Ella's Kitchen Baby Finger Food Challenge

E has only just turned 9 months old and her favourite thing to do is explore the world around her. She is learning so much every day and growing right before my eyes.

If you're a regular reader, you'll know that both E and I love the Ella's Kitchen pouches. We have been lucky enough to review some and I buy them every weeek! They have recently developed a 'Baby Finger Food' range which is perfect for babies aged 7 months+. The "play and learn" range is a selection of healthy, handy and fun finger foods perfect for little hands.

Ella's Kitchen very kindly sent us some of their range to try out with E alongside some fabulous toys to get her exploring with her hands! We received:

Ella's Kitchen Apple + Ginger Grip Me Baby Biscuits (£1.99 per box of 12)

Babies R Us Textured Ball

Ella's Kitchen Vanilla + Banana Pick Me Melty Hoops (£1.49)

John Crane B Elemenosqueeze Blocks

Ella's Kitchen Strawberry + Banana Grab Me Melty Puffs (69p)

Ella's Kitchen Cheese + Tomato Pick Me Melty Hoops (£1.49)

Ella's Kitchen Tomato + Leek Grab Me Melty Puffs (69p)

When I first opened out our parcel the kids (well, C really!) wanted to play with the blocks. They have quickly become a firm favourite in our house and they are played with every day. C is almost 3 and he likes to build towers. E, at 9 months old, is much more interested in chewing on them!

E loves all of the different textures on the ball too. The bright colours combined with the black and white checkered panel are great for her eyes. The little mirror on the end is a hit too!

When I started weaning E, I did a combination of spoon feeding and baby led weaning. Now that she's getting older, I want to try and get her eating all of her meals on her own.

Firstly I tried the Grip Me Baby Biscuits. These are recommended for 10 months+ but she has had food of a similar shape and texture so I thought she would be alright with them. The large size meant that she was able to lift it directly from her tray on her own. She had a little feel of it to suss out what it was before chomping down on it (like she does with everything!). She loved it and they have come in handy for snacking on whilst out and about as they are all individually wrapped.

Both flavours of the Grab Me Melty Puffs have gone down a treat with E. They are for 7 months+ and are bigger than Wotsits so she has no trouble lifting them. As they are puffs, she loves to clench and unclench her fist whilst holding them. Fun for her, not so fun for me as crumbs are everywhere!

Before we tried the Pick Me Melty Hoops, I did think that they would be a bit small for her plus they are recommended for 10 months+. We gave them a go anyway and I couldn't be more proud. I scattered a few over her tray and after having a little look, she attempted to pick them up. She struggled a bit at the beginning but she soon perfected her pincer grip and was putting them into her mouth like a pro. She has since learned that if she sticks her finger in the hole in the middle she can pick them up that way too. Hilarious!

You can find the full range of Finger Foods at the Ella's Kitchen website and you can also keep up to date on Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: We received this pack for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)