Fussy about food (Part 1)

Sensory integration

﻿In today's lesson, we're going to look at movement. And part of the sense of movement when we have meals is to use both sides of our body. So we're going to look at using a knife and fork and some cutlery skills and tips to make it easier for us. We as therapists have tried to think of the best way to continue to support children, young people and their families. We will be exploring topic areas that we regularly provide advice and support on across all ages and abilities. Each lesson will have ideas and activities that can be carried out at home or in school. This information is to be used alongside any specific strategies or resources which have been given by your child's school or therapist. If you have any questions or would like help tailoring this to your child's needs, then please contact your local therapy service. So in today's lesson, we are still looking at the movement sense but we are very specifically going to have a look at cutlery and how we use that at mealtimes. So, first of all, what you're going to need for today's lesson about food is have a snack that you enjoy with you, and so prepare that. And then have some pens, some pencils and paper. And have a knife, a fork, and maybe a spoon. And have some Play-Doh ready. So we're going to pause the video here to get everything ready. And then when you've gathered all the bits, then press play, and we will carry on with the lesson. Great. Now, first of all, we going to think of our movement sense. And I want you to think of your ideal restaurant. What would it look like? It doesn't have to have tables. It doesn't have to have chairs. It could have bean bags, it could have tunnels, it could have a climbing frame. How would your ideal restaurant look like? What kind of movement activities would you like to bring into your restaurant when you having a meal? What would make it easier? Would you just like people to stand instead of sit down on chairs? Would you like them to lie down on their tummies, maybe, when they're having a meal? Whatever you think, I want you to draw that, and have a chat with your parents or carer, what kind of furniture you would really like in your ideal restaurant. When you're finished, press play and we will carry on with this lesson. Wow. I can't wait to see all of your restaurants. So I will remind you at the end, how you can share your information with Oak National Academy. But let's have a look at our movement system and what can be tricky for us when we have to sit still at the table. It could be that, just sitting still is really hard or you could be really tired and kind of slumped forward. So if someone was kind of really tired and we feel we have to arrest on our arms because our bodies are just so tired, we cannot move by the time that it is dinner time, maybe. So here's a few things that you could try and do. You could actually be the server or the person who clears the plates away, because that will give you a little bit of movement, but it will also help your parent or carer. Another good thing to remember, especially the dining dining table, is to choose a chair that is really supportive. So if that means it is a chair with arms and the backrest, that may be better for you than sitting on a bench. So think about that and have a chat with your parents or carer about what chair would work best for you in the dining room. When cutting up food is tricky, it can be really difficult for us. And you will always need to kind of either wait for your parents or carer or someone else to come and cut up your food, or you may just give up and use your hands to eat a piece of meat or really hard vegetable. And cutlery it can be really harder. And so what we need to do is we need to kind of look at the actual cutlery and whether there's something that we can do about the handle and how it feels in our hand, what is more comfortable for us. And in today's activity, we also going to practise using cutlery and we're going to use our Play-Doh or our piece of dough that you've made with your parents or peer for this activity. But first of all, I'm going to tell you a little bit more about cutlery and the hand different handles that you may want to think about. And I'm also going to show you, how to hold your cutlery to be ready for cutting. So part of today's lesson, we're going to look at different handles that we can use. And it's really important that you try our different handles to see which one is the easiest for you to hold. So this one is one that I quite like. It's quite round, as you can see. So it's not flat and it's nice and round. So when I have to hold it, it kind of fits nicely in my hand, I guess. But this has got a round handle, and it's feels a little bit different. So this one here I have, we just got a flat handle. But it's got a slightly curvy one. So again, it's quite heavy because it's all made of metal and you can try to use that one. There's a few other handles that I'll show you, where this one is got a really, really folded round and it's made of plastic. So again, it has a different feel. And we know that our touch system, our sense of movement and our body sense, all play a part when we have to do everyday activities. So here's another one. This one is also made from plastic, but it's got a much more, if we compare it to this one, they you look slightly different. So they're all very different in how they feel and how you can kind of hold, hold your knife and fork. So that's one thing, is really thinking about the field of cutlery. And it's something that you can share with your parents with carer. Now, I just want to also show you a closeup, what I mean by when we hold our knife and fork. So, first of all, I want you to make a point of finger, as if, you know, in some old movies, but you can pretend the teacher felt cross, and she will shake her finger like this, I want you to do the same. So have your pointed finger out. That's right, just like that. And now I'm going to have my knife and I'm going to put that to point your finger on the top bit, so you can see it's kind of quite close. And then these hands, just like I found out these hands are now, these fingers are just holding onto the edge there and this finger here is right on the top. And the reason why we're doing that, is because we can really push down and then slice. So we push down and slice, and that's the action that we need when we have to cut up any foods, especially when it's quite soft. So if you think about cheese, soft cheese, if you have to cut that up or some cooked potatoes, you have to push down and then you have to slice. So that's the action that we're going to do. Let's have a look at how we hold a knife and a fork together. So we've already seen with our knife, we have our pointer finger on the top bit, so we can push down and slice. And we're going to do exactly the same with our fork. So with our fork, we have our pointed finger and we're holding our cutlery just like that. And you put in your pointy finger on the back, on the back of the fork, because your fork is needed to stab the food. And I think it's a hold it down.** So you need to keep that pressure down there, because while you're holding onto your food, you will need your knife that will need to come and push down and cut. And that is how you can cut up. Start off with really soft things, like, as I've already said, potatoes is a really good start. but we also going to have a go at doing some Play-Doh. And that's what you going to use for it. So we're going to look at the next slide and I will guide you through that. Okay. Now it's going to be your turn to have a go. So pause the video here to complete the task and make sure that your adult or your carer is with you, when you have a go at cutting up Play-Doh or some normal dough that you have ready. So first of all, you're going to make a sausage shape. So roll it between your hands until it's a sausage or roll it on the table, if you need to. And now practise using your knife, your fork, and maybe have spoon as well on the plate of sausage. And then at meal times, or just outside of mealtimes, you may want to try experiment and practise with different foods or the different shapes, the different thicknesses and sizes, to keep practising your cutlery skills. And just remember that it's the practise that will really help it. As well as finding the right type of cutlery that help your hands to hold it and for your hands to work together. So once you're ready with this activity, have a go with it. And then when you're finished, press play, and then we will finish the lesson together. Well done. You did brilliantly. So I've said earlier, I will tell you how to share your work with Oak National. So if you'd like to please ask your parent or carer to share your work on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, tagging at Oak National and hashtag learn with Oak.

Fussy about food (Part 1)

Fussy about food (Part 1)

These resources will be removed by the end of the Spring Term 2026.

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