Oral health is one of the most important things that we can teach our children and it can be so much fun! Young kids love to learn about everything that is going on around them. Learning about their teeth with sensory activities can make future trips to the dentist more enjoyable for parents. Here is a fun project that you can do with your children to help them understand the importance of flossing.
Things you will need –
- An egg carton or building block piece
- A soft bristle hair brush
- Yarn to act as dental floss
- Play-doh or tissue paper
The first thing you will need a large building block piece or an egg carton to act as your teeth. Show your child how the teeth feel and compare them to the ones in their own mouth. You can then prepare the teeth for the experiment. Take your egg carton or building block and stuff bits of play-doh or tissue paper sporadically through the teeth. These act as bits of food that your child will need to try to remove by brushing the teeth with their pretend toothbrush (hairbrush) that you have given them to use.
After a couple minutes of brushing ask them if they were able to get all of the food out from between the teeth. Hopefully the answer is no so that you can teach them the importance of not only brushing their teeth but how flossing between teeth helps maintain a healthy smile. Give them the piece of yarn and show them how to make soft strokes between the pretend teeth. Carefully remove the bits of tissue paper or play-doh, being mindful to explain that the gums holding their teeth are delicate.
This is a fun and easy activity to do with your kids. For more information about your children’s dental health please visit A Kids Place Dentistry in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can make an appointment by clicking here or by calling our offices at 801-747-8000.