Home Visit

Water for Thirst – 6 to 36 Months

Cavity Free Kids > Activities > Home Visit > Water for Thirst – 6 to 36 Months
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Supplies and Preparation

  • Sugar
  • Spoon
  • Clear container
  • “Potter the Otter” book (family can keep book)
  • Water is Best for Teeth and Body
  • Drinking Water Chart

Print PDFs:

Parent Handout - Water Is Best Teeth Body

Parent Handout - Water Drinking Chart

Instructions

Starting the Conversation
  • What types of drinks do you offer your child? When do you offer them and why?
  • What types of drinks do other people offer your child? When and why?
  • Drinks other than water—juice, soda pop, and other beverages—contain sugar and cause cavities.
  • Sipping on these drinks throughout the day (or night, if the child goes to bed with a bottle or sippy cup) is especially bad for your teeth.
  • If you’re serving your child sugary drinks, consider substituting those drinks for water.

1. How much sugar are you drinking?

If you haven’t already, do the “Guess the Sugar” activity on page 140.

Tips for engaging the child in this activity:

  • Help the child scoop the sugar into the container or let him scoop the sugar himself if he’s able.
  • Count the scoops of sugar with the child as you dump them into the container.
  • As you scoop, ask the child to guess how may scoops of sugar might fit into the container. The answer doesn’t matter!

2. Read the book “Potter the Otter” together.

  • Talk with the parent about how she could start offering water to her child instead of other drinks.
Extending the Learning

A. Sing the song “Drinking Up the Water”

(To the tune “All the Fish are Swimming in the Water)

(Insert child’s name) is drinking up the water, drinking up the water, drinking up the water.

(insert child’s name) is drinking up the water, gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp,

Ahhhhh!

(Repeat)

Closing
  • What can I do to help you promote water with you child/family?
  • What barriers do you think you might face in serving water?
  • How can I help you overcome them?

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Activity Index

Water for Thirst

Goal

Water for Thirst

Big Bites: Things You Should Know
  • Water is the best drink to keep your teeth and body healthy.
  • Water may contain fluoride, a natural mineral that helps prevent cavities.
  •  Tooth healthy foods and drinks are low in sugar and high in fiber and nutrients, such as fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meat and beans, and whole grain breads and pastas.
  • Tooth unhealthy foods and drinks are starchy and high in sugar,  such as crackers, dried fruit, chips, cookies, as well as juice and soda pop.
  • Eating tooth unhealthy foods creates an acid that attacks teeth.
  •  Continual snacking on tooth unhealthy foods or drinking juice or soda causes repeated acid attacks. Repeated acid attacks cause cavities.
  •  It is important to have meals and snacks at regularly scheduled times. This reduces the number of acid attacks on teeth. .

CFK Throughout the Day

Throughout the Classroom
  • Decorate a bulletin board with pictures of dental tools children may see at a dentist office. Label them.
  • Hang a chart in the classroom called “I had a dental check-up.” Create a thermometer visual that you color in as children get their dental check-up.
  • Set up a pretend dental office for dramatic play.   
At Meals and Snacks
  • Ask:  Who’s been to the dentist?  What do you remember about the visit?
While Brushing Teeth
  • Be a role model.  Brush your teeth with the children to show you take care of your teeth too.
  • Talk about making tiny, tickly circles with a toothbrush to clean the food and germs away.
  • Give each child an “I brushed my teeth today” sticker to wear home Tell children the dentist will be so proud of them when he sees how well they have been brushing.
  • Have children pretend their brushes are like the special spinning toothbrush the dentist uses and make a humming noise while they brush.
During Transitions
  • When children are getting ready to go home, put a sticker on each child that says, “Today I learned about visiting the dentist!”

 

Activities for Early Learning