Learning how to use chopsticks is not an easy task. The fingers need to be in the correct position and it requires fine motor skills to successfully aim at small pieces. After struggling to acquire that skill myself, I wondered how little kids learn to eat with chopsticks. It appears that one option is to follow a guide such as this wiki instruction page. Another option is to invest in special chopsticks for children, also called learning chopsticks. A colleague just introduced the set below to me. Both chopsticks stick to a plastic holder (here a cat) with a springy effect. All a kid needs to do is to focus on holding them and apply slight pressure to close them. Once the grip is released the chopsticks extend themselves. If the child appears to have mastered the chopsticks, the holder can be removed and they can now be used like a typical set of chopsticks.

Even easier to use is this infant version with a handle for a finger on each chopstick. The holder is similar to the one shown in the figure above. For those readers who are wondering how infants in Asia learn to use chopsticks, typically babies use a spoon first. When the babies get older, between 3-4, they are encouraged to learn to eat with chopsticks. If you are a handyman, there are also instructions to build your own handmade “learning chopsticks” set.