Have you wondered how or when to transition your child to the next cup for their development? The ezpz Developmental Cup Set, along with our Basics Cup, makes it easy for parents to choose the right cup based on their child’s age and stage.
The Developmental Cup Set also includes expert tips to help you teach your child how to drink from an open cup and safely use a straw. Below is additional information to guide you through each step (i.e., cup) so your little one can build drinking and swallowing skills with confidence!
Tiny Cup: The Developmental Cup Set starts with the Tiny Cup for infants 4+ months. This 2oz open cup is designed for a baby’s tiny mouth and tummy. Open-cup drinking is important, as it supports healthy oral and speech development, aids with teething, helps your baby build a strong swallow, and can decrease tooth decay. Here are some benefits of using this first cup:
- Age Range: Between 4-6 months start open cup drinking (breastmilk / formula) by holding the cup for your baby. Around 9 months baby will want to practice holding the cup themselves. By around 12 months baby should independently drink from an open cup (with some spillage).
- Sensory: The cup is weighted to provide sensory input to help the baby hold the cup and decrease spills.
- Shape: The Tiny Cup is cone shaped on the inside, which keeps the baby's head in a safe ‘chin tuck' position. Sippy cups are designed with a ‘head back’ position, which opens the airway and increases the risk of aspiration / choking.
- Swallowing: When your baby drinks from an open cup they are learning how to perform a mature swallow pattern (just like the way you and I swallow). This skill doesn’t develop when drinking from a bottle or Sippy cup.
- Milestone: The Tiny Cup helps to support the infant swallowing milestone, which is: baby can drink from an open cup (held by an adult).
Mini Cup + Straw Training System: The second cup in the Developmental Cup Set is the 4oz Mini Cup + Straw Training System. This system includes a straw (with both a training side and an advanced side), a lid, and an open cup. Safe straw drinking is a critical skill to foster drinking independence.
- Training Side of the Straw: Introduce straw drinking to your baby around 9-12 months of age by starting with the training side of the straw (curved + sensory bumps out). The sensory bumps encourage correct lip and tongue placement for safe swallowing.
- Advanced Side of the Straw: Once your child is no longer relying on the bumps for correct placement, flip the straw over to reveal the advanced side of the straw (straight + no sensory bumps).
- Lid: Once you have filled up the cup, place the lid and push on the ezpz logo to release extra air inside the cup. This will help tighten the seal and create a vacuum to pull some of the liquid into the straw.
- Open Cup: This cup is 4 ounces, which is twice the size of the Tiny Cup. It’s the perfect size for toddlers' oral cavity and tummy.
- Milestone: This cup helps to support the toddler swallowing milestone, which is: a toddler can drink from a straw cup independently around 15 months of age.
Happy Cup + Straw System: The final cup in the Developmental Cup Set is the 8oz Happy Cup + Straw for children 2+ years. The larger cup is critical as older toddlers / preschoolers are consuming more liquids during snack + mealtime. The straw is also longer and more advanced for your preschooler's enhanced swallowing skills.
- Training Side + Advanced Side of the Straw: The Happy Straw also has a training side and an advanced side. This is important as a child may need to revisit correct lip and tongue placement when sucking liquid from a longer straw.
- Open Cup: Remove the lid to reveal a larger sized open cup. Have your child continue practicing open-cup drinking.
- Milestone: The drinking milestone for this older age group is: by 24 months a toddler should drink independently from an open cup with no spillage. The Happy Cup has a weighted base to minimize spills and help your child achieve drinking independence successfully.
Basics 14oz Cup + Lid: This 14oz cup + silicone lid is high-quality, durable, and built to last. The sleek, modern design is perfectly sized and fits right in with your adult drinkware—because grown-up style can still be kid-friendly.
The Developmental Cup Set was designed to support every stage of your child’s drinking journey. And when they’re ready for a bigger sip, the Basics 14oz cup is perfect for older kiddos!
