The vast majority of us remember the excitement of losing a tooth as a young child, knowing that we could put the tooth under our pillow at night and the Tooth Fairy would come to leave us money for our treasured teeth. Believed to have started in the US in the early 1900s, the Tooth Fairy legend is a great way to teach children about the importance of oral health, and to celebrate their growing up and the development of adult teeth. But there are many more creative ways to celebrate your child’s baby teeth than simply leaving behind spare change. Here are a few more creative ideas for the Tooth Fairy in your household.
Special Activities
Leaving money for a child’s tooth may be the traditional response by the Tooth Fairy, but why not make it more interesting for your little one by leaving something unexpected! Consider tickets to an amusement park or a movie. In that way, you’re really giving two gifts: the activity itself and the gift of spending quality time with your little one.
Tooth Fairy Notes and Dental Products
Leaving a personalized note from the Tooth Fairy, along with a toothbrush or toothpaste especially designed for kids, is a great way to reward your child for losing a tooth and educate him or her about good oral health habits at the same time. You can either design your own Tooth Fairy note, or download a Tooth Fairy note card available online.
Surprise Visits from the Tooth Fairy
The Tooth Fairy doesn’t have to limit his or her visits to only when a baby tooth is lost. You might surprise your little one by leaving behind a special note of encouragement from the Tooth Fairy with a gold star and a special treat the night after your child has a dental appointment, for example.
Dinner or Treats
The Tooth Fairy might also consider leaving behind a gift certificate for a special dinner your child’s favorite fast food restaurant, or maybe a trip to a frozen yogurt shop. Once again, you’ll be giving the gift of special time devoted to your child in addition to the meal out.
Our children are only young once, so why not use legends like the Tooth Fairy to make the most of these precious years? Spare change may be okay from time to time, but just imagine all the other creative ways that the Tooth Fairy can visit your house! Not only will you be teaching your kids the value of good oral health habits – you’ll also be leaving them with a lifetime of fond Tooth Fairy memories from their childhood.
