Learn how to teach baby to drink from a straw in minutes using one of three different tricks quickly and easily. Plus, discover the best straw sippy cup!
Any parent with a baby or toddler knows that there are a multitude of sippy cups available to choose from. It can be pretty overwhelming when you’re standing in front of a selection of 30+ cups. To make it more confusing, parents have the choice between the traditional spout shaped sippy cup or a no spill straw cup. My vote, as a therapist, is the straw cup. In fact, this is one of the first recommendations I make to families I am working with to improve feeding skills and even give sensory input. I know, you didn’t know the straw had so much power! To say this simply, straw drinking requires the use of different muscles and a more sophisticated motor plan, meaning it is a little more challenging.
Using a spout shaped sippy cup is the same sucking motion a child uses to drink from a bottle, so it isn’t progressing their skills much. You may be saying, “So what? What difference does it make?” Well, those straw drinking muscles they are using are the same muscles they need to manipulate food in their mouth better and say more speech sounds. Sure, a kid will still eventually get these skills, but by introducing a straw, you are laying a stronger foundation and they may master these skills sooner! In addition, straw drinking gives a lot of sensory feedback, the force it requires to suck can be very calming and organizing. Sounds great, right? By now, you are ready to run to the store and stock up! Before you hop in the car or click over to Amazon, there are a few things to consider first, like what kind of straw to use, what age you should introduce it, and how to actually teach a baby to drink from one (most of them need some help to get going).
When Can Babies Drink from a Straw?
Let’s talk about age first. Most babies are capable of being taught to drink from a straw at 9 months. Typically, toddlers will figure it out by age 2 on their own. I was able to teach my older son at 8 months and my younger son taught himself at 5 months! That was crazy, and I’m not trying to brag, he just kept watching his big brother do it and put it together on his own. I was pretty amazed when he reached for it one day and just took a drink like it was old hat. Although, that is pretty uncommon, potentially, it is possible.
One important word of caution, straw drinking can cause babies or toddlers to swallow quickly if they are sucking fast, which may make them cough and choke on the liquid. Swallowing is a very coordinated action that most of us take for granted, when something “goes down the wrong pipe”, liquid may actually enter our lungs and we begin coughing to get it out. It is okay if this happens occasionally, but if it happens often (and it could with babies), then you may need to lay off the straw for a little while or try putting thicker liquids into the cup (milk, milkshakes, or even applesauce) until they get the hang of it. Otherwise, they could end up with pneumonia. Also, make sure they are seated, it can get difficult for a toddler to manage walking and swallowing. If your child is greater than 15 months and still coughing frequently while using a straw, mention it to their doc.
How to Teach Baby to Drink from a Straw
Alright, so let’s get into the meat of this post… How to actually teach your child to drink from a straw. First of all, try and stick a regular straw in their mouth. It is important that it’s just a good old fashioned straw, because the no spill straw cups require you to suck really really hard. A baby may try to suck and when they don’t get anything instantly, just give up. Who knows, they may take to it right away, without any help from you. More likely, they will just hold their mouth open or put their mouth on it, but won’t suck. In this case, I would try the siphon technique:
1. Take the regular straw and stick it into a cup of water, so it is touching the bottom, and put your finger over the opening at the top. Keep your finger over the opening at the top so you are holding the liquid in the straw as you pull the straw out of the water, as I am doing in the picture above.
2. With your baby sitting firmly in a chair, hold the straw up over their open mouth and release the liquid so it falls into their mouth, being careful not to allow too much water to go in at a time.
3. Repeat this a few times, if your baby seems interested. If they aren’t up for participating, then try again on a different day. Hopefully your baby will start to close their mouth around the straw. If they aren’t, then stroke the sides of their cheeks and demonstrate so they can imitate you!
4. Once they are closing their mouth around the straw, keep your finger over the other end of the straw so they have to suck to get the liquid out. Keep putting more and more water into the straw so they are sucking more and more through the straw.
5. Now try putting the straw directly into the cup and letting them take a drink. Some will have figured it out at this point and won’t need any more help. If they go back to holding their mouth open, then start over and this time, when they start to suck the water out of the straw, flip the straw down into the open cup of water. This is a little tricky, you have to be fast. The idea is that you don’t break the sucking action and hopefully they start to make the connection that when they suck, they get a drink!
