Tongue kissing, sometimes called French kissing, is when you kiss with your mouths open and your tongues touch. You can do this in all sorts of ways.

Don’t worry too much about getting it right – there’s no such thing as kissing lessons. You learn how to kiss yourself, from practice.

Tongue kissing often starts with kissing on the lips. You move your lips, and explore the other person’s lips gently with your own. Then you turn your head to one side a little, so your noses don’t get in the way. Open your mouth, and slowly let your tongue slip inside your partner’s. Let your tongues glide over and caress each other.

If it feels good, you’re doing it right!

Make sure the other person is also enjoying it. And be clear about what you like. Some people like wet lips, others don’t. Some like kissing gently, others like having the other person’s tongue deep inside their mouth.

Build up slowly. Stop now and then and look each other in the eyes. If you can tell the other person wants to stop, don’t worry – just try again later. Ten minutes of non-stop kissing is pretty intense.

Make sure your breath is fresh

Kissing can be really nice, but it’s not much fun if your breath smells. A lot of people have bad breath sometimes, especially first thing in the morning. Brushing your teeth well and flossing helps. And watch what you eat – strong spices and garlic can make your breath smell. But if you eat the same thing as the other person, you don’t notice it as much.

Kissing and caressing

Some people keep their eyes shut when they kiss. Other people find it exciting to keep their eyes open. Some people make little noises, while others don’t make a sound.

When you’re kissing, you can also use your hands. You can caress each other at the same time, and explore each other’s sensitive places. Kissing can also lead to sex – but it doesn’t have to.