At what age can a child typically begin to use a fork?

Children typically begin to use a fork between 15-18 months. During this developmental stage, toddlers are honing their fine motor skills and are starting to show interest in self-feeding. At around this age, they have often developed sufficient hand-eye coordination to pick up a fork and attempt to use it in their meals, even though their technique may still be developing and they might rely on their hands as well.

Self-feeding is an important part of a child’s motor skill development, as it allows them to gain independence and engage more actively with their food. It's also a time when they start to imitate the behaviors of adults and older children, further encouraging the use of utensils. While younger toddlers may still primarily use their hands to eat, the transition to more sophisticated utensil use typically begins around the 15-18 month mark.