Healthy Foods for a Bright Smile Preschool Lesson Plan
Teaching young children to take care of their teeth and eat healthy foods for their smile is important. Tooth decay is not only painful but it can lead to problems with childhood development. For example, eating and speaking which infringes on learning and can impact social and emotional health. Tooth decay is preventable but it is one of the most common childhood disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of children age 5 to 11 have at least one untreated decayed tooth.
The following preschool lesson plan is designed to support the USDA MyPlate message of choosing healthy drinks, such as water and milk, over sugary drinks. The lesson plan is appropriate for 3-5 year olds and includes:
- Create-a-book project to support learning the MyPlate Food Groups and how eating a variety of foods is important for healthy teeth and gums.
- Supporting worksheets and hyperlinks to supporting material or suggested resources.
- Tips and anticipatory set suggestions to support each lesson plan.
Download this free lesson plan on helping kids choose healthy foods for a bright smile.
