Here’s a fun and safe way to have kids of all ages help out with making dinner! This activity provides opportunities to work on speech and language skills, exposure to various food types/texture, and lets kids create their own culinary masterpiece! See the original blog post here for ingredients and baking instructions.

Speech and Language Connections

Articulation – listen for words containing your child’s speech sounds. For example, if your child is working on “s” and “z,” have him/her practice these sounds while using ingredients such as “sauce,” “sausage,” and “cheese.”

Expressive language – this activity is great for building new vocabulary! You can also talk about food categories (such as vegetables, meats, fruits) and have your child organize the toppings by category before decorating your pizzas.

Sequencing – have your child explain the steps to topping a pizza as you’re working! For example, “First, spread sauce over the dough. Next, sprinkle cheese on top.” For older children, have them predict and explain what would happen if they completed the steps in the wrong sequence (for example, “What would happen if we baked the dough first, and then put on the toppings?”).

Feeding - Make learning about new foods stress-free. Discuss what each food item looks like, smells like, sounds like, and feels like -- all without any pressure to eat it! Stack up your olive slices and see who can make the tallest tower, take turns making color patterns with bell peppers, or use toppings to make funny faces on your pizza. Food preparation and cooking is a great way to expose a picky eater to a variety of foods, both preferred and new. And best of all, it’s fun for the whole family!