expertly Designed Products for Milestone Development

  • Shop by AgeShop by Age
    • Pre-feeding set by ezpz in sage green includes the tiny pops and oral development tools (silicone teethers)#color_sage

      0-6 Months

      Pre-Feeding & Oral Care

    • First Foods Set in Pewter by ezpz / Silicone Spoon, Cup & Suctioning Bowl for Infants

      6-12 Months

      Tiny Collection

    • Mini Feeding Set in Blush by ezpz / Silicone Plate, Fork & Spoon for Toddlers

      12-24 Months

      Mini Collection

    • ezpz Happy Feeding Set in Sage / Silicone, Self-Suctioning Plate, Silicone Cup and Straw, Training Utensils for Toddlers #color_sage

      2-5 Years

      Happy Collection

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      For Every Milestone

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  • GiftingGifting
    • Sets and Bundles

      Buy more and save! Shop our collection of giftable goods.

    • Build Your Own Box

      Get 10% off when you bundle 4 or more of our bestsellers.

    • ezpz Gift Guide

      Our favorite ideas for baby showers, birthdays, and more.

    • ezpz Developmental Utensil Set in Sage #color_sage

      Compare

      See how ezpz products are designed by age and stage.

  • Feeding TipsFeeding Tips
    • Baby-Led Weaning

      Discover best practices and the products we recommend.

    • Made for Milestones

      Read about age-specific goals for oral care, pre-feeding + mealtime.

    • Mealtime Advice

      Get professional tips from our in-house Pediatric Feeding Specialist.

    • See All Categories

      Explore fun feeding challenges, crafting, recipes, and more.

  • AboutAbout
    • Expertly Designed

      Our lines are created for ages + stages by an in-house specialist.

    • Awards + Reviews

      Check out our accolades and over 20K five-star reviews!

    • Press + Features

      The industry is raving about our innovative products.

    • Our Story

      Meet the powerful women behind our small business.

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    Feeding Milestone: The Pincer Grasp

    By Dawn Winkelmann, M.S, CCC-SLP
    Speech Language Pathologist & Feeding Specialist for ezpz

    Meet Ms. Dawn See All Articles
    Feeding Milestone: The Pincer Grasp

    As a parent, you may have heard about the pincer grasp, but what does it mean? And how can you assist your infant or toddler with this developmental milestone at mealtime? I will answer all of those questions and provide some ways to improve your child’s fine motor skills with the ezpz Mini Play Mat! 

    Pincer Grasp: A pincer grasp is when a child pinches an object or a piece of food with their thumb and index finger. This fine motor and feeding skill develops between 9 to 12 months of age. With practice, this grasp allows babies to feed themselves independently, be more successful at mealtime and eat with less mess! I use the Mini Play Mat to help little ones practice this skill since the sizing of the flower compartments were specifically designed to further the development of these motor movements. If this essential grasp sounds like a parent win to you, then read on!

    Cost Effective Crafts: Help your little one practice control of their pincer grasp by using the Mini Play Mat with items you already have at home or items you can find at the dollar store. Here are a few craft ideas to get you started.

    • Play Dough & Straws: Put play dough in the flower pedals of the mat. Cut up plastic straws and have your child pick up the straw pieces (using their pincer grasp) and place them into the play dough. Use different colored straws and cut them in varying lengths to amp up the fun factor. Once mastered, try this with toothpicks instead of straws!
    • Clothespins & Bag Clippers: Place clothespins or bag clippers along the top of the Mini Play Mat and have your child pinch them off using their pincer grasp. To make it more interesting, color the clothespins with markers or cover them with Washi tape.
    • Eyedroppers: Fill each pedal of the Mini Play Mat with water and different colors of food coloring (blue, red, green, etc.). Have your child use an eyedropper to suck up a few colorful drops (using their pincer grasp) and then squeeze the liquid onto a coffee filter. They can make their very own tie-dyed masterpiece!

    Food Crafts: Support development of your child’s pincer grasp while exploring a variety of foods with these fun food crafts!

    • Bracelet & Necklaces: Fill the Mini Play Mat with different puffs and Cheerios and have your little one help you string them (using their pincer grasp) to make an edible bracelet. For older kids, try stringing food necklaces with popcorn and other edibles found here.
    • Pom Poms & Cotton Balls: Have your child drop cotton balls or pom poms (using their pincer grasp) into the flower pedals of the mat. For an added sensory experience, try putting some food puree into the different pedals of the Mini Play Mat and dye each section a different color with food coloring. Then, have your child use the pom poms to ‘paint’ and decorate a piece of paper!

    Once your child has started using the pincer grasp for crafts and finger feeding they can start to master other eating activities. Using utensils during mealtime or coloring marshmallows with food safe markers can be fun ways to work on fine motor skills. Challenging their grasp with child chopsticks or kid-friendly food scissors are great snack time ideas, too! All of this pincer grasp practice will eventually help your child with school and self-care activities (e.g., holding a pencil and zipping up a jacket), so don’t give up. You've got this!

    What are some of your favorite pincer grasp activities? Do you have a fun food craft that would be perfect in the Mini Play Mat? Share them with our community by using the hashtags #ezpzfun #miniplaymat.

    • The Happy Mat + Child Development

    • Feeding Milestones for Baby: Cup Drinking

    Speech Language Pathologist & Feeding Specialist for ezpz

    Dawn Winkelmann, M.S, CCC-SLP

    Dawn Winkelmann (M.S, CCC-SLP) is ezpz’s Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Feeding Specialist. She teaches parents and medical professionals how to start babies on solids safely and encourage toddlers to overcome picky eating tendencies. She is also the designer of our award-winning feeding and oral care products!

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