Share a warm up or tongue twister
Learn and practice a fun tongue twister plus simple vocal warm-up exercises to improve pronunciation, breath control, and speaking confidence.
Step-by-step guide to learn and practice a tongue twister and simple vocal warm-up exercises
5 Tongue Twister Challenge for Everyone | Fun with Tongue Twisters in English | for Kids and Family
Step 1
Gather your materials.
Step 2
Sit or stand up straight with your shoulders relaxed.
Step 3
Place one hand on your belly to feel your breath.
Step 4
Take five slow deep belly breaths counting to four as you inhale and six as you exhale.
Step 5
Hum a steady "mmmmm" and slide from low to high pitch for ten seconds.
Step 6
Do lip trills (buzz your lips) for ten seconds.
Step 7
Open your mouth wide three times to loosen your jaw.
Step 8
Say this tongue twister slowly one word at a time: She sells seashells by the seashore.
Step 9
Repeat the tongue twister at a comfortable speed three times.
Step 10
Say the tongue twister as fast as you can three times while keeping the words clear.
Step 11
Stand in front of the mirror.
Step 12
Say the tongue twister once while watching your mouth make big clear shapes.
Step 13
Take a sip of water to relax your voice.
Step 14
Share your finished tongue-twister practice on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have a mirror or don't want to use water for the sip step?
Use your phone or tablet camera or a shiny window to do the 'stand in front of the mirror' step, and if you don't have water, simply swallow once after the 'take a sip of water to relax your voice' step or rinse with a small sip of room-temperature water.
I'm having trouble feeling my belly breath and my lip trills keep stopping—what should I try?
If you can't feel your breath during 'place one hand on your belly', lie on your back with a small book on your belly to watch it rise, and if 'do lip trills (buzz your lips) for ten seconds' stalls, relax your jaw, hum first, then blow gently through loose lips until the buzz stabilizes.
How can I adapt this warm-up for different ages?
For younger children shorten the breathing to inhale for two and exhale for three and do the tongue twister one word at a time once, while older kids can keep the 'counting to four inhale and six exhale' and add more fast repeats of 'say the tongue twister as fast as you can three times' or record themselves for feedback.
What are simple ways to extend or personalize this tongue-twister activity?
Make a new tongue twister, add a clapped rhythm or harmony during the 'repeat the tongue twister at a comfortable speed three times' step, film the 'stand in front of the mirror' mouth-shape run, and upload the finished tongue-twister practice to DIY.org to track progress.
Watch videos on how to learn and practice a tongue twister and do simple vocal warm-ups
5 min Tongue Twister Warm Up for Kids
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5 min Tongue Twister Warm Up for Kids
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Theater Warm-Ups: Tongue-Twisters
Vocal Warm-Ups for Kids - Tongue Twister Vocal Exercise Lesson
Facts about voice and speech exercises for kids
🫁 Diaphragmatic (belly) breathing helps kids control breath for longer phrases and steadier speaking or singing.
😄 Regular practice of tongue twisters can boost speaking confidence and make tricky sounds feel easier to pronounce.
🎤 Simple vocal warm-ups like humming, lip trills, and sirens increase vocal flexibility and reduce strain.
🏆 The phrase "The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is often cited as one of the hardest English tongue twisters.
🗣️ Tongue twisters are used by actors, broadcasters, and language learners to sharpen articulation and diction.
How do you lead a tongue twister warm-up for kids?
What materials do I need for this tongue twister activity?
What ages is this tongue twister and vocal warm-up suitable for?
What are the benefits and fun variations of tongue twister warm-ups?
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