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Key Takeaways
- Many effective oral motor activities require zero equipment or cost
- These exercises support regulation, speech, and feeding skills
- Daily routines offer natural oral motor opportunities (meals, hygiene, play)
- Games and play make oral motor work engaging for children
- Equipment-free activities complement, don't replace dedicated oral tools
You don't always need chew toys, Z-Vibes, or specialty equipment to support oral motor development and sensory regulation. Many powerful oral activities use nothing more than everyday items, your child's own body, and creative play.
These 15 activities work for sensory regulation, speech development, feeding preparation, and oral motor strengthening. Use them alongside dedicated tools or when equipment isn't available.
For comprehensive oral sensory information including equipment options, see our complete oral sensory toys guide.
Breathing and Blowing Activities
1. Bubble Blowing (Imaginary)
Even without bubble solution, the blowing motion provides oral motor input.
How to do it:
- Pretend to blow bubbles with hands as "wand"
- Focus on sustained, controlled exhale
- Make different sizes (small controlled vs. big slow)
- Add movement (blow bubbles up, sideways, spinning)
Benefits: Breath control, lip rounding, sustained airflow
2. Candle Blowing
How to do it:
- Hold up fingers as "candles"
- Practice blowing out one finger at a time
- Vary distance (close candles, far candles)
- Add counting (blow out 3 candles, then 5)
Benefits: Directed airflow, breath control, counting integration
3. Feather/Tissue Floating
How to do it:
- Hold tissue or feather (or pretend)
- Blow to keep it floating
- Challenge: how long can you keep it up?
- Vary: blow across table, blow upward
Benefits: Sustained breath, oral motor control, proprioceptive feedback
4. Hot Food Cooling
How to do it:
- During meals, exaggerate cooling hot food
- Sustained blowing on spoon/fork
- Make it a game: "Let's cool this soup together"
Benefits: Functional oral motor practice, mealtime engagement
Face and Mouth Exercises
5. Funny Face Contests
How to do it:
- Take turns making silly faces
- Copy each other's faces
- Name the faces (fish face, lion face, surprised face)
- Hold faces for counts of 5-10
Specific faces to try: | Face | How to Make It | Muscles Worked | |------|---------------|----------------| | Fish face | Suck cheeks in | Cheeks, lips | | Lion face | Tongue out, eyes wide | Tongue, whole face | | Chipmunk | Puff cheeks out | Cheek muscles | | Kiss face | Pucker lips tight | Lip muscles | | Surprised | Open mouth wide | Jaw, lips |
Benefits: Oral awareness, muscle strengthening, playful engagement
6. Tongue Exercises
How to do it:
- Tongue out (stretch forward)
- Tongue touches nose (upward stretch)
- Tongue touches chin (downward stretch)
- Tongue side to side (lateralization)
- Tongue circles around lips
- Tongue clicks and pops
Benefits: Tongue strength, mobility, awareness
7. Lip Exercises
How to do it:
- Smile big, then relax (repeat 10x)
- Pucker tight, then relax (repeat 10x)
- Alternate smile-pucker quickly
- Press lips together hard, hold, release
- Make "motorboat" sounds with lips
Benefits: Lip strength, articulation support
Sound and Voice Activities
8. Animal Sounds
How to do it:
- Make sustained animal sounds
- Focus on mouth shapes for different sounds
- Play animal guessing games
- Combine with movement (stomp like elephant while trumpeting)
Oral motor sounds: | Animal | Sound | Oral Focus | |--------|-------|------------| | Snake | Sssssss | Sustained fricative | | Bee | Bzzzzz | Lip vibration | | Lion | Roooaar | Open mouth, tongue | | Monkey | Oo-oo-aa-aa | Vowel variation | | Horse | Lip trill/neigh | Lip vibration |
Benefits: Articulation, breath control, playful speech practice
9. Humming Games
How to do it:
- Hum songs together
- Hum different pitches (high mouse, low bear)
- Hum while doing activities
- Feel vibration on lips, cheeks
Benefits: Oral awareness, vibration input, breath control
10. Straw Phonics (No Straw Needed)
How to do it:
- Make mouth into straw shape (tight O)
- Blow through "straw mouth"
- Make sounds while maintaining shape
- Challenge: talk through "straw mouth"
Benefits: Lip rounding, articulation, motor control
Food-Based Activities (Using What's Available)
11. Crunchy Munchy Time
How to do it:
- Emphasize crunchy foods at snacks
- Count crunches together
- Describe the sounds and feelings
- Challenge: how many crunches for one carrot?
Crunchy options:
- Raw vegetables (carrots, celery, peppers)
- Apples, crackers, pretzels
- Cereal, granola
- Toast, chips
Benefits: Proprioceptive input, jaw strengthening, mealtime engagement
12. Chewy Challenge
How to do it:
- Offer chewy foods and count chews
- "Can you chew this 20 times before swallowing?"
- Describe chewy vs. crunchy vs. soft
Chewy options:
- Dried fruit, bagels, cheese
- Beef jerky, fruit leather
- Crusty bread, caramel
Benefits: Jaw exercise, mindful eating, proprioceptive input
For more on food-based oral input, see our guide to crunchy vs. chewy foods for oral sensory input.
