Open-cup practice with your toddler

Practise an open cup at meals with a small amount of water, a stable seat, and close help. Expect spills, follow cues, and record the support used.

A small two-handled open cup on a meal mat beside a folded cloth

Open-cup practice works best as a small part of a seated meal. Use a child-sized cup, add only a little water, and guide it with two hands if needed. Let your toddler choose whether to try another sip. Spilling is expected; the goal is practice, not finishing a set amount.

Key takeaways

Practise while your toddler is seated upright and supervised.
Start with a small, light cup and a small amount of water.
Follow hunger, thirst, and stop cues; do not force another sip.
Keep feeding advice separate from developmental observation.

Match help to what happens
Cup tips too fast	Use less liquid and support the base together.
Two hands reach	Pause and let your toddler complete the lift.
Coughing or distress	Stop immediately and follow appropriate medical guidance.
Turns away	Set the cup down and offer again at another meal.

A calm meal-time practice

Seat your toddler upright in a stable, age-appropriate seat.
Add a small amount of plain water to a light open cup.
Offer hand-over-hand support only as much as needed.
Wipe the spill together and finish without praise tied to volume.

What you can observe

CDC includes drinking from a cup without a lid, with possible spills, among 18-month examples. Notice how your child reaches, tilts, closes their lips, and sets the cup down. WHO guidance also emphasizes responsive feeding: watch and respond to the child's cues.

What is useful to record

Note the cup, liquid amount, posture, help given, and what ended the attempt. Record repeated coughing, discomfort, or a clear change, not the number of perfect sips.

A question for your clinician

Ask a clinician: “Is my child's cup practice safe for their feeding and health history, and what signs mean we should stop or seek an assessment?” Individual guidance matters for swallowing, motor, or medical differences.

Limits of this guide

This guide does not set fluid needs, replace feeding assessment, or advise bottle weaning for a specific child. Tracking is not diagnosis. Seek qualified care for coughing, choking, breathing difficulty, poor growth, pain, or another concern.

See the everyday-routines guide and the Buku KIA record guide for broader context. learning in everyday routines using Buku KIA as a development record