Brushing our teeth is an important thing to do in order to keep our mouths clean! When we brush our teeth we are brushing away all the dirt and germs we don’t want, so our teeth stay clean and white. Professionals recommend that children (and adults) brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day, using toothpaste and a toothbrush, brushing in circular motions, up and down, and not forgetting the teeth in the back! Getting little ones excited about brushing their teeth can be a tough task, but we have a fun activity here and some tips to help boost their brushing and banish the germs!
Things You’ll Need
- Banish The Germs printable
- White craft paint
- Something to paint with – paintbrush, cotton swab, or toothbrush
- A paper plate, or something to squeeze your paint onto
Steps
Print out our Banish The Germs printable. If you don’t have a printer, you can draw something similar on a piece of paper to use.
Squeeze some white craft paint onto a paper plate and pick your painting tool. Painting with an extra or old toothbrush is super fun and great way to practice the teethbrushing movements on the page. A cotton swab is great for older children who have more developed fine motor skills. Of course, a paintbrush will also do the trick! Just be sure that any toothbrush you use for paint does not go in the mouth – as soon as it gets dipped in paint, the toothbrush becomes a “crafty toothbrush” used only for crafts.
Now you’re ready to brush! Or should we say… paint! Dip your painting tool into the white paint and get busy painting over the germs like you are brushing the teeth clean!
You can use circular motions with your brush and paint up and down to cover all the germs and make the teeth on the page sparkling white!
When we brush our teeth in real life with toothpaste, we’re doing the same thing that we do in this activity. We brush away all the dirt and germs, even the ones we can’t see, and that helps keep our teeth clean and our smiles white. And that’s something to smile about!
You can follow along with Caitie as she does this activity in the Caitie’s Classroom episode Healthy Smiles. She shares more great teeth brushing inspiration in that episode, too!
Play the Super Simple Song Brush Your Teeth as you paint/brush over the germs on the printable. Did you know that the song Brush Your Teeth is just over 2 minutes long? That’s the recommended length of time for brushing your teeth, so it’s the perfect timer to know when to start and stop. You can find more Brush Your Teeth tips in our episode of How To Teach: Brush Your Teeth.
Happy brushing, friends! Let’s keep our mouths clean and our smiles bright!
