How to Introduce a Sippy Cup, Straw Cup and Open Cup to Your Baby

Quick answer

Start with a sippy cup with handles around 6 months, add a straw cup once your baby can sit steadily, and introduce a 360 cup or open cup by 9–12 months. Offer water in a cup at meals and let your baby practice with small amounts. The best first cup is the one your baby can hold and tilt with the least frustration.

Moving from bottle or breast to a cup is a skill, not a single event. Your baby needs time to build the hand strength, coordination and confidence to drink independently. The right cup at the right stage makes that practice easier for both of you.

This guide walks you through introducing a sippy cup with handles, a straw cup, a 360 cup and an open cup in a sensible order. Each step includes a common mistake to avoid and a checkpoint so you know when to move on.

When to start cup training

Most babies are ready to try a cup between 6 and 9 months, when they can sit with support and show interest in what you are drinking. At this stage, the goal is familiarity, not full independence. Offer a cup with a small amount of water at mealtimes and let your baby explore it.

Breast milk or formula remains the main drink for the first year. Cup practice is about learning a new skill, so keep sessions short and pressure-free. If your baby pushes the cup away, wait a few days and try again.

• Checkpoint: your baby can hold a small object and bring it to their mouth.
• Common mistake: expecting a full cup transition in one week. Give it months.

Step 1: Start with a sippy cup with handles

A sippy cup with handles is the easiest first step because the spout delivers liquid without requiring suction, and the handles give small hands a stable grip. Look for a no-spill design so you can practice anywhere without a puddle. The Trixie Sippy cup with handles - Mr. Shark is a practical example: its two ergonomic handles are shaped for small hands and the no-spill design helps children learn to drink independently at their own pace.

Fill it with a little water and hold it with your baby at first. Let them tilt it and feel the liquid. Once they can hold it alone, leave it on the highchair tray during meals.

• Common mistake: leaving the cup available all day. Offer it at set times so it feels like a routine.
• Checkpoint: your baby can hold the handles and bring the spout to their mouth with help.

Step 2: Add a straw cup

Straw drinking uses different muscles than sipping from a spout, and it is a skill that carries over to open cups and water bottles. Introduce a straw cup around 8–10 months, or when your baby can sit steadily and has tried a sippy cup. Some babies catch on immediately; others need you to dip the straw in water and let them taste it first.

If your baby bites the straw, that is normal exploration. Keep the cup in the rotation and model straw drinking yourself. A straw cup is also handy for thicker liquids like smoothies later on.

• Common mistake: using a straw cup with a very fast flow. Start with a slow-flow straw so your baby can coordinate swallowing.
• Checkpoint: your baby can take a few sips from a straw without coughing.

Step 3: Try a 360 cup

A 360 cup has a rim that releases liquid when your baby sucks or tilts, similar to an open cup but with less spill risk. It bridges the gap between a sippy cup and a real cup. Introduce it around 9–12 months, once your baby has good head and neck control and can hold a cup with both hands.

Because the 360 cup mimics an open cup, it teaches the tilting motion your baby will need later. Keep the liquid level low so the cup stays light. If your baby tips it too far, the spill is usually small, which makes it a forgiving practice tool.

• Common mistake: filling the cup to the top. A heavy cup is harder to control.
• Checkpoint: your baby can tilt the cup and swallow without choking.

Step 4: Introduce an open cup

Open cup training usually starts between 9 and 12 months, but some babies are ready earlier. Use a small, lightweight cup with a narrow rim and put in just a sip or two of water. Hold the cup with your baby at first, then let them try alone while you stay close.

Expect spills. That is part of learning. Practice at the end of a meal when your baby is calm, and use a bib or a splat mat to contain the mess. Over time, your baby will learn to sip instead of pour.

• Common mistake: using a large or heavy cup. Small hands need a small cup.
• Checkpoint: your baby can take a sip from an open cup with your hand steadying it.

How to fit cup practice into your day

You do not need a separate training session. Offer a cup at every meal and snack, alongside the bottle or breastfeed. This builds a routine and gives your baby repeated, low-pressure practice. Water is the best choice for practice because it does not stain or leave sticky residue.

If your baby is in daycare or with a caregiver, send the same cup so the experience is consistent. A cup that is easy to open and clean will make everyone's day smoother.

• Common mistake: switching cups too often. Pick one cup per stage and stick with it for a few weeks.
• Checkpoint: your baby reaches for the cup when they are thirsty.

Cup introduction steps at a glance

1. 6–9 months: sippy cup with handles: Offer a small amount of water in a sippy cup with handles at meals. Hold it with your baby and let them tilt and sip. Checkpoint: your baby can hold the handles and bring the spout to their mouth.
2. 8–10 months: straw cup: Introduce a slow-flow straw cup. Dip the straw in water and let your baby taste it, then model straw drinking yourself. Checkpoint: your baby takes a few sips without coughing.
3. 9–12 months: 360 cup: Try a 360 cup with a low liquid level. It releases liquid when your baby sucks or tilts, teaching open-cup motion with less spill risk. Checkpoint: your baby can tilt and swallow without choking.
4. 9–12 months: open cup: Use a small, lightweight open cup with just a sip of water. Steady it with your hand, then let your baby try alone while you stay close. Checkpoint: your baby can take a sip with your hand steadying the cup.
5. Every day: practice at meals: Offer the cup at every meal and snack alongside milk feeds. Keep the same cup for a few weeks so the skill sticks. Checkpoint: your baby reaches for the cup when thirsty.

Cups that support each stage

• Sippy cup with handles - Mr. Shark: Features a no-spill design and two ergonomic handles shaped for small hands, making the cup easy to hold and tilt. This is a strong first cup because it reduces mess while your baby builds the coordination to drink independently.
• Silicone sippy cup - Mr. Shark: The big handles make it easy to use and offer practice for holding and tilting as a child would with an open cup. Silicone is safe for the microwave, dishwasher, freezer and oven. A durable option that bridges sippy and open cup skills, and it can go wherever your kitchen routine takes it.
• Lunch box small - Mrs. Cat: Kids can operate this lunch box by themselves since it is very easy to open and close. It easily fits 4 delicious slices of bread. Once your child is drinking from a cup, a lunch box they can open independently supports the same self-feeding confidence.

Cup training is a gradual process, and every baby moves at their own pace. Start with a sippy cup with handles, add a straw cup, then try a 360 cup and an open cup as your baby shows readiness. Keep practice short, expect spills, and celebrate small wins.