15 Dental Health Activities for Preschoolers and Kinders

February is Children’s Dental Health Month, but you can use these fun ideas any time of year. These dental health activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners help them understand why it’s so important to take care of their teeth. They’ll learn about their teeth and mouths and get hands-on practice with brushing and flossing. Every one of these is guaranteed to be a hit—and that’s the tooth!

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1. Read a dental health book

Books on dental health for preschoolers and kindergarteners

Use these fun and engaging books to introduce your dental activities for preschoolers. Find them at your library, or buy them on Amazon:

2. Make a model mouth

Model mouth made from construction paper and marshmallows (Dental Activities for Preschoolers)

This is one of those classic dental activities for preschoolers, and they always love the mini-marshmallow teeth! After you make these, kids can use them to practice brushing and flossing too.

Learn more: The Natural Homeschool

3. Engage in sensory play

Preschooler playing with toothbrush, plastic tooth, and blue glitter slime

Put together a sensory tray for wee ones with toothbrushes from the dollar store and plastic toy teeth. Then, make a batch of blue or green glitter slime to represent toothpaste or use actual toothpaste (be sure kids don’t eat it).

Learn more: Still Playing Schools

4. Hang some Happy Teeth

Tooth craft made from paper and stuffed with cotton balls, with googly eyes

This cute tooth craft is easy to make and will look so fun hanging from your classroom ceiling. If your littles aren’t quite up to using scissors yet, you can pre-cut the teeth shapes for them.

Learn more: Fun Learning Life

5. Paint with toothbrushes

Student using a toothbrush to paint a paper tooth with paint made from shaving cream and glue (Dental Activities for Preschoolers)

Mix up your own puffy paint with shaving cream and glue. Then, have kids use the paint to “brush” large paper teeth. Finish by sprinkling glitter on top to show they’re sparkling clean!

Learn more: Pocket of Preschool

6. Count playdough teeth

Printable worksheets with open mouths and a different number of playdough teeth in each (Dental Activities for Preschoolers)

Grab the free printables and give kids some white playdough. Then have them shape teeth and count them into the open mouths.

Learn more: Totschooling

7. Assemble tooth collages

Collages of healthy and unhealthy foods pasted onto paper teeth (Dental Health Activities)

Give kids some magazines or grocery store ads to look through for pictures of various types of foods. Tear or cut them out, then build collages of foods that are good for your teeth and those that can cause cavities.

Learn more: Artsy Momma

8. Sing the dental care song

Printout of a song called This Is The Way We Brush Our Teeth

This song has been around for years and years. As each generation of kids sings it, they learn how to take care of their mouths.

Learn more: Fantastic Fun and Learning

9. Eliminate alphabet germs

White ice cube tray turned upside down with letters written in dry erase marker

Use white ice trays and turn them over to represent teeth. Then, write letters on them with dry erase markers. Kids can use “toothbrushes” made of felt glued to wood craft sticks to erase them, saying the letters out loud as they go.

Learn more: Growing Book by Book

10. Brush egg carton teeth

Preschooler using a toothbrush to clean teeth made from an egg carton (Dental Activities for Preschoolers)

Empty egg cartons, especially the white foam ones, make excellent model teeth. Color on them with washable markers, then let kiddos use a toothbrush and toothpaste to get them clean and white again.

Learn more: Teach Preschool

11. Floss a Duplo block

A Duplo block with playdough in between the pegs, and yarn for "flossing"

Duplo blocks are another terrific stand-in for teeth, especially when you want to practice flossing. Place some playdough between the “teeth” and then use yarn to floss it out.

Learn more: Babies to Bookworms

12. Use an apple to demonstrate cavities

Red apple with a hole poked into the side, showing the browning apple inside (Dental Activities for Kids)

This is such a cool and easy way to introduce kids to the idea of cavities. Poke a hole in the skin of an apple, then watch what happens to the white part inside. Compare this to getting a hole in a tooth’s protective enamel.

Learn more: Journey to Josie

13. Keep track on a teeth brushing chart

Printable and colorable teeth brushing chart (Dental Activities for Kids)

Encourage families to help kids develop healthy habits at home with these free printable charts. Kids can color them in and check off the proper teeth as they brush every morning and night.

Learn more: Preschool Play & Learn

14. Stain eggs with soda

Four eggs submerged in cups of soda, coffee, and tea (Dental Activities for Preschoolers)

Dental activities for preschoolers like this one really bring home the message about keeping your teeth clean. Soak eggs overnight in cups of soda, juice, coffee, or tea. The next day, take a look to see how stained they are. Have kids try to brush them clean, if they can!

Learn more: Luv Pre-K