Rainy day or too hot for most activities?
What to do? We got you!Mother Nature isn’t always as cooperative as we’d like. Sometimes the best lesson or treatment plan cannot be done that day. So, make a rainy/"too hot" alternative plan focusing on oral motor activities. Quiet, most are tabletop and practice needed skills. The synchronization of suck, breathe, swallow, talk is complicated. Each is a skill that individually needs to be mastered then coordinated together. Functional examples of this coordination can be seen when reading aloud or talking while eating without choking and drinking through a straw. |  | | Ball Paths: Create a path with play-do, dry pasta, hot glue, wikki stix, etc. Then blow your ball to the finish. Each student can create their own or add to a communal one that just keeps getting larger. |
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 | | Floating ball: Add a straw to the bottom of a funnel or cone shaped paper. Then blow. Try to keep your cotton ball or pompom up. Heavier balls require more blowing force. |
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 | | Blowing Croquet: Create arches along a path by bending a straw or pipe cleaner and imbedding the ends into putty, play-doh, or other tacky material. |
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 | | Suck, place & release: Use a straw to place paper pieces or bingo chips onto designated spots. Suck in to "grab" the piece, maintain or hold breath to move its location, then release to drop in place. Draw an outline of a house or flower, then use colored paper to fill in. |
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 | | Spinners: Cut slits in a circle, then bend up to catch the breeze. Insert a straight pin in center to attach to cardboard play surface or the top of a stick, tube or straw. |
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 | | Bubble Cups: A favorite! Punch a hole on side of cup for straw. Cover top with a piece of handi-wipe and secure with rubber band. Turn upside down & dip only handi-wipe into soapy water. Turn upright & blow a mountain of bubbles! (There should be no or very slight liquid in the cup) |
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