When it comes to teaching kids about dental hygiene, the most innovative methods are the most effective. Considering kids have shorter attention spans, the content should be interesting, engaging, and most of all, fun. To help you along the way, the following information explains a few fun and creative ways to teach kids about dental hygiene.
Dental Trivial Pursuit
Since most children are competitive, you can create various games designed to reward them for their knowledge of dental hygiene. One great format to use is the Trivial Pursuit format. You can even use the trivia questions found on the ADA website. As a result, your child will be engaged, entertained, and learn about dental history at the same time.
Write a Smile
Another great way to make learning about dental hygiene fun is to create an essay or poetry contest. You can pitch themes such as, “The brighter my smile,…..” or “I love my smile because….” Using creative prompts will get the kid’s minds jogging and allow them to come up with creative ways to express the importance of dental hygiene.
Dental Cook Off
To really get kids involved in dental hygiene, you can create a cooking class. In the class, you can help your children come up with recipes designed to help promote a healthy smile. On the other hand, you can create a class for making simple dishes that are not loaded with sugar. For example, a simple fruit salad can demonstrate how easy and delicious it is to take care of your teeth.
Trip to the Dentist
Since all kids love going on trips, a dental visit can be an excellent way to educate your kids about the importance of dental hygiene. Simply put, it is vital for kids to learn the importance of dental visits. At the same time, it’s important for them to not be scared of the dentist. If you coordinate a trip to the dentist office, your children can witness a dental check up and see there is no reason to be afraid of the dentist. On the trip, you can schedule for your children to sit in the dentist chair, create fun posters, and even have the dentist create molds of their teeth.
Make Music
When you teach children through music, they are much more likely to remember the information. You can make up a funny song about flossing or brushing their teeth. By doing so, you can create a song the child will remember and sing to themselves as they remember to brush their teeth. More importantly, in the song, you can include the proper steps.
Experiments
Conducting simple experiments are excellent ways to teach kids about dental hygiene. One great experiment can be done with an egg. If you let the egg soak in a cup of fluoride solution or toothpaste for five minutes, you can show kids the power of toothpaste. Afterward, you should rinse the egg and put it in vinegar. Then put a second that hasn’t been treated in a cup of vinegar. The children will be able to witness how the egg without toothpaste will fall apart over time and demonstrate the importance of toothpaste.