A dental health fair is an excellent way to engage children about their dental health. Taking care of teeth is critical for appearance and health, and all children should be prepared to handle this task. A good health fair has an even mix of activities and information. Depending on resources, your dental health fair can have a wide range of activities.
Dunk the Plaque
Plaque builds up on teeth and can lead to infections, gingivitis, and bad breath. It is important to brush and floss to keep plaque under control. If you want to send this message home, find a volunteer parent or teacher to take the role of "Plaque" in a dunking tank. While children are throwing balls at a target to dunk the plaque, explain why plaque is bad.
Free-Stuff Booth
No fair is complete without free stuff, so make sure that you have some goodie bags for the kids. These can include floss, toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental-hygiene stickers. Try to make the items interesting as well as useful. Hand out bags as children leave the fair, to prevent them from being discarded or lost.
Giant Teeth
If you know a teacher or parent who is good with crafts, consider building a giant set of teeth with a matching toothbrush. Kids can work as a team to brush the massive teeth, and they can get pictures taken from inside the mouth. If you can't do this, try painting a large set of teeth on a wall or plywood as a background for photos.
Ask the Dentist
Ask a local dentist who has a little free time to man a booth at the fair. The dentist can help answer children's questions about dental hygiene, dentist visits, or anything else that comes to mind. This is especially entertaining if the dentist brings some of his cooler instruments or costume elements. The more time people spend around a dentist, the better they'll feel about letting him work on their teeth.
Tags: dental health, dental health fair, health fair
