Oral Motor

• Blowing bubbles through a straw into a bowl of water with a squirt of washing-up liquid is great fun, although it can be a little messy! This activity is often used in pre-schools – add a little paint and a few sheets of paper and you have bubble painting! A word of caution though, test if the children know how to blow through a straw into plain water before you add soap or paint. Many children will only have ever sucked through a straw and you may find they end up with a mouthful of paint!
• Blowing bubbles through a bubble wand. If children struggle to succeed at this try giving them a straw to blow through whilst you hold the bubble wand (dipped in bubble liquid) at the end of the straw. This makes it easier for children by encouraging them to round their lips around the straw and produces lots of smaller bubbles!
• If you have a water tray in the pre-school, try placing ping pong balls in the water and giving the children straws. Boat races like this, as they blow the balls along the surface, make an occasional change to the traditional water toys.
• If you have the space and a smaller group of children you can also try blowing ping pong balls along the floor. Pieces of tissue paper work just as well.
• If you are lucky enough to be able to work one to one with a child, you can try blowing activities with candles (under strict supervision). Can the child blow the candle out with a quick short blow? Can they blow gently and make the flame dance without going out?

•  most simple and obvious activity is drinking through a straw. Ensure children are not cheating by squeezing the drink into their mouths with the sides of squashy drink cartons! It tends to make a mess and doesn’t help them strengthen sucking muscles. If children struggle to drink through a straw, try a wide short straw, gradually building up to thinner and longer ones as they have more success.
• A child who really needs help in this area can progress to drinking thicker liquids such as milkshake, yogurt or custard through a straw. This may be more practical to try at home!
• Tear up pieces of paper about 2 cms square. Give each child a thick straw, cut to about 8 cms long. See if the children can lift a piece of paper by sucking it on to the end of the straw. At first it may be a struggle even to pick up the piece of paper but eventually they can progress to having races, moving pieces of paper from one end of the table to another.

•  Start simple, when children are eating a messy yogurt and have it all around their mouth at snack time. Before you reach for a tissue to clean their face, encourage them to lick all round their mouth to clean away as much as they can.
• In the summer time, encourage children to lick rather than suck lollipops.
• Children will often say they “don’t like” a food that they find difficult to chew or that has an unusual texture. Try to encourage them to try just a little of new foods such as a crunchy apple or chewy bread. Always be cautious if introducing new foods to children you care for. Check with parents regarding allergies or genuine dislikes.
• Try playing a “copy me” game at circle or large group time. Can the children copy you as you stick out your tongue, lift your tongue up towards your nose, down towards your chin or lick all around your lips? How about if you make a small circle with your lips – as if saying “ooh” or spread your lips wide saying “eeh”? This is good for keeping them busy during a few minutes down time between activities.