Practice flossing skills by creating a marshmallow mouth with Arizona PBS education student intern, Faith Wheelington.
Craft a mouth made from construction paper and marshmallows to learn how and why everyone should be flossing their teeth. Using liquid glue, scissors, sharpie, construction paper and yarn, create a mouth that demonstrates how to floss teeth of any kind.
First, fold a piece of pink construction paper in half. Draw half of an oval, then cut it out so there is a base for the mouth.
Do the same with the red piece of construction paper, using the base cut out as an outline. Within that half of an oval, do the same thing but smaller. Cut out the smaller part to act as a tongue for the model. Then decorate it to look like a tongue.
Next, glue it within the base of the mouth. Glue down marshmallows around the perimeter of the tongue to form the teeth, giving the marshmallows ten to twenty minutes to dry.
While you wait, take the other sheet of construction paper and rip off small pieces, crumpling them into balls to act as bacteria between the marshmallow teeth.
Lastly, select yarn to act as your piece of floss. The yarn can then be wiggled between the marshmallow teeth to demonstrate how to remove the pieces of paper bacteria.
This demonstration is a fun visual aid allowing children to get more practice with flossing on a larger scale model, which should make it easier to understand how to floss their own teeth as well as the purpose of flossing.
This craft shows it’s important to floss at least once a day to get the bacteria and food debris out from between teeth so cavities don’t develop.
Apply the flossing techniques practiced with this craft to keep a real smile clean and healthy!
Host a free workshop for teachers!
Did you know oral health is one of the leading causes of school absences among children? Students with healthy teeth are more likely to show up, stay focused and thrive in school.
We’re seeking education sites that serve children ages birth to 5, as well as K-12, to host Healthy Smile Learning workshops. This free, bilingual resource from Delta Dental of Arizona and Arizona PBS helps educators teach oral health in engaging, age-appropriate ways.
Workshops are approximately one hour in length, and resources and activities will be provided to all attendees to support their student’s oral health, including digital resources, videos and children’s books aligned to oral health concepts.
Interested sites should be able to provide meeting space for up to 25 educators and teaching assistants.
Reach out to the Education Team at Arizona PBS for information by contacting Lisa Ann Sepulveda, Assistant Director for Education and Community Impact at Arizona PBS, at 855-818-6613 or by emailing [email protected]. Learn more about the workshops and how you can help by viewing, downloading or sharing the flyer below.