Oral Motor Exercise Guide for Parents

Fun ways to help your child strengthen lips, tongue, and mouth muscles for clearer speech!

🕓 How Often?

Complete ___ repetitions of each exercise, ___ times a day (as recommended).

Hold each position for 5–10 seconds, then relax.

Encourage your child to do them in front of a mirror — make it fun!

👄 Lip Exercises

1. Big Mouth Stretch
   💋 Open your mouth as wide as you can, hold 5–10 seconds, then close.
2. Lip Squeeze
   💋 Press your lips together tightly, hold 5–10 seconds, then relax.
3. Lip Pucker
   💋 Pucker your lips tightly, like for a kiss, hold 5–10 seconds, then relax.
4. Big Smile
   😀 Smile as wide as you can, hold 5–10 seconds, then relax.
5. Pucker–Smile Alternation
   😀 Alternate between a big pucker and a wide smile: pucker → smile → pucker. Hold each for a few seconds.

👅 Tongue Exercises

1. Tongue Out
   👅 Stick your tongue out as far as possible, hold 5–10 seconds, then pull back.
2. Side-to-Side Stretch
   ↔️ Stick your tongue out to the left, then right. Hold each for 5–10 seconds.
3. Up and Down Stretch
   ⬆️👅 ⬇️ Move tongue up toward your nose, then down toward your chin.
4. Side-to-Side Movement
   😜 Move your tongue side to side, touching each mouth corner.
5. Tongue Circles (Inside Mouth)
   👅 🔁 Move your tongue in a circle inside your mouth (between teeth and lips).
   👅 ➡️ Halfway through, switch directions!
6. Tongue Circles (Outside Mouth)
   👅 🌀 Circle your tongue around your lips “licking lips.” Change directions halfway.
7. Roof Swipe
   👅 Swipe your tongue from behind your teeth along the roof of your mouth, from front teeth to back of mouth.

 👅 Tongue Depressor Exercises

1. Press Up
   🔼 Stick out tongue, place depressor on top, press up, hold 5–10 seconds.
2. Press Down
   🔽 Place depressor under tongue, press down, hold 5–10 seconds.
3. Press Left
   ⬅️ Place depressor on left side of tongue, press against it, hold 5–10 seconds.
4. Press Right
   ➡️ Place depressor on right side, press against it, hold 5–10 seconds.

😊 Cheek Exercises

1. Cheek Puff
   🫧 Puff both cheeks full of air and hold for 5–10 seconds, then release.
2. Cheek Puff Switch
   ↔️ Move the air from one cheek to the other without letting it escape your lips.
3. Cheek Suck-In
   😯 Suck your cheeks in tightly, making a “fish face.” Hold for 5–10 seconds.
4. Blowing Practice
   🎈Blow through a straw, blow bubbles, or pretend to blow out birthday candles.
5. Cheek Resistance
   🪄 Puff your cheeks and have someone gently press on them while you keep the air in. Hold for 5–10 seconds. 

💡 Tips for Parents

🪞 Use a mirror so your child can watch their mouth move.
🎵 Turn exercises into a game or song.
⭐ Praise effort, not perfection — consistency matters most!
🦷 Try during daily routines (after brushing teeth, before bedtime).

 Questions?

Contact your Speech Pathologist for guidance or to adjust the routine.