The Best Children's Games for Brushing Teeth
It’s common for some children to resist cleaning their mouths or not see the point. Children’s games for brushing teeth are a great strategy to make caring for their oral health fun.
Adults are responsible for taking care of their children’s oral health. Therefore, brushing their teeth after every meal is a habit they should work on. It’s key that little ones understand the importance of this practice and that the time dedicated to hygiene is enjoyed. This way, the habit will be incorporated from an early age and will accompany them throughout their lives. We’ll share with you some suggestions that will help you with the incorporation of this healthy habit.
Discover some children’s games for brushing teeth
In general, brushing their teeth isn’t a favorite activity for children. In fact, they tend to refuse, divert attention, or even hide from doing it! However, here are some ideas and strategies to make brushing teeth a fun activity.
Set the scene to music
Proper tooth brushing, which includes all sides of the teeth, gums, and tongue, takes about 2 to 3 minutes. This is the same amount of time that your little one’s favorite song or your own composition for that moment can last. Following the rhythm and concentrating on the melody will help make brushing easier and more fun.
Keep in mind that many children’s artists have songs about brushing teeth in their repertoire.
Include stories in the brushing routine
Another way to keep brushing time from becoming a chore for little ones is to use a story. Telling them their favorite story or making up a different one each day will keep them entertained during oral hygiene. If the characters are themselves, the plot will engage them even more.
If brushing time is over and the story isn’t yet finished, you can finish it in bed. Combining your dental hygiene routine with your bedtime routine is an excellent idea.
Doing experiments at brushing time
Experiments at home are some of the favorite children’s games that also help them brush their teeth. Feeling like scientists for a moment and learning how some products behave on tooth surfaces will increase their interest in oral care.
Eggshells are composed of calcium, just like teeth, so their composition is similar. Therefore, with eggs, children can experience, in a similar way, how the teeth react to fluoride exposure and food acids. You can do this in the following way:
- Prepare 2 hard-boiled eggs and let them cool.
- Immerse one egg in a container containing soda and the other in one with water. Leave them there for 8 to 12 hours.
- Then rinse them with clean water. When you press them both, you will notice that the shell of the egg exposed to the soda will feel smooth and softened.
Another option is to paint half of the egg with toothpaste and the other half without. Let it sit for 4 days and then soak it in soda for one night. You’ll notice that the area painted with toothpaste will feel harder than the unprotected half.
Invent board games
Children’s board games are a very effective way to motivate children to brush their teeth. With a pair of dice, tokens, a large sheet of paper, a pencil, and a little creativity, you can create a board with checkboxes about dental care.
In addition, you can make cards with questions about teeth, the structures of the mouth, their functions, and ways to take care of them. Designing a board in the shape of a mouth, with each square being a tooth, will add meaning to the game. The goal is to be the first to reach the last square.
After playing the game several times, the children themselves can create new cards with questions. Using encyclopedias, the Internet, or a trusted dentist to find the information will keep them interested in the subject.
Set challenges
Other children’s games that encourage children to brush their teeth and take an interest in their oral health are challenges. You can play a game to see who can brush their teeth the best or who can last the longest.
Other challenges can also be added, such as who has the best dexterity to clean their back molars, who spits their toothpaste into the sink the strongest, or who can resist the whole brushing process standing on one leg. Parents can act as a jury and give a score to the technique used for each sector.
Show the importance of brushing teeth in a playful way
Here’s another simple activity that can be done at home for children to discover the function of brushing. You’ll need white sheets of paper, colored pencils, plastic sleeves, whiteboard markers, and a toothbrush. Next, you need to do the following:
- On a large sheet of paper, draw a large mouth with teeth.
- Color the drawing, but leave the teeth blank.
- Place the sheet inside the plastic sleeve.
- Paint the teeth as if they were dirty. You can draw food debris and monster germs.
- Ask the children to use the toothbrush to clean each tooth as if it were their own mouth.
With this game, little ones can train their hand control and movements. Also, it favors hand-eye coordination and concentration for the development of the activity in a proper way. In addition, it helps to achieve a correct gripping of the toothbrush and to practice the strength they need to use.
Children’s games, a resource for brushing teeth
The children’s games for tooth brushing can help your child to brush their teeth with joy and interest. You can adapt them according to your child’s needs and interests and transform oral hygiene into a unique moment.
Having fun and enjoying the routine of cleaning the mouth will help to incorporate this important habit. It won’t be a moment of imposition or another rule to follow, but a pleasant time with mom and dad.
When your little ones grow up, tooth brushing will already be part of their daily routine and they’ll have pleasant memories of when their parents taught them to take care of their health.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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