Oral Motor Play Ideas
Compiled by: Rose Pediatric Feeding Center, Rose Medical Center,Denver, CO, November 2000 Blowing
Build oral motor strength
Blow Dandelions, Cotton, dry corn meal, feathers or lightweight objects across the table
Kleenex in the air Bubbles with a bubble wand
Whistles, pinwheels, party horns
Bubbles through a straw
Blow up a balloon
Chewing/Jaw Strength
Tug of war with licorice
Make teeth marks on beef jerky, carrot, jicima, dried fruit, hard licorice
Fruit roll-ups, fruit leather, fruit chews, gummy worms, gum, taffy
Tongue Movement
Licking popsicles, suckers, ice cream cones
Lick food out of a bowl like a puppy
Lick something sticky (peanut butter, honey, etc.) off a spoon
Pretend to be a kitty and lick your paws
Click your tongue
Sing “la la la” to music
Blow raspberries
Use tongue to brush your teeth
Touch tongue to corners of mouth while making silly faces
Lips (do in front of a mirror)
Hold Cheerio in lips
Tightly seal lips and say mmmmmm
Tightly seal lips around straw, kazoo, whistle
Apply puree lipstick and lick off lips
Hold a food (pretzel rod, licorice) in lips without using hands
Hum
Alternate puckering and smiling (as if saying o-e-o-e-o-e)
Sucking
Suck a thick milkshake through a straw
Make a fish face
Desensitizing Teeth
Use vibrating toothbrush
Count teeth using toothbrush or long food item
Brush teeth with carrot, beef jerky, etc while talking and hitting the strong back teeth
Make music bay tapping food in between upper and lower teeth
Put vibrating toy on cheek
General Sensory Play Ideas
Conrad & Kurtz 8/02 – Updated Toomey 9/03
Present texture bins in order and hide a toy so child has to dig in. When child can immediately jump in and tolerate without finger splaying, introduce the next texture bin. Dry texture bins (You can hide toys, make it rain through your fingers, stir, or drive cars and boats, or go digging for buried treasure like pennies or treats.)
Plastic eggs
Sponges or net bath puffs
Styrofoam packing peanuts
Yarn pom poms
Various fabrics – velvet, burlap, lace, satin, flannel – all in one bin together
Koosh balls
Dry beans – kidney or pinto
Dry split peas or chickpeas
Mylar shreds or sheets of shiny mylar or Easter grass
Feathers or feather duster
Dry oatmeal or rye flakes
Rice
Corn meal or sand
Flour
Wet texture bins (Have towels available for your child to wipe their hands. Allow child to use toys to interact if hesitant with their hands.)
Playdough
Water/ice of different temperatures and colors
Bath foam or shaving cream
Flour, corn starch, or corn meal mixed with water
Oatmeal mixed with water
Paper mache or plaster of paris
Food texture bins (Do only with therapist permission. This should clearly be a non-eating time and not done at the kitchen table.)
Bread dough
Whipped cream, pudding
Jello
Applesauce
Wet pasta, oriental noodles
Fruits – banana, peach
Other sensory play ideas
Music boxes, chimes
Ball pits at playlands
Scarves
Netting to make tents, parachute
Playing with bare skin in the grass or sand box
Explore by hand different fruits and vegetables (coconuts, pineapples)
Light mist from squirt bottles
Smelling games – hide scented objects in bags
