Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Healthy Teeth Chart: Free Printable Chart for Reception

  • ForReception
  • StageEarly Years
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Healthy Teeth Chart is a free printable chart for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children tick off each brushing job and fill in a table across the week, which helps them build a daily tooth brushing habit. It needs only paper and a pencil. Stickers are an optional extra if you would like to add them.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

The sheet is a weekly brushing chart with a checklist to tick off and a table to fill in. The days of the week, Mon to Sun, are on the page. Children tick jobs such as brushing the front of their teeth, the back of their teeth and their tongue. A grown-up sits alongside, so the chart becomes a talking point as well as a record.

  • Mon
  • Tue
  • Wed
  • Thu
  • Fri
  • Sat
  • Sun
  • I brushed the front of my teeth
  • I brushed the back of my teeth
  • I brushed my tongue

Ways to build the habit

Pick a fixed place

Keep the chart where brushing happens, such as the bathroom door or a wall nearby. When it is easy to see, it is easy to remember.

Tick together

Let your child do the ticking while you watch. Doing the marking themselves gives them a sense of ownership.

Link it to something familiar

Brushing sits well beside other regular parts of the day, like getting dressed or reading a story. Pairing jobs helps them stick.

Celebrate the week

Look back over the chart together at the end of the week. Talk about which days went well and cheer the effort.

Why a chart helps with teeth brushing

Young children learn through repetition. A habit is something we do so often that we stop needing to think about it. A chart makes the habit visible. Each tick shows that a job was done, and a full row gives a quick feeling of success. Reception children also get gentle practice with counting days and noticing what comes next in a week.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children are encouraged to look after their own needs, including caring for their teeth. Doing it with an adult first, then with less help, builds independence. A chart is a calm, friendly way to talk about health. It keeps the focus on what the child did, not on what went wrong.

Adults help with toothpaste. Use a small, pea sized amount of children's toothpaste and show your child to spit it out rather than swallow it. Stay with young children while they brush.

Fun facts about teeth

  • The hard outer layer of a tooth is called enamel. It is the hardest part of the human body.
  • Children's first teeth are called baby teeth. They fall out to make room for adult teeth.
  • Plaque is a soft, sticky layer of tiny germs that can build up on teeth.
  • Your tongue is covered in tiny bumps. Some of them help you taste.
  • Teeth help us chew food, say words clearly and smile.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Healthy habits
  • Routine
  • Counting days
  • Ticking a checklist
  • Talking about health

This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.

Framework Subject or area Strand Year
Early Years Foundation Stage Personal, Social and Emotional Development Managing Self Reception

What children will be able to do

  • I can brush my teeth in the morning and at night.
  • I can brush for about two minutes.
  • I can tell you why we look after our teeth.

Helpful ideas for grown-ups

  • Habits take repeatsYoung children need to do a task many times before it feels automatic. Keep the chart going and do not worry about the odd missed tick.
  • Plaque and enamelPlaque is a sticky film of germs that forms on teeth. Enamel is the hard outer layer that protects each tooth. These two words are enough for Reception.
  • Do not forget the tongueGerms can collect on the tongue as well as on the teeth. That is why the chart includes a tongue job.
  • Model itChildren copy what they see. Brush your own teeth at the same time when you can, and let them watch.

Key words

  • TeethThe hard white parts in your mouth that help you bite and chew.
  • ToothbrushA small brush with a handle, used to clean teeth.
  • ToothpasteA paste you put on your brush to help clean your teeth.
  • TongueThe soft part inside your mouth that helps you taste and talk.
  • PlaqueA soft, sticky layer of germs that can build up on teeth.
  • HabitSomething you do so often that it becomes easy.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
  2. Look at the chart together first. Name the days of the week and read out each brushing job.
  3. Let your child tick or fill in the chart after brushing. Talk about what they did.
  4. Check the notes on page 2 for ideas to help or stretch your child.
  5. Come back to the chart each day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Sing a favourite song or use a sand timer to help your child keep brushing. Take it one job at a time: front of the teeth, then the back, then the tongue. Tick each job as soon as it is done.

To stretch confident children

Count how many stars you have at the end of the week. Say the number out loud. Then compare weeks. Did you get more stars this week than last week? Talk about why that might be.

Make it a game

Add a sticker for every star on the chart. At the end of the week, count the stickers together and cheer. Your child could also choose a special song to sing while they brush.

Talk about it

  • What do your teeth help you do?
  • Which brushing job do you find easiest? Which is trickiest?
  • How do you feel after you have brushed your teeth?
  • What could we do to remember to tick the chart?
  • Why do you think the tongue is on the chart too?
  • What would you tell a friend about looking after their teeth?

Take it off the page

Teeth drawing

Draw a big smile on paper. Add teeth, then colour them in. Talk about what teeth are for.

Brush a doll or toy

Pretend to brush the teeth of a favourite toy. Say each step aloud as you go: front, back, tongue.

Days of the week song

Sing a days of the week song and point to each day on the chart. This builds counting and sequencing skills.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Keep the chart somewhere easy to see. Praise the effort, not only the ticks, and go gently if a day gets missed.

Teachers

Use it as part of a topic on health or staying clean. It works as a take home chart, a starter for circle time or a display prompt. Pair it with books about teeth and talk about the daily routine.

Home educators

Add it to a wider plan about healthy habits and the body. Read a story about visiting the dentist, draw teeth, and count days along the chart. Brothers and sisters can have a copy each.

Where this fits in learning

Before this chart, children enjoy simple talk about their bodies and daily routines at home. They learn the names of everyday objects such as toothbrush and towel, and begin to do small jobs with help.

After it, children can move on to other self care steps, like washing hands, and begin to look at healthy eating and keeping safe. In Year 1 and beyond, they learn more about the human body in Science.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. When do we brush our teeth each day?
  2. How long should we brush for, and how could we count it?
  3. Why is it good to keep our teeth clean?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Healthy Teeth Chart for?

It is written for Reception, which is ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. It works best when a grown-up is close by to help and talk through each tick.

What will children practise?

Children practise building a daily tooth brushing habit. They also practise ticking a checklist, filling in a table and naming the days of the week, with a grown-up helping.

Do we need stickers?

No. The chart needs only paper and a pencil. Stickers are an optional extra if you want to add one for each star and make the end of the week feel special.

What if my child finds it hard?

Take one brushing job at a time and tick it straight away. A favourite song or a sand timer can help your child keep going. Short, calm practice works better than pressure.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another week, as often as you like.

Is this a screen free activity?

Yes. It is a screen free printable that needs only paper and a pencil. It works well in the bathroom routine, on rainy days, in the classroom or during school holidays.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can colour parts of the chart if they want to, but it is not needed.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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