24 Adorable Tooth Fairy Traditions You’ll Want to Try ASAP
Updated: Jan. 27, 2023
Add a little magic to the standard teeth-for-treats routine and create memories your kids will treasure forever.
Give them a receipt
To make the teeth-for-treats transaction feel even more legit to your little one, make sure the Tooth Fairy leaves them a receipt under their pillow. Some adorable versions created even have a spot to rate the “tooth quality” and a barcode for authenticity. Here’s where you can get printable Tooth Fairy Receipts.
Bring in the Raton de los Dientes
In many Hispanic cultures, it isn’t some glittery fairy that collects teeth, it’s a rat—but a nice one! In Argentina, before bed, kids put their tooth in a glass of water and El Raton de los Dientes (sometimes called Ratoncito Perez) comes, drinks the water, takes the tooth, and puts a prize in the empty cup. It’s a fun twist on the tradition, especially for kiddos who may not be into fairies.
Make a pocket pillow
Placing a valuable tooth under a big bed pillow can feel scary—and result in tears if the tooth or the reward gets lost down a crack or in the folds of sheets. Solve this parenting problem by making a super simple pillow with a pocket especially to keep tiny baby teeth safe for delivery to the Tooth Fairy. It’s designed to hang over the bed post or door handle so everyone can rest easier. Get the Easy Tooth Fairy Pocket Pillow pattern at The Ribbon Retreat. Don’t miss these 10 sweet (and hilarious!) tooth fairy stories that will have you laughing out loud.
Give tiny tooth fairy letters
Baby teeth are tiny! Fairies are tiny! So it makes perfect sense that the Tooth Fairy would leave teeny tiny letters in return. Any kid obsessed with Barbies, Legomen, or other miniatures will get a kick out of these minute missives. Get the instructions for Tiny Tooth Fairy Notes from We Have Kids.
Craft a golden tooth holder
All you need is an old floss container (how appropriate!), some gold paint, and a marker to create this glam tooth safebox. There’s no way the Tooth Fairy can miss your child’s tooth with this! Get the instructions for the Tooth Fairy Lost Tooth Box from Little Red Window.
Keep a tooth fairy journal
There’s just something so precious about a gap-toothed grin (in a kid, anyhow, adults not so much). Memorialize their changing smile by taking a picture every time your child loses a tooth and putting it in a journal. You can include notes or drawings from your child as well. Your little one can see their “progress” towards adulthood, and you’ll have something to get teary-eyed over when they are in high school. See one example of a Changing Smile Scrapbook by Nicole Reaves.
Toss the teeth on the roof
In Japan, when children lose a baby tooth, they’re encouraged to toss them—on the roof, that is. Lower teeth are traditionally chucked upwards while upper teeth are thrown downwards, the idea being that the new tooth will be “pulled” towards the old one. It’s a fun myth and one you could even combine with the American Tooth Fairy tradition. And hey, kids love throwing things. These are the most popular fairy stories of all time.Â
Chart their progress
It’s hard for even the most dedicated parent to remember exactly how many and which baby teeth have already come out (and heaven help you if you have more than one child!). Make it easier on impatient kids and overtired parents by using this simple chart to check off the location of each bicuspid, molar, and canine. Get the printable Tooth Fairy Chart from SheKnows.
Give them a Tooth Teddy
Snuggling a soft stuffie at bedtime is already a ritual for many kids, so they’ll love to bring their favorite bear (or buy a new stuffed animal) into the Tooth Fairy game. Take the stuffed toy, sew a little pocket on the front out of scrap fabric and—poof!—you have a magical tooth helper. Not a sewer? Super glue that pocket on; your kid will never know the difference, we promise. Get directions and see examples of Tooth Fairy Pockets on Toys from Little Worlds Big Adventures.
Pay them with special fairy money
There’s no way that someone as fabulous as the Tooth Fairy would deal in plain old U.S. currency right? Keep the magic going by spraying dollar bills with glitter hairspray to give them that special handled-by-a-real-fairy feel.
Leave sparkle coins under their pillow
If the going rate for teeth in your house is less than a dollar, take a handful of old pennies and turn them into sparkly fairy coins to exchange for teeth. Simply spray paint the pennies and dust them with glitter while they’re still wet. Let your kids keep the “money” or turn it in for a prize.
