Dental Themed Preschool Activities

As we get deep into this quarantine, my kids, mainly my eldest, have been going stir crazy. I am constantly talking to friends, scoping the internet and racking my brain for new and creative activities.

The first two weeks my daughter was excited about her zoom dates with her teachers and the assignment packets recommended by her school. But as things have progressed, she has grown listless and is more resistant to doing the assigned homework.

So I had to get creative.

Besides entertaining my children, I was purging and cleaning my closets and came across my old dental school supplies. With that as inspiration and some help from the internet, I have rounded up a few activities to help inspire your child to brush and keep them occupied for a bit!

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1. Measure Your Toothbrush

There are various version of this on the internet, but this is a great way to encourage dental health and learn to measure. You'll need:

Ruler

Paper and pencil

Various dental products (toothpastes, toothbrush, floss, etc)

Use the paper and make a chart with the names of the items listed on one side and a space to record numbers on the other side. Have your child measure each item with a ruler and record the length. Once completed, have him or her compare the numbers and determine/understand which ones are longer and shorter. This is also helps practice handwriting skills and they don't even know it!

My daughter loves measuring things with a ruler - this activity evolved to her measuring various things throughout the house!

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2. Extraction Station

I've seen various versions of this on the internet and it will definitely not disappoint! Items needed:

Play dough

Beans (rice or small pasta is a great substitute)

2 Small round cap/container (I used old molds from dental school)

Old tweezers

Place the play dough in two containers. The arrange the beans in an arch shape, to mimic upper and lower teeth in the mouth. Have your child use the tweezers only to remove each bean. Another idea is to add little grains of rice around the "teeth". The rice represents "sugar bugs". Have them remove the sugar bugs and understand the importance of brushing and the consequences if sugar remains on the teeth.

My daughter definitely loved this and didn't stop till ALL the teeth were extracted!

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3. Brush & Floss the Teeth

If your child is like my daughter, then brushing every morning and evening is a struggle. Since the quarantine, she has been really pushing back and brushing in our household has become a chore! Any activity that reinforces good dental habits is a win in my book. You'll need:

Play dough

Ice cube tray (or large lego/mega blocks)

String

Dry erase marker

Old toothbrush or wooden craft stick with felt/fabric/paper towel attached to one end

To prep this activity, place ice cube tray upside down and use the dry erase marker to make "sugar bugs" on the "teeth". Then place play dough in between the ice cubes to represent food or bacteria that can get stuck between teeth. Have your child use the craft stick or old toothbrush to wipe away the dry eraser marks. Then have him or her use the string to floss the play dough out from in between the teeth.

My daughter has been obsessed with dry erase markers so she really enjoyed this activity. The flossing part was a bit difficult and challenging for her so it was nice to have an activity occupy her for more than five minutes!

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4. Dental Education Worksheets

I've mentioned education.com before on my instagram page as a great source of free worksheets for kids of all ages, from pre-school to 5th grade. I found this worksheet on the site for free and even though it was for the older age group, I was able to have my daughter color the teeth and we discussed the different teeth anatomy and what the function of each tooth was.

The ADA has great worksheets that are free to print to help teach your child about dental health. Check them out at www.mouthhealthy.org.

I hope some of these activities entertain your child. I would love to know your thoughts or see photos of your kids learning about dental health!