Boosting Feeding Skills Through Play: Fun Oral Motor Exercises for Kids

Oral motor skills are essential for a child’s ability to chew, swallow, and manage food in their mouth. When a child struggles with feeding, it may be because they lack the necessary strength or coordination in their oral muscles. Implementing targeted oral motor exercises at home can support their development and improve feeding abilities. These exercises help children become more comfortable with textures, temperatures, and the complex movements required for eating and drinking. Here are some effective oral motor exercises parents can incorporate into daily routines to support their child’s feeding therapy.

1. Blowing Activities

Blowing activities are fun, engaging, and strengthen key oral muscles needed for eating. These activities help children practice controlling airflow, which is vital for chewing and swallowing. You can make these exercises playful and enjoyable, turning them into a game.

• Blowing Bubbles: Have your child blow bubbles using a traditional bubble wand. This helps develop lip rounding and breath control, two important components of oral motor strength.
• Blowing Through a Straw: You can set up a simple game where your child blows a cotton ball or lightweight toy across a table using a straw. This activity strengthens oral muscles while building breath control.
• Pinwheels: Encourage your child to blow on a pinwheel and watch it spin. This can be particularly helpful for children who need extra practice with controlling their breath and using their lips in coordination.

2. Chewing and Biting Practice

Chewing and biting exercises are important for developing jaw strength and endurance, especially for children who struggle with textured foods. Here are some ways to encourage chewing practice:

• Chewy Tubes or Teething Toys: These are great for children to chew on during non-meal times, allowing them to strengthen their jaw muscles. Start with softer textures and gradually introduce firmer items to build strength.
• Food Textures: Incorporate a variety of food textures into their meals, from soft foods to crunchy snacks. Offer safe foods that promote chewing, such as thin apple slices or small pieces of toast, helping children build both strength and endurance.
• Gum Chewing (if appropriate): Chewing sugar-free gum can be a simple and fun way to work on jaw strength. Always monitor this exercise, especially for younger children.

3. Lip and Tongue Exercises

The lips and tongue play a crucial role in feeding, as they help control food and liquids in the mouth. Strengthening these muscles can improve a child’s ability to manage food during meals.

• Kiss and Smile: Encourage your child to alternate between puckering their lips for a kiss and smiling wide. This exercise helps improve lip control and flexibility, making it easier to keep food in the mouth while chewing.
• Tongue Movement: Practice moving the tongue in different directions. You can turn this into a game by having your child touch different parts of their mouth with their tongue—touching the roof of their mouth, their teeth, or the sides of their cheeks.
• Licking: Have your child lick a lollipop or a popsicle. This helps develop tongue strength and coordination, which is necessary for food manipulation. As they get more comfortable, you can introduce thicker or stickier foods for licking, such as peanut butter on a spoon.

4. Sucking Activities

Sucking is essential for managing liquids and building oral muscle tone. It is also a precursor to more advanced oral motor control required for solid food. Engaging your child in sucking exercises can help them develop these critical skills.

• Straw Drinking: Introduce various liquids of different thicknesses and have your child drink them through a straw. Start with thin liquids like water or juice and gradually progress to thicker options like smoothies or milkshakes. This exercise builds oral muscle strength and teaches them to manage different textures.
• Sucking Games: Have your child suck on thick foods like yogurt or applesauce using a spoon or straw. This helps build suction strength and coordination in managing foods with varying textures.

5. Oral Sensory Play

Oral sensory play is an important way for children to get comfortable with different sensations in their mouth. Some children may have difficulty with textures, temperatures, or the feel of certain foods. These exercises help desensitize their mouths to different sensations and build comfort with new foods.

• Vibrating Toothbrush: Using a vibrating toothbrush is a great way to introduce new sensations in a child’s mouth. Allow them to explore the feeling of the vibrations on their lips, tongue, and cheeks, which helps them become more comfortable with different textures.
• Frozen or Cold Foods: Introduce cold foods like frozen fruit or ice chips. This helps desensitize the mouth and encourages oral exploration of different temperatures.
• Food Exploration Through Touch: Before eating, encourage your child to touch, smell, and even play with their food. This helps them become familiar with the food before it reaches their mouth, reducing anxiety about new textures or tastes.

6. Jaw Strengthening Exercises

A strong jaw is crucial for effective chewing, and children who struggle with feeding often need to strengthen these muscles. Jaw-strengthening exercises can be incorporated into mealtimes and throughout the day.

• Resistive Chewing: Use foods that provide some resistance when chewed, like bagels or dried fruits, to promote jaw strength. Be sure to monitor closely to ensure the food is safe for your child’s age and abilities.
• Jaw Workouts with Toys: Provide your child with chewy toys specifically designed for jaw strengthening. These toys allow them to practice using their jaw muscles outside of meals, making eating less of a challenge.

7. Oral Motor Games

Making oral motor exercises fun is key to keeping children engaged. Try incorporating playful games that challenge your child’s oral muscles without feeling like a task.

• Tongue Depressor Pushes: Playfully push a tongue depressor against your child’s lips and have them push back. This activity strengthens both lip and tongue muscles.
• Face Imitation Games: Stand in front of a mirror and make exaggerated facial expressions—stick out your tongue, puff out your cheeks, or make a fish face. Have your child imitate these movements, which works different muscles in a fun and interactive way.

Oral motor exercises play a crucial role in helping children develop the strength and coordination needed for feeding. By practicing these exercises regularly, children can improve their ability to manage different textures, tastes, and food consistencies. Integrating these playful activities into everyday routines makes feeding therapy a positive experience, helping to build confidence and competence at the table.