Oral Motor Exercise

Fun ways to strengthen the mouth, jaw, and speech muscles 

🎯 Why Oral Motor Activities? 

Oral motor exercises help with: 

• Speech sound development 
• Feeding and chewing skills 
• Attention and regulation 
• Trunk and postural control 
• Eye-hand coordination 

🧸 Fun Oral Motor Activities 

💨 Blowing Activities 

• Blow whistles, pinwheels, party favors, or bubbles 
• Use a straw to blow cotton balls, feathers, or paper across a table 
• Blow through crazy straws or coffee stirrers 
• Blow to promote trunk extension, far vision, and sounds like f, s, sh, ch, z, h 

🥤 Sucking Activities 

• Drink thick liquids (milkshakes, applesauce, yogurt) through a straw 
• Use small straws for thinner liquids 
• Suck to promote trunk flexion, near vision, and sounds like k, g, b, d, m, p, t 

🧼 Massage & Vibration 

• Massage cheeks, chin, lips with firm pressure 
• Use a damp washcloth, toothbrush, or Nuk brush on gums 
• Try vibrating toothbrushes or vibrating teething toys 

🦷 Chewing Activities 

• Crunchy foods: carrots, apples, crackers, pretzels 
• Chewy foods: dried fruit, licorice, gummy worms 
• Bite and chew to support jaw, neck, shoulder, and pelvic stability 

🧠 How These Help