I often have a hard time getting the toddler twosome to brush their teeth but if they see Big Sis brushing her teeth they always want to join in…so sweet to watch them trying to be just like Miss Teen…they really do adore her and I appreciate the example she is setting for them!
All in all I was really pleased with the Slim Soft Brush…I often think when cruising down the toothbrush/toothpaste aisle at the supermarket that they are getting just a bit to fancy with all the added gadgets on brushes now…do we really need them or even understand what they are meant to do?
The slim soft brush is as it's name suggests…there is nothing complicated about it and it did the job of brushing teeth well…especially in my sensitive mouth! It is available at Woolworths, Coles and Priceline for $3.99 and $6.99* (RRP), for a 1 pack and 2 pack respectively so it won't break a tight shopping budget either!
Of course finally having new toothbrushes meant we now had a few old ones…and what do you do with old toothbrushes? Well if you have toddlers then you get outside and do some….. Toothbrush Painting!
Ruby has finally started to embrace the toothbrush and looking after her teeth but i think she prefers seeing the paint on there rather than the toothpaste just quietly!
The bushrocks in our backyard provided the perfect canvas for some sensory brush discovery….the paint is a cellmix paste with some colour added and i made it quite thick this time so that it would be easier for the twins to brush on the rocks.
Cellmix has the squishy, slimy consistency of wallpaper paste so it provides a fantastic sensory experience!
Attention soon turned to other interesting forms in the yard….Tara took a particular liking to the Frangipani tree and told us she was “putting paint on it to make it better as it has no leaves!”
This led to quite a lengthy discussion about the seasons of Autumn and Winter and why some plants lose their leaves at this time of year. The trunk has a bumpy texture so she had fun scrubbing the toothbrush into lots of different spaces…
She also discovered the large rockfaces and decided they could do with a bit of colour too!
Due to the shape and length of toothbrushes they provide quite a challenge for those fine motor skills and allow opportunities to use the fingers and wrist muscles in different ways to using a chubby brush.
This was quite a valuable activity for Ruby as we are currently doing some work on her grip…as you can see in the photo below she has the brush in the palm of her hand with fingers wrapped around….this doesn't allow her to control the brush (and unfortunately a spoon as she is currently eating with this shovel motion too!)
When this occurs, we correct her gently and physically move her hand to a better position. We keep having fun with different fine motor activities to strengthen those muscles and her confidence.
As she finished painting this rock she told me to look at her ‘snakes'…can you see them? This was a lovely easy activity to enjoy in the late afternoon sun…it will all hose off easily but i think we will leave these masterpieces dotted around the yard for just a little longer……Yay for old toothbrushes…and new ones too of course!
A little shadow friend even stopped by for a play which was a lot of fun!
I will choose the answer that makes me smile the hardest and i feel is the most creative! The competition ends and comments close at 6pm (AEST) on the 13th May 2013. The winner will be notified by email so please make sure to leave your address when commenting! I will update this post with the winning comment after the competition has closed and also share on Facebook.
*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW CLOSED AND THE CHOSEN WINNER WAS PENNY…CONGRATULATIONS! THANKS TO ALL THAT LEFT A COMMENT *
Warm Wishes
A year’s supply of toothbrushes- he he!
When my daughter’s toothbrush looks like a shaggy do, I know I should have purchased a new toothbrush some time ago.
I love your idea for re-using an old toothbrush 🙂
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I actually bought a Colgate Slim Soft toothbrush a couple of week ago after seeing them advertised on TV. It felt unusual at first because I usually buy medium or hard brushes (even though my dentist has told me I should use soft brushes) but after one day I LOVED it and bought slim soft brushes for the rest of the family. Everyone’s hooked now. They feel so COMFORTABLE to brush with. We LOVE them. In answer to the question – I know it’s time to change our brushes when the brushes are looking messy around the edges.
How cute is the photo of your girls all brushing their teeth together! They have a wonderful role model there 🙂 And I often forget to get new tooth brushes {oops} so do it rather randomly!
Oops. My entry was meant to say shaggy dog, not shaggy do.
When I see toothbrushes on sale, I think, ooh, time for new ones haha. I’d be interested to give these ones a try. (and we’d have to do toothbrush painting with the old ones as well!)
These sound really great. I never know which toothbrush to use because there are so many available now. Thanks mate. You’ve made my selection much easier.
I love the way you have found a new use for the old tooth brush. Mine would be used to scrub something horrid. hahaha
Ah toothbrush painting we haven’t done that in ages since we use electric toothbrushes and it’s just not the same with those little heads!
I have just added some of these brushes to our shopping list after reading your review about them. I enjoyed seeing the creative use you found your old toothbrushes. I’m sorry I don’t have a creative response for when we know it’s time to change our toothbrushes. I do not like using shaggy toothbrushes, so once they start to look a little worse for wear I replace them.
I know it’s time for a new toothbrush, when I find my toothbrush on the floor of the shower where my husband has been using it to clean! I do have a habit of holding onto a toothbrush for too long, and this is his “subtle” way of making sure I get a new one!
Kim m [email protected]
oooh toothbrush painting – my little one would love that. I’m afraid I change our toothbrushes only when I remember…. actually when the kids remember….. ie. we happen to be in the toothbrush section and they jump up and down for a new one until I cave.
It time to change our toothbrush when it starts ti look more like a hair brush than a toothbrush! The kids chew on their and so we need to change ours regularly!
As for the messy toothbrush play – Love it!
haha I’m a bit like Debs 🙂 When they are on sale I buy them 🙂 That and when they get all shaggy….which is rather frequently since the kids chew on theirs too
It’s time to change our toothbrush when I can’t remember when it was last that we changed it. How embarrassing huh?!
P.S. All your girls are simply gorgeous with their pearly whites 🙂
xoxo P
It’s time to change your toothbrushes when…. you read this clever post and reqlise that it’s been a LONG time since you did LOL Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Really ? Its a great news. Thank you for sharing with us.
oral irrigator