Does your child not like having to brush their teeth and it’s a struggle for you? With my youngest, I did have a little trouble with him wanting to brush his or just doing a quick brush and trying to pass as if that was enough and then having to go back over his teeth properly. He is doing much better brushing his teeth, although now I wish I could get him to eat some veggies! Maybe, the first recipe that I have for you could encourage him to do so. Since this is Dental Health Month, here are a couple of recipess and activities that your kids can do to encourage them have healthy teeth. Your kids are even able to do these on their own with little or no supervision depending on their age. Have fun!
Snacks for Healthy Teeth
Ants on a Log
Ingredients
4 celery stalks
Whipped cream cheese
Raisins
How to create this:
Trim off the leaves and ends, and cut the celery into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
Spread cream cheese in the celery stalks using a butter knife.
Place raisins on top of the cream cheese.
Apple Smiles
Ingredients
1 medium red apple, cored and sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter
32 miniature marshmallows
How to make the apple smile:
Wash, core and cut apple in half. Cut each half into 8 slices.
Spread peanut butter on one side of each apple slice.
Place 3 or 4 mini-marshmallows on top of peanut butter on one apple slice. Top with another and press together to make one “smile”
Continue assembling remaining apple slices.
Activities to Promote Healthy Teeth
Eat This, Not That! Game
2 small brown bags
Black marker
Old magazines
Directions
Flip through the magazines and cut out pictures of food. Ask your child to find all the healthy foods like vegetables, milk and fruit.
Look for unhealthy food also like soda and candy.
Place all the pictures into a pile.
On your two small brown bags, draw a happy tooth on one and a sad tooth on the other.
Have your child sort through the pictures and place them into the correct bag.
Soda and Egg Experiment
3 white-shelled hard boiled eggs
soda
diet soda
water
a toothbrush and toothpaste
3 clear plastic cups or glasses
Directions
Place an egg in each of the three cups.
Help your child fill the cups, one with regular soda, one with water and one with diet soda.
Leave the eggs in the liquid overnight.
Your child can check the eggs the next day and pour the liquid out of the cups to see how the eggs were affected.
Give your child a toothbrush and some toothpaste to see if they are able to brush the stains off the eggshell.
Discuss on what your child has learned from the experiment.
Did your kids enjoy these activities?
Photo credit: Thinkstock
