Best Straws and Blow Toys for Oral Motor Development

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Oral motor development isn't just about chewing. Sucking and blowing engage different muscle groups and provide different sensory feedback—equally important for speech development, feeding skills, and sensory regulation.

Specialty straws build strength through resistive sucking. Blow toys develop breath control and sustained airflow. Together with chewing tools, they create comprehensive oral motor support.

For comprehensive oral sensory information, see our complete oral sensory toys guide.

Understanding Sucking and Blowing

Why Sucking Matters

Sucking provides:

• Oral muscle strengthening: Cheeks, lips, tongue work together
• Proprioceptive feedback: Deep input from effort
• Self-regulation: Rhythmic sucking is calming
• Feeding skill foundation: Supports mature drinking patterns

Why Blowing Matters

Blowing develops:

• Breath control: Foundation for speech production
• Sustained airflow: Required for phrases and sentences
• Oral motor coordination: Lips, tongue, breath working together
• Calming effects: Extended exhale activates parasympathetic system

How They Complement Chewing

| Skill | Chewing | Sucking | Blowing | |-------|---------|---------|---------| | Jaw work | Primary | Secondary | Minimal | | Lip work | Secondary | Primary | Primary | | Tongue work | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Breath control | No | No | Primary | | Effect | Alerting/Calming | Calming | Calming |

Best Straw Options

ARK Bear Bottle Straw — Editor's Choice

The Bear Bottle system uses a straw with built-in valve that requires effort to draw liquid. This resistance builds oral motor strength with every sip.

Therapeutic benefits:

• Requires sucking effort (not just gravity flow)
• Builds lip seal strength
• Develops sustained sucking
• Spill-proof design for practice

Best for: Oral motor strengthening, therapy programs, building straw drinking skills.

Reusable Silicone Straws (Various Sizes) — Best Straw Set

Different straw sizes require different effort levels. A variety set allows progression from easier (wide) to harder (narrow) as skills develop.

How straw size affects effort:

| Straw Width | Effort Required | Best For | |-------------|-----------------|----------| | Wide | Low | Beginners, thick liquids | | Standard | Moderate | Regular use, building skills | | Narrow | High | Advanced strengthening | | Extra narrow | Very high | Maximum challenge |

Best for: Progressive skill building, varied drinks, daily use.

ARK Lip Blok Straws — Best Therapeutic Straws

Lip Blok straws have a flange that prevents children from biting or sliding the straw too far into their mouth, promoting proper lip closure and sucking technique.

Therapeutic features:

• Prevents compensatory biting
• Promotes lip seal
• Consistent positioning
• Clinical-grade design

Best for: Speech therapy, feeding therapy, correcting compensatory patterns.

Best Blow Toys

Bubble Blowing Set — Best for Breath Control

Bubble blowing requires sustained, controlled airflow—perfect for developing the breath support needed for speech. Plus, visual reward of bubbles motivates practice.

Why bubbles work:

• Visual feedback shows breath success
• Requires sustained, gentle airflow
• Highly motivating for children
• Variable challenge (small vs. big bubbles)

Activities:

• Blow one bubble, then catch it
• Blow as many bubbles as possible in one breath
• Blow bubbles to pop with hands
• Blow bubbles onto a surface

Best for: Breath control development, speech therapy prep, motivating practice.

Pinwheel Set — Best Visual Reward

Pinwheels spin when blown, providing immediate visual feedback for airflow. They require sustained blowing to keep spinning.

Visual reward benefits:

• Immediate feedback on breath
• Sustained spinning = sustained breath
• Variable speed = variable effort
• Portable and quiet

Best for: Sustained airflow practice, quiet play, portable therapy.

Kazoo Set — Best Musical Blow Toy

Kazoos make noise through humming, not blowing—combining oral motor coordination with auditory feedback.

Why kazoos work:

• Combines lip closure with vocalization
• Requires breath coordination
• Fun, engaging, musical
• Works for children who struggle with blowing

Best for: Children who resist blowing, musical interests, speech prep.

Party Blow Horns — Best for Celebration

Party horns that unroll when blown require significant airflow to extend fully. The fun factor motivates practice.

Blowing benefits:

• Significant breath effort required
• Full extension = full breath
• Celebratory, fun context
• Clear success metric (does it unroll?)

Best for: Breath strength building, motivating reluctant children, celebrations.

Hohner Harmonica — Best Wind Instrument

Harmonicas require both blowing and drawing air (sucking), providing comprehensive oral motor workout. Music makes practice engaging.

Comprehensive oral motor:

• Blowing develops breath control
• Drawing (sucking) develops oral strength
• Lip and tongue coordination
• Musical reward for effort

Best for: Older children, sustained practice, combined blow/suck development.