It may take several “practice sessions” before your babe masters this skill. If this approach isn’t working, I do have one more trick!
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Another Way to Teach Your Baby or Toddler Straw Drinking
You will need to get yourself a set of the Munchkin Take and Toss Straw Cup
(this is in the picture at the top, but the straw is different in my pic), they usually come in a four pack and are super cheap. For some reason, when the lids are placed on these cups, it creates a vacuum. Put the straw in the cup, with the lid tightly on and put the straw up to your kid’s mouth and squeeze the cup. The water will actually shoot right into their mouth! Do this gently, again, you don’t want them to get too much. Encourage the stroking on the face if they don’t close their mouth and of course, demonstrate! Therapy supply companies actually sell and market cups designed to help your child drink from a straw, if you are interested in those, click here
, they look like cute little honey bears and are a therapists favorite for sure.
Once they have mastered drinking from a regular straw, then it is probably a good idea to move to a no spill straw cup. Besides your own sanity, they have to suck harder to get the liquid out, which will decrease choking and coughing. As I mentioned earlier, there are a ton of cups to choose from. I don’t have any brand that I particularly love, and if they fall the right way, they all leak a little (so much for no-spill). Also, they are a total pain to disassemble and reassemble. In my house, we have one water cup a day and one milk cup a day that I keep in the fridge between meals. I do this just to minimize how often I have put these things together. I hope I’m not swaying you away from the straw though, they are worth it!
The Best Straw Sippy Cup to Get
I have a few that I like and have worked well, but follow the steps below to make sure you find a straw that works well for you and your baby or toddler.
1. Is it a skinny straw? Some have really wide straws which give too much liquid and don’t work the muscles as well. Definitely choose a skinny or thin straw.
2. Is it insulated? I prefer these for milk, but buy plastic ones for water. Although, it’s your preference.
3. Can you flip the straw inside? Meaning is their a lid that slide to cover the straw. This helps minimize germs while traveling, but obviously isn’t necessary.
I have tried and like Munchkin 
and Playtex 
varieties well enough, skinny straws are the most important feature. Most of these need replaced after 6-12 months though because the plastic straws start to wear down and tear. If you don’t want to deal with threading the straw through though after washing, this Playtex version is really easy.
Keep in mind straw drinking requires a lot of muscle control and coordination. If you are trying this with a child with low muscle tone, it will be much more challenging, and will probably take multiple attempts before they learn how to do it.
I would love to hear how it goes with your little babe, let me know!
And, if you’d like to grab a totally free printable with my top 9 Tips to Improve Feeding (this is perfect for establishing good eating habits from an early age) then click here.
More on Feeding Milestones
Mega List of Finger Foods for Babies and Toddlers
The Complete Guide to Feeding Milestones
How to Wean Your Baby from the Bottle
Why You Should Let Your Baby Get Messy
How to Keep Your Child Seated for Meals
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Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 19 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
Great post.
I have a 7 month old daughter who is bottle fed from first month but suddenly from 5th month she rejecting the bottle and i have no option but to feed her when she is half asleep. My Ped told she had nipple allergy so decided to move to a cup. i bought a straw cup and after iread your post i tried with regular straw in the feeding bottle. Initially she chewed it but as i squeezed the bottle she can hold thestrawbut could not suck from it and now started crying if i give her a straw. Still i kept my fingers crossed. I feed her solids and water with a bowl and spoon. As the summer is gearing up here iam worried about her. Can u give any other idea to give a practise.
Although it is possible for a 7 month old to drink from a straw it isn’t common. I don’t think it hurts to keep trying though, but keep it positive. This method should work in the next month or two. Demonstrate a lot for her as well. Do you live in the states? If so you can get some help from early intervention- see the article index in the menu bar.
What is your favorite straw cup? Also, what is your opinion on the straws that require biting to allow liquid through the end of the straw?
I like the Playtex ones- I shared a link at the end of the post. The biting ones are okay for occasional use but I wouldn’t use them all the time. It is better for them to work out their lips and cheeks- biting makes it easier.
My daughter is 13mos and has been drinking out of a straw sippy since she was 9 months. She doesn’t know how to tip back a regular sippy or cup to make the water go to her mouth because of the straw. Also I’m concerned that she will eventually get. ”smoker lips” (please don’t take offense) do you think this is a possibility?
