My Teeth's Favorite Things Graph

Toddlers internalize routines through repetition and movement. 'My Teeth's Favorite Things Graph' supports emerging independence and safety awareness.

Objectives

Instructions

Materials

- Large poster board with two columns labeled with simple icons of a healthy food (apple) and an unhealthy food (candy).

- Laminated photos of common snacks like carrots, apples, cookies, and lollipops.

- Velcro dots or adhesive putty.

- A basket for sorting items.

- A large plastic model of teeth or a mouth puppet.

Learning Objectives

- Identify two distinct categories of food items through visual sorting.

- Practice turn-taking while placing items on a shared classroom display.

- Develop fine motor skills by manipulating small photo cards.

- Increase vocabulary by naming common food items during the activity.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Gather the children in a small circle and introduce the mouth puppet to establish a friendly focus.

2. Show the children the two columns on the poster board and point to the healthy food icon and the unhealthy food icon.

3. Hold up a photo of an apple and ask the children if it is a good snack for our teeth.

4. Model placing the apple photo in the healthy column and use simple language like "apple goes here for strong teeth."

5. Hand a photo card to one child and guide their hand to place it in the correct column with your assistance.

6. Continue this process until each child has had a turn to place at least one item on the graph.

7. Keep the session brief to match the short attention spans of toddlers.

8. Once the graph is complete, point to each column and count the items together to introduce basic quantity awareness.

Educator Tip

If a child places an item in the wrong column, do not correct them with a negative tone. Instead, gently guide their hand to the correct side while saying, "Let us move this to the healthy side so our teeth stay strong." This keeps the experience positive and reinforces the concept through repetition.

Assessment

- Observe if the child can distinguish between the two categories with verbal or physical prompts.

- Note the child's ability to participate in the turn-taking process within the group.

- Record if the child can identify or name at least one food item shown on the cards.

Educator tip

Use choice questions; keep groups small; accept approximations; keep transitions fast.

Assessment

Observe imitation, participation, simple labeling.

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