Oral functions begin developing with sucking during nursing, and it is said that chewing strength grows during the weaning period. Blowing activities, such as using trumpets or blowouts, are introduced in the field of dentistry as a way to develop lip closure strength and breath control. In our home, we have gradually introduced whistle toys according to my second son's age since he was 0 years old. Even among similar whistles, the ease of blowing varied greatly, so I will explain the ones we actually used, starting from the easiest.
Items introduced in this article:
- Whistle ① People: Rice Trumpet
- Whistle ② Ambi Toys: Trumpet
- Whistle ③ Toyroyal: Sucking and Blowing Whistle
- Whistle ④ Toyroyal: Puppu Flute
- Whistle ⑤ Toyroyal: Finger Play Trumpet (La Note)
- Whistle ⑥ Nic: Joy
- Blowout ① Toy Blowout
- Blowout ② Training Blowout (Chouiki Seikatsu)
- Instrument ① Tombo: Harmonica
- Instrument ② Kazoo
Whistle ① People: Rice Trumpet (From 0 months)
◎ Makes sound when blowing or sucking
◎ Made from rice-derived plastic material
◎ Small mouthpiece is easy to grip with lips
This is the perfect first whistle! It makes a sound easily with very little breath, and the pitch flips if blown hard. Since babies put everything in their mouths at this age, the rice-derived material provided peace of mind. For the first whistle, I recommend a type that makes sound even when sucking. Since it produces sound using the sucking power developed through nursing, it is easy for babies to understand how to make it work. Although the target age is from 0 months, the official description notes that babies usually start making sounds around 8 months.
Original Post: https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/1976596993163341948
▶︎ Rice Trumpet
Whistle ② Ambi Toys: Trumpet (From around 1 year)
◎ Makes sound when blowing or sucking
◎ Has two mouthpieces
◎ Plastic material
This one also makes a sound with very little breath and is about the same difficulty level as ①. The pitch flips to a higher note when blown strongly, allowing the child to learn through play that the sound changes with the strength of their breath. It has two mouthpieces, so they can play by changing where they grip it. On Amazon, the color (red or blue) is sent at random.
Original Post: https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/1976597379521585240
▶︎ Trumpet
Whistle ③ Toyroyal: Sucking and Blowing Whistle (From 3 months)
◎ Makes sound when blowing or sucking
◎ Soft material
◎ Small mouthpiece (about 5mm)
◎ Easy to hold with both hands
This has a clear tone and requires slightly more breath than ① or ②. The soft material ensures it doesn't hurt if it hits the mouth or teeth, making it safe even during the stage when they start walking. By using these first three whistles, it felt like the concept of "making sound by exhaling" was firmly established.
Original Post: https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/1976600575895814197
▶︎ Sucking and Blowing Whistle
Whistle ④ Toyroyal: Puppu Flute (From 8 months)
◎ Makes sound when blowing or sucking
◎ Easy to hold with both hands
◎ Can also be used as a rattle
This requires a bit more breath than ③. The shape makes it easy to hold with both hands, allowing the child to blow breath in firmly. The center part, which looks like a sunfish, spins around. Note: There is no reference video as this was not previously posted on X.
▶︎ Puppu Flute
Whistle ⑤ Toyroyal: Finger Play Trumpet (La Note) (From 8 months)
◎ Only makes sound when blown
◎ Colorful parts spin around
◎ Plastic material
The difficulty level jumps significantly here. Since it doesn't make a sound when sucked, it requires the strength to blow breath out firmly. Because it looks like a classic trumpet, people often buy it first, but it is actually quite difficult. My second son couldn't blow it at 11 months and finally succeeded at 1 year and 1 month. My eldest son and his friends also started blowing it after turning 1, so don't worry if your child can't do it even if the package says 8 months.
Original Post: https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/1976611428535873754
Whistle ⑥ Nic: Joy (From around 1 year)
◎ Makes sound when blowing or sucking (Blowing -> thin end, Sucking -> thick end)
◎ Made of wood
◎ No handle and very small
A wooden whistle with a lovely tone. However, it requires even more breath than ⑤, and since it has no handle, it is difficult for small hands to hold. My second son couldn't make it sound at 11 months, so I put it away for a while. It requires both breath strength and manual dexterity, making it the most difficult in our whistle lineup.
Original Post: https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/1976615037575025116
▶︎ Joy
Blowout ① Toy Blowout (After graduating from whistle toys)
◎ Requires the strength to pucker and maintain lip position
◎ Requires the strength to blow strongly for a certain duration
We introduced blowouts after he turned 1 and graduated from whistle toys. Blowouts are quite difficult; he was able to use them once he developed the strength to keep his mouth puckered and the ability to blow strongly for a set time. I think it's a great step up from whistles. You can easily find them at candy stores, so toy versions are sufficient to start with. Like water whistles, windmills, and paper balloons, I feel that traditional play is full of elements for learning how to use the mouth and breath.
Original Post: https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/1999815487283503467
Blowout ② Training Blowout (Chouiki Seikatsu)
Levels are divided by breath strength:
◎ Level 0: Strength to blow and move a single tissue
◎ Level 1: Strength to speak clearly in daily conversation
◎ Level 2: Strength to blow out a candle
◎ Level 3: Strength to blow out birthday cake candles all at once
Toy blowouts are good, but for serious training, I recommend the professional versions. We use "Chouiki Seikatsu," and I like that it makes it easy to see the current breath strength. There are products for Levels 0–2 and Levels 2–MAX; we bought both. At 1 year and 9 months, he can now blow Level 3 halfway. Level MAX is quite tough and even difficult for adults, so we have no plans to introduce it for now. I recommend Levels 0 to 3.
Original Post (Level 0): https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/2005553232987500821
Level 1 Achievement: https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/2075789391138824495
Level 2 Achievement: https://x.com/sii_ikuji_/status/2076622830045974898
▶︎ Chouiki Seikatsu Level 2-MAX
Instrument ① TOMBO Educational Harmonica
◎ Makes sound when sucking or exhaling
◎ Sound changes with tongue position
His current favorite is this educational harmonica. Since it makes sound when both sucking and exhaling, I thought the difficulty might be low, but unlike trumpets or blowouts, the breath isn't concentrated in one hole but dispersed across many, making it hard to play without sufficient breath volume and force. With a harmonica, you can change the pitch with your tongue position.
Instrument ② Kazoo
◎ Produces sound with the voice, not just breath
◎ Makes sound with a small amount of breath
This is another instrument we use often. Unlike the others, the kazoo uses vocal vibrations to produce sound, offering a different kind of fun compared to trumpets or harmonicas. It makes sound with light vocal volume, so we bought two and have jam sessions together.
▶︎ Kazoo
Conclusion
Every step is an extension of play, which I believe is the main reason we've been able to continue oral development without stress for parent or child. If he couldn't blow something, I just put it away and brought it out again later. Oral development is said to be linked to eating, speaking, and breathing, so I want to continue this journey at a relaxed pace. I hope this is helpful for anyone interested in oral care!