Not at all, don’t worry about the sippy at all! Help her over time learn to tip back with a regular cup.
I am so happy to have come across your blog and especially this post. I have been working with my now 18 mo old for about 8 mo now on drinking from a cup. She had started drinking water from a sippy but stopped a few weeks ago when she got sick, she was also still taking 3 bottles a day for milk (she refused milk from a sippy). We got a new dr last week who told me to stop the bottle cold turkey immediately. Since then she only drinks about 6-8 oz of milk/day and few sips of water (not enough).we bought the take and toss cups a few months ago bc she loves “using” straws. However, she just places her mouth on the straw for a few sec, then says “Ahhhh” like she just took a refreshing drink but she won’t suck. We’ve been trying your process for a few days, no luck yet. She bites the straw to get the liquid out when I put it in her mouth. Anyway, this is the most helpful info we’ve gotten yet! If you have any suggestions, we’d love to hear them 🙂
Not all kids respond well to cold turkey, see the article index in the menu bar for a post I wrote on weaning. I agree it should be an immediate goal to get her off the bottle though. I would consider reintroducing the sippy as well, since she had some success with that in the past even though it isn’t my first choice.
I love your blog! Thanks for doing what you do! We’ve been trying to teach our 18mo DD how to use a straw. She’s in ST and want to strengthen her mouth muscles. However she’s also SPD and freaks out whenever I come near her with a straw. She has a couple insulated straw cups (Munchkin) that she likes and will chew on the straws. They have water in them. Maybe she’ll just discover it on her own? We live pretty far from stores so can’t just run out and buy the Take and Toss kind for her. I’ve been trying to make it fun (blowing bubbles w/straw, etc) and practicing with desirable liquids, but it’s a sensory thing with the straw. What else can I do?
Those take and toss straws will make all the difference, get them as soon as your able. I would also try , if she would allow to give her some deep pressure around her jaw, cup your hand firmly around her little jaw as you try. You could also put a food she likes on the end of the straw to get her to put it into her mouth. Think applesauce or pudding- she can even suck that up, which is a wonderful oral motor activity!
I am an ABA therapist. I work with a 5 year old boy with autism. He can drink from a regular cup or a camelbak water bottle (he bites the spout and pours the liquid into his mouth- no sucking). When I tried your suggestions, he started off biting the straw. Now, he will close his lips, but his teeth are shut. So the straw is stuck btwn his lips and teeth. I have tried modeling opening my mouth and he is able to do that. However, when I start move the straw towards his mouth, he bites down before I can get the straw in. Any ideas on how to help him? I love your site. Thanks in advance for the help!
I want to make sure I’m understanding correctly, is he opening his lips but not his teeth? Or, is he biting on the straw when he puts it into his mouth? In either case I may experiment with different kinds of straw, it may be a texture thing. Also, does he have any speech? It is possible this could be in part due to an oral motor delay.
You are correct. The first time we tried, he opened his lips and teeth but would not close his lips around the straw. Now, he opens his lips but not teeth. He is non verbal and definitely has an oral motor delay.
It is probably going to take a lot of repetition and demonstration for him. If he tolerates vibrations (chances are he loves it- strong sensory input), use a vibrating teether or toy on his cheeks and in his mouth right before doing. Keep trying with the take and toss cup that you can squirt right into his mouth.
Wow! This is an amazing post. I was wondering why my 18 month old son resisted a straw cup. I followed the instructions. It has worked perfectly, immediately. I am super excited!! Thanks a lot for this post.
Just a helpful hint, Munchkin makes a straw cup now that has a little weight at the bottom of the flexible straw so that your baby can drink it from any angle (even upside down). My little one started drinking with this one at about 8 months old and although she will drink from others, this is by far our favorite!
http://www.munchkin.com/products/feeding/cups/click-lock-7oz-straw-trainer-cup-or.html
That’s great. The bottle will come, he just the age to start working on it- if you need extra help see the article index in the menu bar, I have an article on Bottle Weaning! Good luck!
