Whether your child is sampling a taste of baby rice or tucking into spaghetti bolognese as only a toddler can, you'll need dinnerware and utensils designed for his/her specific needs. Your child will also need somewhere safe and comfortable (not to mention washable!) to sit while he/she is eating.
Plates and bowls
Choose small plastic containers with lids when you first start your baby on solids. Buy plenty and make sure they are suitable for the microwave, freezer and dishwasher. If your baby develops an interest in throwing his/her dinner on the floor, try bowls with suction cups on the bottom. Once he/she is past the food-throwing phase, you can buy a selection of larger bowls and plates made out of tough plastic. They're durable, bright and dishwasher-safe.
Fussy toddlers sometimes prefer plates and bowls which have separate compartments so foods don't mix.
Forks and spoons
  Weaning spoons for feeding a small baby should have a shallow bowl and a long handle to reach into jars. Some of these are heat sensitive and change colour to show you when food is too hot. Your baby will want to try holding her own spoon from around six months. This is an important step towards feeding him/herself, so have an extra one handy.
When your baby starts to feed him/herself, buy utensils with wide or looped handles that are easy for small hands to grasp. It'll be a few more months though, before his/her co-ordination develops enough to get food from bowl to mouth with a utensil. At the beginning, my walls and floors ate more baby food than my toddlers.
Cups
There are two things to think about when buying a cup: ease of sipping and lack of leaking. Cups with sipper spouts are easy for a child to drink from, but they can drip. Cups with vacuum valves in the top won't leak, but children have to work harder to get a drink.
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