STRAWS!!! THE (NOT SO:) SIMPLE STRAW!!!

Authored By Elise Weinstein, M.S., CCC-SLP

Speech Therapist at The Village Therapy Place

Is your child working on improving lip strength and closure?

Does he need to improve his cheek strength?

If you are looking for a simple way to help your child at home, you probably already have the tool you need…a simple straw.

Straws are super exciting and fun for young children! There are so many different types- colorful, twisty, thin, thick, ones with characters on them…the possibilities are endless! When picking a straw or straw cup for your child, remember that not all straws are created equal- some are harder or easier to suck.

In general, I find that twisty straws, weighted straws, long straws, and thin straws require more strength than others. So be sure to pick a straw that is not too easy or too hard for your child to get the most benefit from the activities below.

What can I do with a straw at home? Here are 4 ideas:

• Drinks at Mealtime

  • Drinking with a straw can be done at any meal with any drink.

  • Encourage your child to close their lips around the straw instead of biting on the straw. If your child struggles with this, consider purchasing a lip block. This simple piece will go on top of the straw to “shorten” the portion of the straw that actually goes in the mouth. It encourages lip rounding naturally, as it is hard for the child to stick the straw too far back in the mouth and bite on it.

  • Drink increasing thick liquids with a straw. Examples: milkshake, yogurt, smoothie. Sucking thick liquids requires more strength than sucking thin liquids through a straw (and kids seem to love getting to use a straw more often!).

• Cotton Races

  • Get some cotton and straws…and get blowing! Whoever blows their piece of cotton across the table (or the carpet) first is the winner!

  • Compete against your child, have your children play together, or have your child play with friends on a playdate!

  • By changing the type of straw and size of the piece of cotton (take some off a cotton ball or use the whole cotton ball), you can make this activity easier/harder. We want the child to work…but be successful during the activity. A happy, confident child will want to practice more, while an overwhelmed, unsuccessful child will want to give up.

  • Cotton Hockey

    • This is a fun, sports variation of “Cotton Races.” Instead of trying to blow the cotton in a race to the finish line, get two “nets” (you can be creative here and use what you have at home- two cups turned on their sides, two boxes, etc.) and see who can score the most “goals” by blowing the cotton in!

    • Cotton Hockey can also be turned into Cotton Soccer or Cotton Baseball or Cotton Football- whatever sport interests your child. Just modify for each sport as necessary.

• Blowing Bubbles in Liquid

  • As a mom, I know it can be hard to actually encourage your child to blow bubbles (since we spend far too much of our lives trying to stop this behavior). However, this activity can actually be beneficial for your child. To keep it from overtaking mealtime, I recommend that you practice this with a bowl, not a cup, and talk about when we can (and can’t) blow bubbles.

  • To make this activity exciting, add a little dish soap to the bowl of water and try to blow big bubbles! So fun! Make sure to explain to your child the need to blow and not suck for this activity…or your child will get a soapy mouthful.

  • Learning to control airflow (blowing out instead of sucking in) can be beneficial in its own right.  

Do your children like straws? Do you have other ideas for using straws more at home? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

About Us: 

We, at The Village Therapy Place, located in Bergen County- in Wyckoff, NJ, aim to provide integrative, neurodevelopmental, individualized, pediatric therapy in a warm, fun, and collaborative environment. 

We offer pediatric services that include physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, feeding therapy, and DIR Floortime.  

 At The Village Therapy Place, we utilize current and evidence-based treatment techniques to help treat your child during his PT, OT, speech therapy, feeding therapy and DIR Floortime session. These include sensory integration, reflex integration, therapeutic listening, Kinesiotape, craniosacral therapy, NDT, BrainGym, feeding therapy, PROMPT, to name a few. 

Our expert pediatric therapists offer a variety of treatment options, including 30/45/60 minute sessions, group classes and virtual therapy to best suit your child’s needs. 

 The pediatric physical therapists, occupational therapists & speech therapists at The Village Therapy Place are in constant contact with a child's caregivers to facilitate lasting change. 

Call us today at (201) 201-8220 or email us at office@thevillagetherapyplace.com to speak with a pediatric expert who truly cares!