This was great advice! My 12 month old picked up straw drinking right away when I showed him the way you described. I hadn’t even thought to try it with him at this age, but it will make things much easier! Now if only I could get him off the bottle for milk (he’ll only take water out of sippys and straws so far)
Hi Thank you your post is brilliant. I have a six month baby boy refuses the bottle and sippy cup. He been exclusively breastfed. However I am now back to work and my mum spends long time feeding him, We actually end up spoon feeding him. I am trying to wean him off the breastfeeding. I have tried the straw and he was very keen on it he managed to suck the liquid out occasionally today however he did not do it continuously. He was forming his mouth like a fish . Is there anything I can do to encourage him to suck the straw since he showed a lot of interest. I be eternally grateful if the straw works as I am very desperate. thanks
I know this is a tricky spot to be in. Please keep in mind this is quite an advance skill for a 6 month old, not impossible. It requires a lot of muscle strength and he may tire out. I would keep tying and squeeze his cheeks a little to get his mouth into the right position.
Please help. My daughter is about to be 6 months old. We have struggled with getting her to take a bottle her whole short life! She is breastfed and no other food yet. We have tried so many bottles and nipples–finally getting her to take the the lansinoh momma bottle but that only lasted about a month (her 4th month?) and then got an ear infection and it went downhill. When starting she screamed if a bottle even came near her, then she finally got the hang of it but never drank as much at daycare as she would eat when breastfeeding….and they had to work hard to get her to take it. We had friends try with me out of the house, she went on a 6 hr hunger strike even. She just chews on the nipple now. I bought some hard and soft spout sippy cups because she always reaches for our cups when drinking but nothing. I was advised to take the valve out. Oh and she is a champion at breastfeeding. PLEASE HELP. I don’t care what type of glass/bottle/sippy/cup etc it is if I can get her to take something when I am gone. What do I do? How to I go about it?? I keep praying for God to give me strength!!!
I know this is a really tricky situation. My older son NEVER took a bottle, but nursed easily. It was stressful for me at times, but I was able to make it work. I would experiment with a few kinds of sippy cups, obviously I prefer a straw, but I don’t think she’ll drink enough from it at her age. She may not from the sippy cup either. Keep the valve out initially once she gets the hang of it, put the valve back in. I’ve never tried it, but some lactation consultants recommend feeding from a spoon until the phase has passed. You could also try a different bottle, one she doesn’t associate with the ear pain. Try a different spot/ position, change up as much as possible. I had success with Tommee Tipee, but there is the breast shaped bottle. I just pinned it to my board: For the Babies on Pinterest. Here is the link: pinterest.com/yourkidstable I hope this helps, I feel your pain!
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Hi! I am just wondering a out the straw cup that seems like the water is at the tip of the straw and just needs a little bite. My son seems to he sucking but I’m not sure if it is the right way.
Hi! Do you mean one that he doesn’t need to suck as far? Try with a regular straw first to make sure he has the concept. You can cut the straw and use a small cup so he doesn’t have to suck a lot. Did that answer your question?
Mine really had no interest in using the regular sippy cups. She was born with hydrocephalus due to a stroke in utero. The stroke also caused a bit of motor control issues in her right side. The biggest major hurdle for the first few months was a weak suck. It was something no one thought about apparently and things like reflux and intolerance were what they were trying to nudge us toward. She lost a half pound, threw up everything, and my milk supply dried up. I just couldn’t keep up with pumping and trying to bottle feed her around the clock since she simply would not feed at the breast. It occurred to me one day that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t able to suck very hard because of the poor muscle tone and control. Switched her to a medium flow nipple, and, lo and behold, she ate and ate. And slept. And I slept! As I was talking about before, we were having trouble trying to get her to use a sippy and she would just put her mouth on the straw and look at us like “There. Ya happy now?”. We had the best luck with a juice box, of all things. Daddy put it to her lips and squeezed a little juice in her mouth. Once she figured out stuff was going to come out of there, she was all for it. In less than 3 days, we had phased out the bottle of the straw cup entirely. She uses the Munchkin straw cups, and I was very surprised when I tried to take a sip at just how hard you have to suck! Apparently she doesn’t have as much trouble with a weak suck anymore! She is pretty delayed with her speech. She is going on 22 months and barely 2 words and not much jabbering. Could drinking from a straw help with this in the long run?
Thank you so much for sharing your success story! You are one insightful momma! Straw drinking could definitely help with speech because many of the the muscles she is working are also needed for talking.