If you are an elementary teacher looking for teeth activities for kids to celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month, then you found the right place! It’s one of our favorite February teaching topics! This post includes book and resource recommendations for elementary teachers who work with students in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. Learn more about these teeth activities for kids below!
What is National Children’s Dental Health Month?
National Children’s Dental Health Month is a month-long celebration that is focused on promoting children’s oral health. Efforts are put forth on educating children on why maintaining good oral health is important and supporting parents with information and tools to help them support their children in developing healthy oral hygiene habits.
When is National Children’s Dental Health Month?
National Children’s Dental Health Month is in February.
3 Ways to Celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month in Your Classroom
Below are 3 ways elementary teachers can celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month in their classroom to promote good oral health. Your students will love these teeth activities for kids!
1. Discuss Healthy Habits
One of the best ways to celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month in your classroom is by discussing what healthy oral health habits look like. This is a great time to share with students how you maintain good oral hygiene and the benefits you have experienced from it. As a class, you can brainstorm all of the ways we can keep our mouth healthy.
2. Celebrate Lost Teeth
Whenever a student in your class loses a tooth (not just during February), celebrate it with the class! It provides a regular opportunity to talk about teeth and oral health. Consider using the resources below to help you celebrate.
Lost Tooth Tally Chart Classroom Poster and Other Resources
This teeth resource from my classroom management bundle includes the following materials and activities for kids at the elementary level:
- Tally charts for tracking lost teeth
- Bar graphs for comparing how many teeth students have lost each month
- Lost tooth certificates
- Class book cover that says, “The Tooth Fairy: What Does the Tooth Fairy Do With All Those Teeth?”
- Writing and drawing pages for a class booklet (differentiated with intermediate-ruled, primary-ruled, and sentence starter paper)
3. Read Aloud Books about Dental Health
Reading aloud and discussing picture books that relate to dental health are another great way to celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month in your classroom. Pair any of the read alouds below with this set of dental health graphic organizers to deliver an engaging interactive read aloud lesson. Your students will love these dental health books and teeth activities for kids!
Our Favorite Book about Teeth
How to Catch the Tooth Fairy
In this story, the Tooth Fairy sets out to work every night at 3:09. It is her job to fly around collecting teeth. In fact, she collects three hundred thousand teeth each night! However, the Tooth Fairy’s job can be dangerous because children set traps in their room hoping to catch her. Thankfully, she is too quick for most traps!
First, the Tooth Fairy visits Nancy, where she must avoid the drool. Next, she travels to Johnny’s house where she is able to avoid the trap and even hides his socks. At Julie’s house, the Tooth Fairy finds a trap made of floss but it is not enough to catch her. The Tooth Fairy leaves a coin for Julie and flies to Taylor’s house. Here, there is a very impressive trap but the Tooth Fairy is able to get away thanks to her fairy dust. However, a marshmallow catapult leaves the Tooth Fairy with some stuck to her bum! At Sarah’s house there are many traps but the Tooth Fairy is able to avoid them all and heads to her final stop. Sanjeev had a creative trap that almost worked, but the Tooth Fairy was able to get out safely.
Finally, the Tooth Fairy and all of the teeth she collected make it home safely! None of the children were able to trap her just yet; could you?
Check out these How to Catch the Tooth Fairy activities!
Teeth and Dental Health Reading Activities for Any Book
Pair the dental health reading comprehension activities with any of the read alouds below to create engaging interactive read aloud lessons for your students. Your students will love these teeth activities for kids!
10 Other Dental Books for Kids
Below are 10 great books about teeth that can be paired with the teeth activities for kids above. Check out these teeth books below!
1. Little Rabbit’s Loose Tooth by Lucy Bate
In Little Rabbit’s Loose Tooth, Little Rabbit loses her tooth one day while she is eating chocolate ice cream at the dinner table. She wonders what she should do with the tooth, and she talks to her parents in order to weigh her options. Should she throw it away, make a necklace out of it, or leave it for the tooth fairy? Little Rabbit’s parents help her make the choice that she is happiest with. Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
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2. Open Wide: Tooth School Inside by Laurie Keller
The book Open Wide: Tooth School Inside teaches readers about the importance of dental hygiene along with fun facts about teeth. It includes lots of dental information along with lighthearted jokes to keep students engaged. Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
3. The Night Before the Tooth Fairy by Johansen Newman
Written as a variation on the classic book The Night Before Christmas, The Night Before the Tooth Fairy is about a boy who excitedly awaits a visit from the Tooth Fairy. When the boy has a loose tooth, he tries everything to get it out because he desperately wants to meet the tooth fairy. Finally, his dog knocks him over and the boy’s tooth flies out. That night, the Tooth Fairy finally arrives and leaves him a dollar in exchange for his lost tooth! Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
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4. What do the Fairies do with All Those Teeth? by Michel Luppens
Have you ever wondered what the fairies do with all the lost teeth they collect? Do they do it just for fun? Do they make saws? Do they use them to make false teeth? Halloween disguises? Magic potions? This book uses humorous illustrations to show what might happen with the teeth that tooth fairies take from children, or perhaps even animals! Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
5. Dear Tooth Fairy by Alan Durant
In the book Dear Tooth Fairy, little Holly has just lost her first tooth. However, she’s not quite sure she’s ready to give it to the tooth fairy just yet. Each night, she writes to the Tooth Fairy, and she patiently responds five times until finally Holly receives a shiny fairy coin for her lost tooth. Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
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6. The Tooth Book: A Guide to Healthy Teeth and Gums by Edward Miller
The Tooth Book teaches about how to properly care for teeth. It describes how to floss, what foods to eat, what happens when you get a cavity, how many times a day to brush, and more. The vivid illustrations help to engage young readers. Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
7. The Story of the Tooth Fairy by Tom Paxton
The book The Story of the Tooth Fairy is a fairy tale about how children first came to leave lost teeth under their pillows. One day, a young girl named Emily met a fairy named Glynnis. Soon they became friends. When they exchanged gifts that night, they started a tradition that would be followed by both children and fairies for years to come. Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
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8. Rotten Teeth by Laura Simms
The story Rotten Teeth is about a young girl who brings in something unexpected for show and tell. Melissa Herman doesn’t feel like she is interesting enough to speak in front of her class. When it’s time for show and tell, she has trouble finding something to bring in, until she finally settles on a bottle of rotten teeth from her father’s dentist office. Melissa’s presentation makes her popular with her classmates! Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
9. Brush Your Teeth Please by Leslie McGuire
The book Brush Your Teeth Please teaches young readers about the importance of brushing their teeth. Each page features a pop-up graphic of various animals brushing their teeth and flossing. It will keep students engaged while educating about the importance of dental hygiene! Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
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10. You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt
In the story You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy?, readers learn about the exciting job of the Tooth Fairy. The book tells about the different obstacles the Tooth Fairy encounters when collecting the teeth of different children around the world. The Tooth Fairy also has many gadgets that she uses to help her on her nightly journey. Pair this read aloud with these the dental health reading comprehension activities!
In closing, we hope you found these read aloud recommendations and teeth activities for kids helpful!
