Lift-a-Flap Tooth Brushing Activity for Preschoolers (Free Printable)

This adorable tooth brushing activity is a perfect dental activity to teach preschoolers about how to brush their teeth.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for details. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

We’ve been brushing our son’s teeth since he was about 4 months old. No, he didn’t have any teeth at the time. However, it was mainly to get him used to the habit of getting his teeth brushed daily.

Furthermore, it helps us as parents to establish the (very good) habit of daily brushing his teeth.

This fun activity allows your child (or students) to open Mr. Bear’s mouth and brush his teeth with the toothbrush card. Kids can use the toothpaste card to pretend play squeezing toothpaste onto the brush. Then, they can practice fine motor skills by making circular motions to brush every surface of the tooth.

For more engaging ways to utilize this activity, jump to “Other Ways to Play This Dental Health Activity”

This cute little printable activity was created so you can teach kids how to brush their teeth! The printable comes with:

• MR BEAR
• MR BEAR ORAL CAVITY
• MR BEAR MOUTH FLAP
• 9 TOOTHBRUSHES – in assorted colors
• 1 TOOTHPASTE
• BABY TEETH FACTS SHEET

Mr. Bear is easily assembled so kids can lift his mouth open to reveal a set of 20 baby (primary) teeth that they can easily brush.

The 9 different colored toothbrushes lets kids choose their favorite toothbrush color they want to use. You can also have multiple kids each hold their favorite toothbrush and take turns brushing Mr. Bear’s teeth.

Primary (baby) Teeth Facts Sheet

The teeth facts sheet was created so you can explain to preschoolers about the different types of baby teeth and their functions.

Use this facts sheet to teach kids about what incisors, canines, and molars are and what they look like. Next, teach them about what each of the different types of teeth are for (biting, tearing, and grinding). This will help kids understand that all their teeth have a special job. Thus, it’s very important they take care of all their teeth!

To download this DIY Tooth Brushing Activity, subscribe to the MindyMakes Email List and you’ll receive a welcome email with the password for the Mindy Makes Free Resource Library

Please allow up to an hour for the welcome email to fly through cyberspace and travel into your inbox. If you still don’t receive the email, make sure to check your junk or spam folders and add my email to your safe list!

Still can’t find the email? Reach out to me at: [email protected]

First, in the index of the MindyMakes Resource Library, scroll to the letter “T” and click to jump to that section.

Next, click on “PRINTABLE: Tooth Brushing Activity for Preschoolers”. This will open the PDF printable file for you to download.

Once you have downloaded the file, follow the instructions below to assemble this DIY Activity.

materials & TOOLS

To make this fun activity, you will need the following:

• Tooth Brushing Activity Printable (Available in our FREE MindyMakes LIBRARY)
• CARDSTOCK – I highly recommend printing on cardstock as it makes this activity much more durable.
• CRAFT SCISSORS
• RULER
• UTILITY/CRAFT KNIFE
• GLUE STICK
• TAPE (not pictured)- any type is fine. However, you will need clear packing tape to tape over the inside of the mouth so you can draw in some “yuck” for kids to physically brush off. See “Other Ways to Play This Dental Activity”
• LAMINATOR (optional) – For laminating the toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as teeth facts sheet.
• LAMINATING SHEETS (optional) – I prefer the 5mil laminating sheets because they are more sturdy and more durable.

STEp-by-step: HOW TO Make mr bear dental health preschool activity

First, print everything out on cardstock and cut out Mr. Bear Lift-a-flap and Mr. Bear oral Cavity.

Second, use utility knife and ruler to cut open slits along Mr. Bear’s face (follow the dotted lines).

Third, fold oral cavity in half.

Fourth, use your fingernails to make a crease in the midline of oral cavity

Next, slide Mr. Bear Lift-a-Flap into the slits you just cut earlier.

Tape down the lift-a-flap tabs on the back of printable.

Then, fold up the lift-a-flap at the tabs (Left photo). Next, apply glue to Mr. Bear’s nose and glue it down (Right Photo).

Finally, use glue to stick the oral cavity inside Mr. Bear’s Mouth.

Finished! Mr Bear now has a lift-a-flap mouth which opens into a set of 20 baby teeth that needs to be brushed!

OTHER ways to play this fun dental activity

There are so many ways you can use this Lift-A-Flap Printable to teach kids about their teeth and the importance of good oral hygiene! Some ideas include:

• Have your child hold the tooth brush and help guide their hands to make little circles as you brush Mr Bear’s Teeth together. Then, have your child repeat the circular motions on their own.
• Show your child that each surface of the tooth (cheek side, chewing side, and tongue side) must be carefully brushed. Have your child practice by brushing all surfaces of the tooth.
• Teach your child about the different baby teeth they have: incisors, canines, and molars. Help them identify which teeth are which inside Mr Bear’s mouth. Once they get it down, instruct them to “brush the bottom molars” or “please brush the top incisors”.
• Advanced Play: For kids who know their lefts and rights, ask them to “brush the top right molars” or “brush the bottom left molars” for more of a challenge
• Teach your child about the function of each of the teeth types. You can point to one of the teeth (for example incisors) and ask “what do these teeth do?”
• Finally, to make the activity even more interactive, apply clear packing tape to the inside of Bear’s Mouth. Next, use a washable marker to draw in some “stains” and “yuckiness” onto the teeth. Let children use a real toothbrush with water to brush off the dirtiness. Kids will have a blast cleaning Mr. Bear’s teeth for him.

That’s it guys! I hope you enjoyed this fun printable activity about tooth brushing! Be sure to check out some of our other printable activities that the kids will love: