Oral-Motor Activities to Build Focus

A Pediatric Speech Therapist in NYC Shares Oral-Motor Activities to Improve Focus and Engagement

As a pediatric speech therapist in NYC, I love using oral motor and sensory activities to improve focus and engagement with all my sensory seekers. These are activities I implement in speech therapy sessions at Chatty Child.

Oral motor and sensory activities not only improve focus and engagement but also improve a variety of important foundational oral motor skills. These skills include breath support, lip rounding, and jaw strength.

So, let’s get right into it! Here are some fun oral motor activities I use to both regulate the sensory system and improve oral motor skills.

Fun oral motor activities to improve lip rounding and breath support include:

Bubble blowing

Just grab some bubbles and have a bubble-blowing contest. You can hold the bubble wand and encourage your child to round their lips and gently blow on the bubbles.

I also love this bubble bear wand because the child can squeeze the bear, and the wand pops up. The child can independently blow the bubbles with no mess!

Cotton ball races

This is a super fun game that involves cotton balls, straws, and a book or cup. Set up a book or a cup at the end of a table. Sit down at the table and have a thrilling cotton ball race with your child.

Use a colored straw to blow the cotton ball into the goal! See who can blow it the fastest and win the cotton ball race!

Blowing bubbles into water

I love to create a magical fish tank with the kids. All you need is a clear glass or cup, water, some blue food coloring, and some freshly cleaned plastic fish or ocean animals.

I invite your child to create their own fish tank using water, blue food dye, and a choice of their fish or ocean animals.

Then, I invite them to take a straw and blow bubbles into the cup while watching the fish and ocean animals swim and play.

Engaging oral motor activities to improve jaw strength:

Chewing on Fruit Leather

Check out these amazing leather fruit options by Just Fruit Solely fruit jerky! These are great to practice chewing skills and strengthen that jaw for your older kiddos looking for some deep oral-sensory input!

I love these chewy fruit strip snacks because Solely Fruit Jerky is made from whole organic fruit. It is then crafted into portable, packable, delicious fruit strips.

As with all oral motor or sensory integration programs, it is best practice to be prescribed and guided by a licensed speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist.

If your child would benefit from a tailored oral motor or sensory program to improve focus, engagement, or foundational oral motor skills, our team at Chatty Child is here to help!

I truly hope my suggested activities to improve focus, engagement, and oral motor skills for all your highly sensitive and sensory-seeking kiddos are super helpful!

I would love to hear some of your favorite sensory activities to focus and calm your body!

Drop them in the comments below…

Until next time…

Sincerely,

Heather Lynn Boerner, MA CCC/SLP

Could your child benefit from emotional, sensory, self-regulation, or oral motor support?

Chatty Child’s feeding, occupational, and speech therapy in NYC can help!

We offer personalized neurodivergent affirming, speech, language, feeding, and occupational therapy, as well as creative mindfulness classes for all ages and abilities.

In-person and online options are available for all therapeutic sessions and classes.

Our speech and occupational therapists are here to support all your child’s therapeutic needs.

I invite you to schedule a tour to discover the support waiting for your child at Chatty Child.

We are here to help and support your child – grow and learn!

Let’s create excellent communicators, super eaters, confident voices, calm minds, and limitless possibilities – together!

Help Your Child Build Focus & Engagement With a Pediatric Speech Therapist in NYC

At Chatty Child, we help children strengthen the communication and oral-motor skills that support learning, confidence, and connection. Through personalized speech therapy, your child can develop skills that make everyday interactions, classroom participation, and self-expression easier.

Here is how to get started:

Contact Chatty Child or call 347.491.4451 for a 15-minute phone conversation to discuss your child’s speech and engagement needs.
Schedule an evaluation to understand your child’s unique communication and oral-motor skills.
Begin individualized speech therapy sessions focused on building stronger speech, attention, and confidence through engaging activities.
Learn strategies for home practice to help reinforce progress beyond the therapy setting.

With support from a pediatric speech therapist in NYC, your child can build the skills they need to communicate more clearly, participate more confidently, and enjoy learning.

Therapy Services for Children in NYC at Chatty Child

At Chatty Child, we support children’s communication, learning, emotional regulation, and independence through a whole-child approach. Our services are designed to help children build confidence and develop skills that support success at home, school, and in the community.

Our services include:

Speech Therapy – Play-based support for language development, speech clarity, social communication, and confidence.
InterAct – Storytelling and play programs that encourage language, creativity, and connection.
Occupational Therapy – Support for sensory processing, motor skills, and daily independence.
hum studios – Mindfulness and compassion-based classes for emotional growth and regulation.
Teletherapy – Virtual speech and occupational therapy throughout New York State.
Tutoring – Academic support for reading, writing, comprehension, and critical thinking.
Functional Nutrition – Nutrition-informed strategies to support regulation and overall well-being.
Consulting – Guidance for parents, caregivers, and educators.
Group Programs – Peer-based sessions that build communication, social, and emotional skills.

Meet Heather: Neurodiversity-Affirming Pediatric Speech Therapist in NYC

Heather Boerner, MA, CCC-SLP, is a New York-licensed speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience supporting children’s communication development. Her approach blends evidence-based therapy with mindfulness, trauma-informed care, and neurodiversity-affirming practices.

As the founder of Chatty Child Speech, Occupational & Physical Therapy, PLLC, Heather helps children build communication skills, confidence, and independence through individualized support. She is also the author of Carrie the Colorful Chameleon, a children’s book celebrating identity and self-expression.

Heather provides in-person therapy in Tribeca and virtual services across New York State.