CHILDREN: 7 Fun Activities for Learning all about Oral Hygiene

*Advertorial Content - This product was gifted by Colgate, but all views are my own'. 

Teaching children how to look after their mouth and teeth isn't just important for their independence, but is also a skill that will set them up for life. If children learn the basics when they are young it will become second nature to them and hopefully result in good oral hygiene for the rest of their life. Brushing teeth is only part of oral hygiene, an important one, but not the only aspect children need to learn. Below are seven ways us as parents can help support our children learn all aspects of oral hygiene in both fun and engaging ways.

Sorting Foods - This activity is all about learning what is good for our teeth and which foods aren't so good; all through a simple sorting activity that will engage children whilst simultaneously teaching them. To set up this activity you need to draw two sets of teeth (one sparkling white and one with decay/discolouration) and provide an array of food items (some need to be high in sugar and could be cut outs from magazines, printed pictures, physical food items etc.). Start by explaining why certain foods are good for our teeth (high in calcium and vitamin D) and why certain foods are bad (high in sugar), so that they have an understanding to start sorting. Then let them independently sort the range of food items by putting them on top of the sparkling white teeth or the decayed teeth. Discuss why they've chosen to put the food items on each set of teeth and correct any misconceptions that arise. This activity really helps to make children more aware of the foods they are eating and the importance of brushing their teeth really well after eating sugary foods.

Brushing Teeth Activity - Print or draw a picture of a large tooth and either laminate it or pop it inside a plastic wallet. Use a dry wipe pen to draw scribbles all about the tooth to represent food debris and ask children to scrub the tooth clean using an old toothbrush. This activity shows the importance of taking your time when brushing and ensuring that every tooth is cleaned well. 

Use a fun child-friendly toothbrush - Colgate have a kids range of toothbrushes that are aimed at 3+ years, have extra soft bristles and are battery powered making them perfectly suited to the smaller mouths of children. The Colgate Kids 3+ Years Minion Extra Soft Battery Toothbrush is available from Morrisons and was a big hit with Isabella and Poppy, which made brushing their teeth something they were excited to do twice a day! The small oscillating head has extra soft bristles that helps to gently sweep away plaque helping to protect their gums. 

Dentist Role Play - It is so important for children to grow up having a positive experience at the dentist, so setting up a dentist role play at home can be a fun way to not only prepare children for a dentist visit but also ideal for sparking oral hygiene conversations. It doesn't have to be complicated for children to benefit from the role play; you could set up a dentist chair with an apron, mirror, x-rays of teeth, sunglasses for eye protection etc.

Make up your own 'Brushing Teeth' song - One way to make brushing teeth fun and teaching how long we need to brush for is creating a song that lasts two minutes. There are plenty already available online or you could make your own family song up. All you need to do is record it on your phone, then every morning and night you can play the song while they brush their teeth. 

Sequencing - The order in which we prepare to brush our teeth is something children need to learn, so one activity to help this is sequencing the steps we use to brush our teeth. It doesn't need to be complicated, which makes it the perfect activity for younger children and simply needs to include the key steps: squeezing toothpaste onto the toothbrush, running it under water, brushing teeth for two minutes, rinsing toothbrush etc. You could do this as a cut and stick activity or draw the steps onto flashcards and ask your child/ren to put them in order.

Playdoh Flossing Teeth Activity - Flossing is an important part of oral hygiene and one that can be modelled by adults. To teach children about why we floss then you can place play doh (to represent food debris) in-between a long piece of duplo or upside down egg box (to represent teeth) and use a pipe cleaner (to represent the floss) to 'floss' out the play doh. Children will love this interactive practical activity and learn how to floss too.

Feel free to leave me a comment - I love reading every single one :)

Helen x