Using Straws for Sensory Input

Resistive Drinking

Different drinks require different sucking effort:

| Drink Type | Effort Level | Sensory Input | |------------|--------------|---------------| | Water through wide straw | Low | Mild | | Water through narrow straw | Moderate | Moderate | | Thin smoothie | Moderate | Moderate | | Thick smoothie through standard | High | High | | Thick smoothie through narrow | Very high | Very high | | Frozen slushie | Variable | High |

Straw Drinking Protocol

For oral motor strengthening:

1. Start with comfortable straw size
2. Use thicker drinks for more resistance
3. Gradually narrow straw width
4. Or thicken drinks progressively
5. 5-10 minutes of practice daily

Water Bottle Strategies

CamelBak-style bite valves provide ongoing oral input:

• Requires bite to release water
• Constant access throughout day
• Socially normalized
• Pairs drinking with proprioceptive input

Using Blow Toys Therapeutically

Breath Control Progression

| Level | Activity | Goal | |-------|----------|------| | 1 | Short blows (birthday candles) | Initiate airflow | | 2 | Sustained blow (pinwheel spinning) | Maintain airflow | | 3 | Controlled blow (one bubble at a time) | Regulate airflow | | 4 | Variable blow (big and small bubbles) | Adjust airflow | | 5 | Phrases with sustained airflow | Functional speech |

Calming Through Blowing

Extended exhale activates parasympathetic nervous system:

• "Smell the flower, blow out the candle": Inhale through nose, exhale through mouth
• Bubble breathing: Gentle, sustained blows
• Pinwheel meditation: Focus on steady spinning

Games and Motivation

Bubble games:

• Pop the bubbles before they land
• Catch bubbles on wand
• Blow bubbles to a partner

Pinwheel games:

• Who can spin longest?
• Blow while walking (coordination)
• Color the wind (watch patterns)

Straw games:

• Race lightweight objects across table by blowing through straw
• Straw painting (blow paint across paper)
• Move cotton balls to targets

Age-Appropriate Considerations

Toddlers (1-3)

• Wide straws, short length
• Adult holds bubble wand for safety
• Pinwheels with supervision (no small parts)
• Blow games without tools (blowing on hand)

Preschool (3-5)

• Progress to standard straws
• Independent bubble blowing (supervised)
• Pinwheels, party horns
• Blow games with straws

School Age (6-12)

• Narrower straws for challenge
• Harmonicas, recorders
• Independent practice
• Game-based motivation

Teens and Adults (13+)

• Functional integration (sports bottle, smoothie straws)
• Musical instruments
• Self-directed practice
• Subtle, normalized tools

Combining with Other Oral Motor Work

Comprehensive Sessions

Sample 10-minute oral motor session:

1. Z-Vibe wake-up (2 minutes)
2. Bubble blowing (3 minutes)
3. Chewy Tube exercise (3 minutes)
4. Resistive straw drinking (2 minutes)

Daily Integration

| Time | Activity | |------|----------| | Breakfast | Smoothie through straw | | Morning | Bubble play | | Lunch | Water through bite valve | | Afternoon | Pinwheel during play | | Dinner | Thick drink through narrow straw |

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age can children use straws?

Most children can learn straw drinking between 9-18 months. Children with oral motor delays may need supported introduction. Start with wide straws and thin liquids.

Why does my child bite the straw instead of sucking?

Biting is a common compensation for weak sucking muscles. Use ARK Lip Blok straws to prevent biting, or work on sucking strength with appropriate activities before straw drinking.

Can blowing help with speech?

Yes—breath control is foundational for speech. Blowing develops sustained airflow needed for phrases and the oral motor coordination required for clear articulation.

Are there blow toys for children who can't blow?

Start with humming activities (kazoo), then progress to easy blowing (wide straw, close target). Some children benefit from OT/SLP support to develop basic blowing skill.

How do straws help sensory processing?

Resistive sucking provides proprioceptive input similar to chewing—the effort required sends regulatory feedback to the brain. This can be calming and organizing.

Conclusion

Oral motor development encompasses sucking and blowing alongside chewing. Each skill engages different muscles and provides different sensory feedback—all important for speech, feeding, and regulation.

Key takeaways:

• Straws build strength through resistive sucking
• Blow toys develop breath control for speech
• Progress gradually from easy to challenging
• Make it fun through games and visual rewards
• Integrate daily into meals and play

For comprehensive oral sensory support, combine straws and blow toys with chewing tools and oral motor exercises. See our oral sensory toys guide for chewing options and oral motor activities without equipment for exercise-based approaches.

The mouth is a complex system. Support all its functions for optimal oral motor development.