Speech therapy pizza

Children 'bake' a pizza with their tongues: rolling the dough, spreading sauce and adding toppings to exercise the tongue and lips.

Steps

1. Each child gets a mirror. The teacher says: today our tongue is the pizza chef and the mouth is the pizzeria.
2. Roll the dough: the tongue slides along the roof of the mouth from the teeth to the back and forward again.
3. Spread the sauce: the tongue tip licks round the upper and lower lip, one way and then the other.
4. Add the toppings: the tongue tip touches each top and bottom tooth in turn.
5. Pizza in the oven: children puff out their cheeks and slowly let the air out. Cool the pizza by blowing a long breath onto the hand.
6. At the end children eat a piece of real pizza or a crispbread and lick their lips.

Tip: Ask about food allergies beforehand. Instead of pizza, a rice cake at the end is also good chewing practice.

Materials needed

• Child-safe mirrors (1 per child or pair)