Healthy Little Smiles

Healthy Little Smiles is an initiative of the Healthy Families, Healthy Smiles program. It includes training, resources and play-based activities to support early childhood educators, supported playgroup facilitators and library Storytime facilitators to promote oral health amongst children aged 0-5 and their families.

Professional training and resources

Training

eLearning

Healthy Little Smiles series is a self-paced online course designed for professionals working with young children (aged 0-5) together with their parents/caregivers.

There are 3 modules in the series. Each module takes around 30 to 40 minutes to complete. The series can be completed in any order, but we recommend starting with the Let's brush module.

Healthy Little Smiles series:

In-person or virtual workshop

We offer a 1-hour workshop for supported playgroup facilitators. Please contact us at healthpromotion@dhsv.org.au for more information or to book in a workshop.

Resources

Healthy Teeth: Fun learning activities for children 0-5 years
This resource book is full of play-based activities, songs and storybook ideas to help you integrate oral health into supported playgroup sessions.

Training

eLearning

Healthy Little Smiles for educators
This training is a self-paced online module designed to give early childhood educators the knowledge and resources to integrate oral health into their everyday practice.

The course takes around 1-hour to complete.

In-person or virtual workshop

We offer a 1-hour workshop for early childhood educators. Please contact us at healthpromotion@dhsv.org.au for more information or to book in a workshop.

Resources

Healthy Little Smiles: Early childhood oral health resource kit for early childhood professionals
This resource book contains all the information and guidance to help you embed oral health in your daily practices.

Training

Healthy Little Smiles series is a self-paced online course designed for professionals working with young children (aged 0-5) together with their parents/caregivers.

There are 3 modules in the series. Each module takes around 30 to 40 minutes to complete.
The series can be completed in any order, but we recommend starting with the Let's brush module.

Healthy Little Smiles Series:

Resources

Healthy Little Smiles at Storytime
This resource book is full of play-based activities, songs and storybook ideas to help you integrate oral health into supported playgroup sessions.

Play-based learning activities

Show me your smile
Talk to the children about what their teeth and mouth do and ask them to draw their smiles on the blank face outline.
Download and print: Blank face outline

Silly smile mask
Make a silly smile mask using a paper plate cut in half. Invite the children to colour in the mouth and draw some teeth.

Create-a-monster
These monsters have lost their teeth! Let's give them some. Invite the children to cut and paste or draw some teeth on an outline of a monster.
Download and print: Monster outline and Monster teeth

Let's talk teeth
Ask the children to look into the mirror and point to their teeth, talk about what they can see. This is a great activity to do with younger children.

Self Portraits
Encourage children to explore and investigate the different parts of their head - the ears, eyes, nose and mouth - and talk about what these body parts do.

A sensory food adventure
Through this activity we can help children explore foods in a slow and pressure-free way using each of their senses.

Fruit'n'veg rainbow
Invite the children to cut and paste different coloured fruit and vegetables onto the rainbow template.
Download and print: Rainbow template and Fruit and veg grid

Eat colours everyday
Talk about how eating a variety of different coloured foods every day can help keep out teeth, mouth and bodies healthy then colour in VACCHOs healthy deadly lunchboxes colouring-in sheets.
Download and print: Healthy deadly lunchboxes colouring-in sheets (VACCHO)

The animals are thirsty
This activity can help you link storybooks with oral health. Discuss with the children why the animals need water and link this to why water is the best drink for our teeth.

Let's brush Chomper's teeth!
A child friendly toothbrushing demonstration. Link this activity with songs and storybooks about brushing your teeth.

Let's brush the giant's teeth
Invite the children to practice their brushing skills on some giant teeth.

Brush off the monsters
Talk to the children about keeping teeth clean and healthy. Invite them to practice brushing the monsters off a picture of laminated teeth.
Download and print: Picture of teeth

Bedtime routine
In this activity children and parents/caregivers work together to make a bedtime routine chart that they can follow each night.
Download and print: Bedtime routine chart and stickers

Dental visit
This dramatic play activity can help prepare children for the sights and sounds of the dental clinic and what else to expect when they have a dental checkup.

Make a dental bib
Invite the children to decorate their own dental bib. Encourage the children to take it to their next visit to the dental clinic to show their oral health professional.

Songs and storybooks

Story books about teeth

Story books about visiting the dental clinic

Songs about teeth

To share with families

Take home resources

Let's brush decal
Child friendly toothbrushing instructions that can be stuck on the bathroom mirror.

6 tips to help kids brush
Our best tips to help make toothbrushing easy. This resource includes some helpful videos, apps and storybooks to make toothbrushing fun!

Caring for teeth and gums 0-6 years
A resource with all the information parents and caregivers need to care for their children's teeth and gums including toothbrushing instructions. Available in a range of languages.

Keeping teeth healthy
Eat well, Drink well, and Clean well key messages for children aged 0-5 years.

Deadly tooth tips - Brochure
Eat well, Drink well, and Clean well key messages for children aged 0-5 years. Artwork by Madison Connors, a proud and strong Yorta Yorta (Wolithica), Dja Dja Wurrung and Kamilaroi woman.

Tooth brushing charts

It's fun to brush

Aboriginal toothbrushing chart

Aboriginal toothbrushing chart colouring-in version

Inserts for newsletters, social media or communication apps

Healthy Little Smiles social media kit
Healthy Little Smiles social media kit instructions

Keeping teeth healthy social media kit

Deadly tooth tips social media kit

Posters

Deadly tooth tips
Create a display using these posters in public spaces where they can be seen by families.