13. Temperature Exploration
How to do it:
- Offer ice chips to crunch or hold in mouth
- Cold water vs. room temperature comparisons
- Frozen fruit pieces
- Describe temperature sensations
Benefits: Oral awareness, alerting input, sensory discrimination
Daily Routine Integration
14. Toothbrushing as Oral Motor Time
How to do it:
- Extend brushing to include tongue, cheeks, roof of mouth
- Use firm pressure on gums (if tolerated)
- Make patterns with brushing
- Gargle with water
Benefits: Natural oral motor practice, builds tolerance, twice-daily routine
15. Bath Time Mouth Play
How to do it:
- Blow bubbles in bath water
- Spit water streams (messy but developmental)
- Fish face underwater (if comfortable)
- Hum and make sounds with echo effect
Benefits: Playful practice, sensory exploration, breath control
Incorporating Activities Throughout the Day
Morning Routine
| Time | Activity | Duration | |------|----------|----------| | Breakfast | Crunchy cereal, count chews | Meal time | | Teeth brushing | Extended oral exploration | 3-5 minutes | | Getting ready | Funny faces in mirror | 2 minutes |
School/Activity Time
| Time | Activity | Duration | |------|----------|----------| | Before homework | 10 deep breaths with long exhales | 1-2 minutes | | Break time | Animal sounds game | 3-5 minutes | | Snack | Crunchy veggies | Snack time |
Evening Routine
| Time | Activity | Duration | |------|----------|----------| | Dinner | Chewy challenge | Meal time | | Bath | Water blowing | Bath time | | Bedtime | Humming song together | 2-3 minutes |
Making Activities Into Games
The Copycat Game
Take turns doing mouth movements. One person leads, other copies:
- Tongue positions
- Lip shapes
- Funny faces
- Sounds
The Challenge Game
Set increasing challenges:
- "Can you hold fish face for 10 seconds? 15? 20?"
- "How many times can you click your tongue in 30 seconds?"
- "Can you blow out 10 imaginary candles in one breath?"
The Story Game
Tell stories that require sound effects:
- Wind whooshing (blowing sounds)
- Animals (various sounds)
- Machines (motor sounds with lips)
- Weather (rain sounds, thunder rumbles)
Age-Appropriate Modifications
For Toddlers (1-3)
- Keep activities very short (30 seconds to 1 minute)
- Use lots of physical modeling
- Make everything a game
- Follow their lead and interests
- Praise all attempts
For Preschoolers (3-5)
- Add simple challenges and goals
- Use counting and timing
- Incorporate favorite characters
- Take turns being leader
- Celebrate accomplishments
For School-Age Children (6-12)
- Explain why activities help
- Allow some independence
- Create challenge progressions
- Connect to their interests (sports analogy: "warming up your mouth")
- Track personal records
For Teens and Adults (13+)
- Focus on functional applications
- Respect autonomy in participation
- Integrate into existing routines
- Explain physiological benefits
- Keep it private if preferred
When Equipment-Free Isn't Enough
These activities complement but don't replace dedicated tools for children with significant oral sensory needs:
Signs equipment might be needed:
- Activities don't satisfy oral seeking
- More intensity required than exercises provide
- Need for all-day oral input access
- Specific therapeutic goals from OT
Complementary equipment:
- Chewable jewelry for constant access
- Oral motor tools for therapeutic goals
- Vibrating tools for enhanced input
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should we do these activities?
For general oral motor support: 2-3 short sessions daily (2-5 minutes each). For specific therapeutic goals: follow OT recommendations. For sensory diet: integrate throughout day as natural opportunities arise.
Can these replace speech therapy?
No—these activities support but don't replace professional speech therapy when needed. They're excellent home practice to complement professional treatment or for general oral motor development.
My child won't participate. What should I do?
- Make it playful, not therapeutic-feeling
- Follow their interests
- Start with activities they naturally enjoy
- Don't force participation
- Model activities yourself
- Try different times of day
Are these activities safe?
Yes, when age-appropriate and supervised. Avoid ice with choking-risk children. Don't force uncomfortable positions. Stop if child shows distress.
How do I know if my child needs more support?
If these activities plus basic chew tools don't meet your child's needs, consult an occupational therapist. Signs: constant oral seeking not satisfied, feeding difficulties, speech delays, significant oral defensiveness.
Conclusion
Powerful oral motor support doesn't require expensive equipment. Breathing exercises, face games, food exploration, and daily routine integration provide meaningful oral input for regulation, development, and skill-building.
Key principles:
- Make it fun: Games engage better than "exercises"
- Integrate naturally: Use mealtimes, hygiene, play
- Be consistent: Brief daily practice beats occasional long sessions
- Follow interests: Adapt to what engages your child
- Complement tools: Use alongside equipment, not instead of it
These activities work for all children—not just those with sensory differences. They support oral motor development, speech readiness, and mindful eating for everyone.
For dedicated oral sensory tools that complement these activities, see our oral sensory toys guide. For food-based approaches, explore crunchy vs. chewy foods for oral sensory input.
The best oral motor program combines equipment-free activities with appropriate tools—meeting needs through both structured support and everyday opportunities.
