Are you looking for a fun activity that might be educational, too? Looking for a fun way to get kids to brush their teeth? Are you looking for just a fun activity? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you might want to try your hand at making toothpaste.

Materials Needed:

bowls
baking soda
salt
water
food flavoring extract
spoons
sandwich bags

Place baking soda, salt, and water in separate bowls. Assist the children in placing 4 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of water in individual sandwich bags. Add a drop of food flavoring extract, such as peppermint, mint, or orange. Let the children mix their own toothpaste in the sandwich bags.

This activity is appropriate for children aged 6 and up. Always be sure to provide adult supervision. Whether you are a parent or a teacher who would like to utilize this activity, please also make sure that none of the children are allergic to any of the ingredients used in making the toothpaste.

The educational benefits of this activity include engaging students so they will apply math concepts such as measuring, counting, and critical thinking. Some sample questions to ask the children: How many teaspoons did you use all together in making the toothpaste? Does the salt and the baking soda taste the same? How does the toothpaste taste? A variation of flavoring extracts can also be used. The kids could compare the different flavors, and then graph accordingly.

For more family involvement, the kids might be allowed to match the type of flavoring with flavors sold in stores when the kids accompany parents during grocery shopping.

Whether “Making Toothpaste” is used as a family activity or a classroom activity, its overall objective remains the same: to have fun. So, regardless of the reason why you might choose to use this activity, please remember to have fun with it.

© C. M. Clifton

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Is a messy toothpaste tube driving you crazy?

Let me tell you - you’re not the only one. I’m quite sure that toothpaste has been a popular reason for fights between spouses or family members since its appearance in our daily routine which (at least for some people) happened a long time ago…

Toothpaste History

3000 to 5000 years B.C. the Egyptians were already making a dental powder/crème out of powdered ashes of oxen hooves, myrrh, burned egg shells, pumice and water. This powder or paste was probably applied onto the teeth by fingers since the toothstick (predecessor ot the toothbrush) had not been invented yet.

Persians chose different ingredients in about 1000 B.C. Burnt shells of snails and oysters with gypsum were their magic formula.

Romans improved the recipes by adding (among others) some flavoring agents, which also counteracted bad breath.

Half a millennia later, around 500 B.C., we find records of toothpaste use in China and India as well.

Modern toothpastes appear in 1800 A.D., developed by doctors, dentists and chemists in Britain. They contained some very abrasive substances (brick dust, crushed china, earthenware, cuttlefish) and even sugar. The poor still rubbed their teeth using fingers and for the rich toothbrushes were available.

Mass production started in 1873 (by Colgate). Toothpaste was packed in a jar and for the first time in history it smelled good. U.S. Army included the brushing of teeth in their standard hygiene procedures in 1941.

Toothpaste Today

Nowadays, toothpastes come in a variety of colors, flavors, aromas, with fluoride or without it, with synthetic or natural ingredients, packed in plastic or tin tubes, dispensers etc. There’s one thing that hasn’t changed, however. Some people simply don’t mind spreading the toothpaste not only onto the toothbrush but all over the dispenser, the sink and probably other places also. Uppermost, they probably forget to put the cap back on the tube after use…

These sorts of (bad) habits can become a serious problem when such person shares the same bathroom with another kind of person who prefers toothpaste in a tube (always with the cap on when not in use) and on the toothbrush only.

Until today, I haven’t heard of any cure that would heal the "messy toothpaste disease". But I’ve had a chance to learn about an interesting and at the same time amusing method a young lady just started using in her bathroom. We’ll call it "Doro-Method". It involves putting up conspicuous post-it stickers with instructions around the area in question. By "conspicuous" I mean the size, the color and the wording you really can’t miss or disregard easily. And she’s told me so herself - it’s been working so far…

There’s no guarantee that the "Doro-Method" will work for you. In that particular house nobody ever comments on warnings or directions but they are being followed by every member of the household without exception.

See the photos of the "Doro-Method" used on toothpaste at: www.greetingcardservice.citymaker.com/page/page/3846992.htm

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Copyright © 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Daria enjoys writing and researching. Her purpose is to make life simple without sacrificing the quality. Her findings are published via “Simple Living Guide” series. More articles and her complete guide on shipping internationally can be found on her webpage at: http://www.TheSunflowerGardens.com

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