At Grasshoppers, we like to use the story Smile Crocodile, Smile, which is about a crocodile who spends her whole day cleaning her many teeth and misses out on a day of fun. Her friends notice this and gift her a giant toothbrush so she can clean her teeth quickly and join in with the fun the following day. The children really enjoyed listening to the story and talking about why it is important to brush our teeth properly.
After each child had a turn at brushing the teeth of our very own Clarabelle using a giant toothbrush, we talked together about when we clean our teeth — in the morning and before bed. We also discussed what colour toothbrushes we have at home, which the children were very excited to share with their friends. Each child took home a reward chart to fill in when they brushed their teeth at home, helping to encourage good oral hygiene routines and independence.
For more information about oral hygiene in early years, along with some fun songs to help make tooth brushing enjoyable, families can follow this link to find helpful resources and ideas to support brushing routines at home. https://www.dentalhealthcareeoe.nhs.uk/services/oral-health-improvement/early-years/. Singing songs while brushing helps children brush for longer and makes the experience more enjoyable.
Alongside learning about keeping our teeth clean and healthy, we also discussed healthy eating with the help of the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The children enjoyed listening to the story and naming the different fruits the caterpillar ate. For snack time, we followed the story by tasting a variety of fruits, including one strawberry, one piece of plum, one slice of pear, one segment of orange, one bite of apple, and a tiny caterpillar on a leaf made from a lettuce leaf and breadstick. The children were excited to try different fruits and talk about which ones they liked the most.
The Hedgehogs also worked on their fine motor skills by threading beads onto pipe cleaners to create their own hungry caterpillar sitting on a leaf to take home. This activity helped to strengthen their finger muscles and coordination while encouraging creativity and independence. The children were very proud of their creations and enjoyed showing them to their friends and families at home.
