Infant speech development starts long before first words. From day one, your baby is learning to move their lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw to feed, coo, and eventually babble. The good news? You can nurture those skills through everyday play. Below you’ll find fun, safe oral motor exercises you can weave into routines you’re already doing.
What Are Oral Motor Skills?
Oral motor skills are the movements of the lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw that help babies suck, swallow, breathe efficiently, and vocalize. In the earliest months, these movements are tightly connected to feeding. As babies grow, the same muscles and patterns support cooing, babbling, and clear speech sounds.
A gentle reminder: healthy speech emerges from responsive interaction, not drills. The best “oral motor exercises” for infant speech development look like playful, back-and-forth moments that invite your baby to explore their mouth, face, breath, and voice.
Safety First: Readiness and Comfort Cues
Before trying any baby mouth exercises, keep these tips in mind:
- Always supervise your baby closely.
- Follow your baby’s lead—stop if they look away, grimace, push you away, or seem tired.
- Keep sessions short and frequent: a few minutes sprinkled throughout the day is perfect.
- Stay within your baby’s feeding plan. If you’re introducing tastes, use familiar foods approved for your baby’s age and diet.
- If you have concerns about feeding, weight gain, or breathing, consult your pediatrician or a licensed speech-language pathologist.
Playful Oral Motor Exercises You Can Do Today
Below are simple, evidence-informed oral motor activities that support infant speech development. Choose one or two to try, and rotate them during the week.
1) Tummy Time for Better Mouth Moves
Strong head, neck, and core control supports stable jaw and tongue movement—the foundation for sound production.
- Chest-to-chest: Lean back with your baby resting on your chest. Talk and sing while they lift their head to see your face.
- Towel roll assist: Place a small rolled towel under your baby’s chest during tummy time to help them prop and look up.
- Mirror motivation: Put an unbreakable mirror at baby’s eye level. Encourage eye contact, smiles, and coos.
- Side-lying switch: Alternate side-lying play to work both sides of the neck and cheeks.
2) Lips and Cheeks: Smiles, Puffs, and Kisses
These oral motor exercises boost lip seal and cheek strength—useful for feeding and early sounds like “m,” “p,” and “b.”
- Kissy faces: Exaggerate “oo” kissy lips and “ee” smile shapes. Pause so baby can copy; celebrate any attempt.
- Puff-and-pat: Gently puff out your cheeks and let baby touch them; then softly tap baby’s cheeks while you both smile. Narrate: “Soft tap-tap!”
- Fishy face peekaboo: Make a fish face, then relax to a wide grin. Babies love the big contrast.
- Cheek snuggles: During cuddle time, lightly massage cheeks with circular strokes. Keep it short and soothing.
3) Jaw Strength and Stability: Safe Chew Play
A steady jaw supports precise tongue and lip movements.
- Teether chomp: Offer a safe, clean teether and let baby mouth it. Gently guide to both sides to encourage balanced chewing.
- Gum press: With clean hands, apply gentle pressure along the gums (front and sides) if your baby enjoys it. Keep it brief and positive.
- Spoon touch (solids ready): If your baby is starting solids, let them hold and mouth a soft-tipped spoon. Tap the spoon lightly to the lips and pause so baby leans in for the next “bite.”
4) Tongue Adventures: Licks, Lifts, and Raspberries
Tongue flexibility is key for early sounds and later speech clarity.
- Raspberries: Model playful raspberries. Many babies try to imitate the lip vibration, which builds breath and lip control.
- Lip-lick game (solids ready): Place a tiny smear of your baby’s usual puree at the corners of their lips and on the upper lip. Pause and let them use their tongue to find it.
- Tip taps: Touch your upper lip and say “t-t-t.” Give your baby time to watch your tongue tip, then pause for their attempt. Celebrate any sound or movement.
- Spoon pops: Offer a spoon with a tiny taste; gently press to the center of the tongue, then release so baby pushes back.
5) Breath and Voice Play: From Coos to Babble
Breath control and voicing are the heart of communication.
- Echo coos: When your baby coos “oo” or “ah,” copy them back with a tiny pause. This turn-taking teaches that sounds matter.
- Siren slides: Glide your voice from low to high—“oooo-up!”—then down again. Babies often join with squeals and glides.
- Whisper and whoosh: Whisper “shhh,” then make gentle wind sounds. This draws attention to airflow, a building block for later speech sounds.
- Straw sips (around 9–12 months and when developmentally ready): Practice sipping water from a short straw cup to build breath and lip strength. Keep sessions small and calm.
6) Sensory Mouth Play: Temperature and Texture
Varied, safe sensations help babies map their mouths and coordinate movements.
- Cool cloth: Offer a chilled (not frozen) damp washcloth for supervised mouthing during teething.
- Texture tour (solids ready): Present a few safe textures—smooth puree, soft mashed banana, meltable puffs. Describe each one: “Smooth,” “soft,” “crunch-melt.”
- Gentle “toothbrush” intro: Use a baby-safe silicone brush for brief, playful taps on gums and tongue. Turn it into a song routine.
Make It Part of Your Day
You don’t need special equipment or long sessions—just sprinkle oral motor activities into moments you already share.
- Diaper changes: Smile-stretch, kissy faces, and raspberries.
- Bath time: Mirror play, cheek massages, and siren slides.
- Before naps: Soft hums and whisper “shhh”s to pair breath and calm.
- Mealtimes (when solids are appropriate): Spoon touch, lip-lick game, and varied textures.
A 5-Minute Mini-Routine
- Minute 1: Tummy time with a mirror—big smiles and “oo/ee” faces.
- Minute 2: Raspberries and echo coos.
- Minute 3: Teether chomp to both sides; narrate “chomp-chomp.”
- Minute 4: Lip-lick game with a tiny taste on the upper lip.
- Minute 5: Siren slides and a cuddle cool-down.
What Progress Looks Like
Every baby is unique, but here are general signs that oral motor exercises and responsive play are helping:
- More frequent cooing and babbling during play.
- Stronger lip seal on pacifier, breast/bottle, or spoon.
- Increased tolerance for different textures and temperatures.
- More stable head/neck control and less drooling as baby nears 9 months.
When to Seek Extra Support
Trust your instincts. Consider talking with your pediatrician or a licensed speech-language pathologist if you notice:
- Persistent coughing, choking, or wet-sounding breaths during or after feeds.
- Difficulty gaining weight or frequent fatigue while feeding.
- Limited vocalizations by 6 months (few coos, little response to your voice).
- Lack of canonical babble (repeated consonant-vowel sounds like “bababa,” “dadada”) by around 10–12 months.
- Ongoing drooling after 9 months, beyond teething phases.
- Very limited tolerance for textures well into the solids stage.
Early guidance can make feeding more comfortable and can support infant speech development in meaningful, everyday ways.
Encouragement for Caregivers
You are your baby’s favorite voice and face. A few minutes of playful, face-to-face interaction beats long practice sessions. Keep it light, follow your baby’s cues, and celebrate every small attempt—smiles, bubbles, coos, and wiggles all count.
If you’re looking for a trusted, evidence-based resource, Tiny Talkers offers guidance developed with input from doctors, speech therapists, and educators. The tips above reflect that whole-child perspective: build connection first, then layer in simple oral motor activities through daily routines. With curiosity, patience, and play, you’re giving your baby exactly what they need to blossom into a confident communicator.