Do you remember learning to whistle? For some it comes naturally, but others need to work at it. Here are some tips for teaching your child how to whistle.

Use a Mirror

It will be easier if you can model whistling while your child watches. He can see the position of your lips and tongue, and can mimic the movements. It’s also funny to watch each other’s faces as you pucker up to produce sound!

Lick Those Lips

Lips get into better formation when they’re slightly moist. Have your child lick his lips, then get ready for positioning the mouth correctly.

Pucker Up

Tell your child to pucker his lips, but not as tightly as he would for a kiss. Try giving him a drinking straw to put between his lips, and then, once he’s in position, remove the straw. That’s the lip pursing you want.

Tuck the Tongue

Show your child how you hold your tongue when you whistle. Some curl it slightly into a “u” shape at the bottom of the mouth, while others push it against the front lower teeth.

Blow, Baby, Blow

Once lips and tongue are in position, encourage your child to blow air gently out of his mouth. This should be soft exhalation like blowing fragile bubbles, not blowing out birthday candle force! Some kids find they can make a sound when inhaling but find it harder to translate that to exhaling sound.

Practice

At first, he may not be able to make any sounds. And then maybe he’ll make a sound every few blows of breath. Tell him to keep practicing. Hopefully, at some point, he’ll make a clear sound. That’s the moment to tell him to remember the position he’s using for lips and tongue, and continue to use that combination to make sounds.

Be Patient

Practicing is necessary to master whistling, and your child shouldn’t expect to get great results the first time he tries. When he gets frustrated, take a break.  When he feels like practicing again, try making up fun whistle patterns or whistle along to songs you both enjoy. Soon you’ll be making music together!

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