3 Fun Flossing Activities for Kids to Encourage Healthy Oral Habits

Getting kids to brush their teeth can be a challenge and daily flossing can be even more difficult. By using various activities, you can show kids that flossing can be fun after all.

Learn about the importance of flossing and find out how to do activities with your kids so they can learn how to properly floss and keep their teeth healthy.

The Importance of Flossing

Bits of food that get caught in teeth may be too small to feel or even see. Remember to still floss even if you don’t see any food caught in your teeth.

In addition to removing trapped food, flossing also helps clean plaque from between the teeth and the spaces where the gums meet the teeth. If plaque sticks around, it can harden and turn into tartar, which leads to gum disease.

As soon as your child has two teeth that touch, you should start flossing them. Because flossing requires more hand-eye coordination than children have, they will need help with flossing from an adult until they can start doing it on their own.

Fun Flossing Activities to Encourage Healthy Oral Habits

Introducing educational flossing activities will help make learning about healthy oral habits fun. Below are some activities that will help your children learn about flossing:

Egg Carton Mouth

You’ll need an egg carton, white paint, play dough, and floss. Paint the egg carton white, fold the carton in half, and arrange it into the shape of top and bottom teeth.

Place rolled-up chunks of play dough in between the “teeth” and have your child use the floss to remove the play dough. For more detailed instructions with pictures, visit Teaching Mama.

Sing a Song

Sing the following song to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:

Floss, floss, floss your teeth
Every single day.
Gently, gently, gently, gently,
Whisking plaque away.

Peanut Butter-Rubber Gloves Game

Kool Smiles offers a fun flossing activity involving peanut butter and rubber gloves where children try to remove peanut butter from a rubber glove with a toothbrush and floss. The rubber glove represents the tooth and the peanut butter is the sticky plaque.

This activity helps teach children that it’s easier to remove plaque with floss than with a toothbrush.

Call Kool Smiles Today

When combined with regular dental visits and a balanced diet, these flossing activities will help give your child a lifetime of healthy habits. If you and your child are looking for a fun dental experience, call Kool Smiles today or find a location near you to make an appointment.

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Sources:

Mouth Healthy: http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/flossing

Teaching Mama: http://teachingmama.org/flossing-activity-for-preschoolers/