Cooking Spoon With Hole
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
A cooking spoon with a hole, untreated beech, 16 cm. The hole is not decoration: a slotted spoon lets liquid fall back into the pan, so a child lifting something out of water gets the thing without the water, and the difference between the two spoons in this range is exactly that. Sixteen centimetres keeps a hand clear of a hot rim. Untreated wood, so wipe it and stand it to dry. The plain cooking spoon is a separate item.
“Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.”
The Cooking Spoon With Hole represents a bridge between the child's desire to participate in adult work and their developing motor capabilities. The wooden spoon's child-sized dimensions honor the young child's physical proportions, while the distinctive hole in the bowl transforms a simple utensil into a tool of discovery.
- Develops wrist rotation and circular stirring motions
- Strengthens pincer and palmar grasp through spoon handling
- Builds understanding of liquid versus solid through the draining hole
- Enhances bilateral coordination when holding bowl and stirring
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This hole serves as both a functional element for draining liquids and a point of focus that helps children understand cause and effect when stirring soups or transferring foods. In Montessori environments, real cooking tools like this wooden spoon validate the child's role as a contributing member of the community. The spoon's dual function, stirring and draining, introduces children to the concept that tools can have multiple purposes, fostering cognitive flexibility. By providing authentic kitchen implements scaled to small hands, we acknowledge that children under three are capable of meaningful work when given appropriate tools.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the wooden spoon on a low shelf alongside a small bowl containing dried beans or rice. Ensure the work area is at the child's waist height with a small mat defining the workspace.
- 1
Invite the child to carry the spoon and bowl to the work mat using two hands
Model slow, deliberate movements to emphasize care with materials - 2
Demonstrate holding the spoon with dominant hand, using a three-finger grip near the bowl end
Allow the child to experiment with grip positions before correcting - 3
Show circular stirring motions, letting some materials fall through the hole
Count aloud while stirring to integrate mathematical concepts - 4
Transfer materials by scooping and observing what passes through the hole
Use different-sized materials to explore the hole's filtering properties - 5
Return materials to the bowl and place everything back on the shelf
Make cleanup part of the complete work cycle
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
Cooking Spoon With Hole
