**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with World Oral Health Day. For official information, themes, and resources, please visit the World Oral Health Day website: www.worldoralhealthday.org.
Understanding World Oral Health Day in EYFS & KS1
Let's make sure our smiles are super strong and healthy! šš¦· World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated all over the world every year on March 20th. It's a special international day that teaches us all about looking after our teeth and gums, and why it's so important to have a healthy mouth. Organised by the FDI World Dental Federation, this special day wants to give everyone the right information, helpful tools, and the confidence to keep their mouths healthy for life. Every year, there's a different theme to help us learn something new about our oral health.
For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a fantastic and practical theme for exploring personal care, health and hygiene, the human body, self-help skills, and understanding the world. It's about introducing children to the simple yet crucial habits of brushing their teeth, making healthy food choices, and visiting the dentist, all of which contribute to a happy and healthy smile. This day offers wonderful planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities that truly resonate with young minds, making learning about oral health both essential and fun!
Why Is Learning About Oral Health Important for Young Children?
Integrating World Oral Health Day and lessons about oral hygiene into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) is incredibly important for establishing lifelong healthy habits and preventing common dental problems.
Prevents Dental Problems: Teaches children how to care for their teeth to avoid cavities and gum issues, which can cause pain and affect eating and speaking.
Promotes Overall Health: Highlights that oral health is connected to general well-being.
Builds Self-Care Skills: Empowers children with practical skills like brushing and flossing independently.
Reduces Dental Anxiety: Familiarises children with the dentist's role in keeping teeth healthy, making visits less scary.
Encourages Healthy Eating: Connects sugary foods and drinks to dental health, promoting better dietary choices.
Engaging Oral Health Activities for World Oral Health Day (0-7 Year Olds)
Let's sparkle with healthy smiles for World Oral Health Day with these planning ideas and activities perfect for EYFS and KS1 children. The focus is on brushing, healthy eating, and visiting the dentist! Remember, all of our 'Teeth and Oral Health' resources are currently free to support your teaching and learning surrounding this important day.
Here's some inspiration for promoting oral health in your setting: (Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)
Role Play: Dentist's Surgery: Set up an engaging 'Dentist Dramatic Role-Play Pack' where children can pretend to be dentists, dental nurses, or patients. Use supporting resources like 'Dentist Word Cards' and 'Dentist Word Mat' to enrich vocabulary and play.
Brushing Practice: Demonstrate and practice brushing techniques on a large model of teeth or a soft toy. Use 'Brush Your Teeth Morning and Night Poster', 'Brush Your Teeth Morning and Night - Colouring', 'Brush Your Teeth Posters', and 'Brush Your Teeth Posters - Colouring' to reinforce the message.
Tooth-Friendly Foods: Discuss foods that are good and bad for our teeth. Use 'Colour the Foods That Are Better For Your Teeth' and 'Cut and Stick Good Vs Bad For Teeth' sorting activities.
Creative Teeth Activities:
Let children express their understanding through drawing on 'Teeth Colouring Sheets'.
Engage fine motor skills with 'Clean Your Teeth Pencil Control Sheets' and 'Clean Your Teeth Pencil Control Mats'.
Have fun with playdough using 'Make Some Teeth Playdough Mats'.
Practice matching colours with 'Colour Match Toothpaste 2-Piece Puzzles' and 'Colour Match Toothbrush and Toothpaste Game'.
Dental-Themed Literacy & Numeracy:
Reinforce phonics with 'Clean Your Teeth Letters and Sounds Game - Phase 2 & 3 Phonics'.
Practice counting with 'Cut and Stick Teeth Number Activity'.
Connecting to Overall Health:
Link oral health to healthy eating with resources like 'Healthy Eating - Display Banner', 'Draw a Healthy Meal', 'Healthy Plate - Balanced Diet Posters', 'My Healthy Eating Diary Booklet', and '5 a Day - Poster/Chart'.
Discuss the impact of sugar on teeth using 'Don't Eat Too Much Sugar!' Poster' and 'Don't Eat Too Much Sugar!' Colouring'.
Help children sort 'Healthy & Unhealthy Snack Sorting Activity'.
People Who Help Us: Talk about dentists as important people who help us stay healthy, connecting to a broader 'People Who Help Us' theme.
Explore More: For a comprehensive collection of healthcare teaching and learning resources, please visit our āTeeth and Oral Healthā page! You may also like to explore additional pages covering relevant and/or connected themes such as āAll About Meā, āFoodā, āThe Human Bodyā, āMedicine: Doctors and Nursesā, āStay Healthyā, and āHandwashing and Hygieneā.
These activities offer great inspiration for making World Oral Health Day a memorable and impactful experience in your early years and Key Stage One setting, fostering good oral hygiene habits, health awareness, and a positive attitude towards dental care.
To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.
Free Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: āWorld Oral Health Dayā
Please note: All of our āTeeth and Oral Healthā resources are currently free!
Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes
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Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children
Browse our āSpecial Dates Calendarā page using the link below. Youāll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!
SEARCH āLITTLE OWLS Resourcesā USING THE FOLLOWING MENU BUTTONSā¦
Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'World Oral Health Day'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the FDI World Dental Federation, which organises this event. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information, themes, and to learn more about promoting oral health globally, please visit their website at www.worldoralhealthday.org.
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