How nifty are these?! These squashable weaning accessories from Oogaa tick all the boxes for fun-packed mealtimes for your little one. Little Miss was sent a silicone placemat to grip those bowls of messy pasta in place, and a themed bowl and spoon set in pink and purple. Although I can’t claim these funky and functional weaning bits have led to mess-free feed times, it’s definitely made things a little easier!
About Oogaa
“We are kicking back against dull, plain, ordinary. Babyhood is a brief and precious time and we think it should be brilliant! So the stuff we make is bold, bright and engaging…. Our individually made, hand-finished products are designed to be better for baby and for the world they’ll inherit one day. We put special emphasis on environmentally friendly, green materials that are as safe and sustainable as possible.”
Founder, Sam Skolnik created the range after discovering that many plastic feeding utensils break down and leach harmful chemicals through daily use. Using pure grade silicone with no synthetic fillers, she’s created a range of fun feeding accessories that are safer for baby, mum & dad and the environment
Why silicone?
Why not?! Silicone is fabulous stuff and boasts some pretty unique properties:
- Doesn’t support the growth of fungus, mould or bacteria
- Soft, gentle and chewable for swollen gums
- Odourless and tasteless
- Microwave safe, dishwasher safe, heat resistant and freezer safe
- Noise-proof for dinner-time musicians, as well as chip-proof and unbreakable
- Silicone does not leach chemicals and is PVC, BPA and phthalate free.
- Sustainable as fully recyclable
And what did we think?
First up, they’re a joy to clean. Heidi’s bowl and spoons have been for multiple rides in the dishwasher and come out as bright and vibrant as new. Being microwave, oven, fridge and freezer friendly is also a real bonus. We put this to the test by baking Daddy’s special “baby lasagne” in her bowl, letting it cool and feeding it to her, then shoving it in the dishwasher… Voila! An entire meal using just one dish.
Her Oogaa bowl copes just as well in the microwave. Thanks to the super-sized width of these bowls, food heats in the microwave more evenly and cools down faster. This is fab if your child eats little and often as you can store leftovers in your Oogaa bowl in the fridge, then reheat them without transferring to a new dish.
“The little characters that cover our clever stuff are called oogaas and they’re the happiest, most fun-loving party animals around…. Oogaas smile from every surface and they love nothing better than a clean plate, a full tummy, and a happy, healthy child”
Capitalising on the age-old tricks mums and dads use to coax kiddos to open their mouths (“Here comes the aeroplane” etc), Oogaas are dinky little characters that bring this to life. Therein lies the beauty of these cool products; parents love them as much as the children. It gives us an excuse to bring forth our inner child and make whatever silly sounds we want to - Craig flies the airplane spoon around the room and lands it right in a laughing Heidi’s mouth!
The noiseless silicone has also withstood some real bashing from Heidi. Despite her best efforts they won’t chip, break or clang against the dining table!
Each handcrafted item is also cleverly ergonomically designed. The spoons are significantly larger than conventional baby spoons so grow with your child. It has a nice wide handle for parents and baby, and the fact they are silicone means extra grip if you’re chasing your baby’s mouth when they’re less than keen to eat. The bowl of the spoon is shallow to prevent over stuffing, yet can be loaded up and down easily thanks to its non-slip texture.
The placemats haven’t had a thorough roadtest at Chez Mills. I’d never pretend Dexter is well behaved at mealtimes but thankfully he’s not a thrower. They will come in handy for Heidi when she’s able to feed independently though (> I’m sooo dreading this day). I can imagine they’d be really useful for restaurant outings however as they fold up brilliantly and are no doubt a million times more hygienic than eating from a grubby restaurant table.
Other products on my hit list include these great baby weaning spoons that double up as awesome teethers. They’ve got raised little bumps on the underside perfect that have been created to glide over little tongues and stimulate babies’ senses.
My only gripe (and I honestly mean only) is that it heavily coloured sauces inevitably lead to a little staining of the silicone over time. But this doesn’t affect their versatility and I absolutely love Oogaa’s clever range. Okay you’re paying a premium with bowl and spoon sets weighing in at a hefty £12.99, placemats at £6.99 and individuals spoons priced at £4.99, but they’re so practical I’m happy to pay the extra.
I’m guessing you want your own?
To find out more about Oogaa’s range of eco-friendly products check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - and you can buy your own here in the UK online at John Lewis and Mothercare.
