10 Speech Therapy Exercises for Toddlers You Can Do at Home
How to use this guide
You do not need to do all 10 exercises every day. Pick 3–4 that feel natural for your child's age and personality and rotate them. Consistency over weeks matters far more than perfection in any single session.
The 10 exercises
The single most powerful speech exercise requires no preparation. Simply narrate what you are doing in short, simple sentences as you go through your day. Children learn language best when it describes something they can see happening right now.
How to do it
While washing up: "Now we wash the dishes. Here is the sponge. I rub the plate. Round and round. Now we rinse. The water is warm." Use short sentences. Pause between them. Do not ask questions — just talk.
One of the most counterintuitive but effective techniques: when your child wants something, do not immediately provide it. Hold the object at their eye level and wait — up to 10 seconds — for any communication attempt (even a sound or gesture).
How to do it
Your child reaches for a biscuit. Hold it up, look at them expectantly, and say "What do you want?" then wait silently for 5–10 seconds. Accept any attempt — a sound, a point, a look. Say the word clearly as you give it: "Biscuit! Here is your biscuit."
Reading aloud is widely recommended for language development — but the technique matters. Reading with deliberate pauses invites the child to participate rather than passively listen, which is far more effective for speech production.
How to do it
Use a familiar book your child loves. Read to the end of a sentence and pause before a word you know they know: "The bear was very ___" (wait). Point to the picture if they do not respond. For younger children, name what you see in the pictures rather than reading the text.
The muscles of the mouth, tongue, and lips need exercise just like any other muscle. These exercises strengthen articulation and are used in clinical speech therapy settings — but work just as well at home in front of a bathroom mirror.
How to do it
Sit together facing a mirror and take turns: (1) Open mouth wide, close. (2) Stick tongue out as far as possible. (3) Lick lips in a big circle. (4) Make a big smile, then a tiny 'o'. (5) Click tongue like a horse. (6) Puff out cheeks, then pop them. Do 5–7 reps of each. Make it a competition — who can do the funniest face?
Sound imitation — particularly animal sounds — is one of the first steps toward speech. The sounds are fun, memorable, and involve the same mouth movements used in real words. This exercise also builds the turn-taking pattern that underlies all conversation.
How to do it
Use toy animals, picture books, or an app. Show each animal and make the sound together, exaggerating the mouth movements: "The cow says MOOOOO — your turn!" Celebrate all attempts. Progress to: "What does the dog say?" and wait.
Controlled breathing is the foundation of speech. Children with poor breath control often have quieter, less clear speech. These exercises build the respiratory strength needed for sustained talking — and are completely engaging for toddlers.
How to do it
Options: blow bubbles (soap or straw in water), blow a tissue or feather off the table, blow a paper boat across a bowl of water, blow through a straw to move a cotton ball, or inflate a balloon with supervision. 5–10 minutes, 3–4 times per week.
Rhythm and rhyme are not just enjoyable — they are neurologically significant. Rhyming patterns help the brain store phonological information (the building blocks of speech). Children often begin to talk by reciting fragments of familiar songs before they can hold a free conversation.
How to do it
Choose 5–6 songs and sing them every day. Repetition is the mechanism, not variety. Add actions where possible (Wheels on the Bus, Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes). When your child starts to anticipate a line, leave a gap and let them fill it in.
Outdoor environments provide a constantly changing, highly engaging language stimulus. Every walk is a vocabulary-building opportunity — and words learned in context (seeing the actual object) are retained far more effectively than words learned from flashcards.
How to do it
As you walk, point and name things clearly: "Bus! A red bus. The bus is big." Then ask: "Where is the tree?" — wait for a point or look. Gradually build to: "What is that?" (pause). Accept any response. Comment on what they notice rather than testing them with questions.
When your child says something — however short — expand it slightly and repeat it back. This technique, called expansion, shows the child that communication works, models slightly more complex speech, and does so without correcting them or putting them on the spot.
How to do it
Child says "dog" — you say "Big dog! The dog is running." Child says "more" — "More biscuit? You want more biscuit." Child points at a car — "Yes! Red car. Fast car!" Never say "say it properly" or "that is wrong" — just model the correct form naturally.
Fine motor skills and speech are neurologically connected — the same brain regions govern both. Building fine motor strength indirectly but measurably supports speech development. It is also one of the easiest to integrate into everyday play.
How to do it
Play-dough squeezing and rolling, threading large beads, finger painting, stacking small blocks, tearing paper, picking up small objects with fingers (supervised). While they play, narrate what they are doing (Exercise 1) to combine two techniques at once.
MIO — Speech games for kids
Developed with certified speech therapists, MIO turns tongue exercises, sound recognition, and word repetition into fun interactive games for children aged 1–7.
Download on App StoreBuilding a daily routine — sample schedule
Here is how to weave 4–5 exercises into a normal weekday without adding extra time to your schedule:
| Time of day | Activity | Exercise(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (getting dressed) | Narrate the routine, name clothing items | #1 Running commentary |
| Breakfast | Wait before giving food, expand what they say | #2 Pause · #9 Expand |
| Brush teeth | Mirror mouth exercises together | #4 Mirror exercises |
| Walk / outdoor time | Point and name everything you see | #8 Point and name |
| Play time | Animal sounds game or fine motor play | #5 Animal sounds · #10 Fine motor |
| Bedtime | Read a book with pauses, sing 2 songs | #3 Reading · #7 Songs |
The most important rule
Follow your child's lead. The exercises that work best are the ones that feel like play to your child. If an exercise creates frustration or resistance, set it aside and try again in a few weeks. Positive, stress-free interaction always produces better outcomes than forced practice.
How to know if it's working
Progress in toddler speech can be slow and non-linear. Here is what to look for over 4–8 weeks of consistent practice:
- More attempts to communicate — sounds, gestures, and words increasing
- Child initiates interaction more (brings you things, points, vocalises to get attention)
- New words appearing — even one or two new words per week is meaningful progress
- Imitates sounds more readily when you model them
- Longer strings of babble or jargon (sounds like speech even without real words)
When to seek professional support
Home exercises are powerful, but not a substitute for professional evaluation if: your child has under 50 words at age 2 · does not combine words by 2.5 · lost words they previously said · does not respond to their name · avoids eye contact. If in doubt, consult your paediatrician — earlier is always better.
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