Celebrate with “lost tooth cookies”
Losing a tooth, especially the first one, is a huge deal to kids. (And one of the little things that makes childhood so magical for parents—who would have thought a little chunk of dead enamel could bring so much joy and entertainment?) Commemorate the moment with a special dessert made by putting marshmallows between two cookies, leaving one out to represent the lost tooth. Even better, wrap the treat up and have the Tooth Fairy leave it next to their bed.
Do a little origami
Some Tooth Fairies are more low-key than others (no judgment here!) and one super simple way to make the money-for-teeth exchange a little more magical is to fold a dollar bill into a heart. Your kid will think it’s so cute they won’t want to spend it! Get simple origami dollar heart instructions from Snap Guide.
Bury the teeth
In Mongolia, children take their baby teeth and either feed them to their dogs (we don’t recommend that) or bury them near a favorite tree (safer for all involved). The tradition dictates that burying teeth near the roots helps the new teeth grow strong, just like the tree.
Collect their teeth in a tooth tin
Many little kids are born hoarders, er, collectors. And as such, they hate to let anything go, especially something that was once part of their body. Keep all their teeth safe in a Tooth Fairy-approved box made out of an old mints tin and some paint. Get instructions for the Tooth Fairy Tin from Amanda Creation. Find out why you shouldn’t get rid of your children’s baby teeth.
Get ’em a tooth tattoo
No, we’re not recommending taking your child to a tattoo parlor (baby’s first ink!) but a cute temporary tattoo is a great way to show the world how proud they are of their lost tooth. Have the Tooth Fairy slip a temporary tooth tattoo under the pillow along with the money. Try these Tooth Temporary Tattoos from Portes Bonheur.
Tell some tooth jokes
Hey, why did the tree go to the dentist? To get a root canal! (And good luck explaining what a root canal is to your kindergartner!) Kids love telling silly jokes and Tooth Fairies love hearing them. Help your child come up with a creative pun or use one from a list of toothy jokes and leave a few from the Tooth Fairy along with the tooth. Get a list of hilarious dental jokes from A Mom With a Lesson Plan. Or go through our archive of funny kids’ jokes.
Craft a tiny door
Just like Santa Claus needs a special way in through the chimney, the Tooth Fairy needs a special method to make her grand entrance. You and your child can make her a fairy-sized door and then hang it on a human-sized door, window, or wall to make sure she can get in. Just make sure to open the door after you make the midnight swap so your kid knows the Tooth Fairy used it. Get instructions for making a DIY Tooth Fairy Door from It’s Sew Stinkin’ Cute or purchase a Tooth Fairy Door Kit from Amazon.
Deliver a healthy tooth gift bag
Dental hygiene is important, and who better to help your child embrace brushing and flossing than the Tooth Fairy herself? Instead of just leaving money, put a gift bag with items for healthy teeth under their pillow. Ideas include xylitol pops, a fancy toothbrush, a tooth timer, toothpaste, and animal-shaped flossers. Make sure your kids don’t make these 8 toothbrushing mistakes!
Give them a custom letter
Sure, you could just write your own letter from the Tooth Fairy, but if you’re feeling fancy (or just tired), the Internet is full of beautiful, creative, entertaining letters you can personalize to your child. Download one of 30 free Tooth Fairy Letters from Frugal Living Mom.
Use a shoe
If the Tooth Fairy at your house is anything like she is at my house, then she is exceptionally forgetful. One way to sneak in some money the morning of is to have your child put the tooth in their shoe, just like children in Swaziland. You can then drop a few coins in while you walk by, no midnight visits required.
Go high tech
Put your selfie-editing skills to good use by photoshopping the Tooth Fairy into a snap of your little one sleeping. On the big night, take a picture of them snuggled up with the tooth and then add an image of the Tooth Fairy hovering over them. (It’s only creepy if you do a bad job! Kidding.) Present them with the “evidence” in the morning. Get detailed instructions for Photoshopping in the Tooth Fairy at Totally Pinteresting.
Sprinkle some sparkly dust
Make sure the Tooth Fairy knows which house to come to by giving your child a packet of “tooth fairy dust” to sprinkle. Pro tip: Have them sprinkle it on the lawn or driveway rather than on your doormat or, heaven forbid, their carpet, or you’ll be picking up glitter bits for months afterward. Get instructions for Tooth Fairy Sparkle Dust and a printable poem from Jillian Vance.
Come up with a good excuse
Did you, er, the Tooth Fairy, just flat-out forget to come? No worries, just use one of these 25 totally cute and believable excuses why the Tooth Fairy forgot to come, from Your Modern Family. And then make sure that scatter-brained imp shows up the next night!
Originally Published: May 22, 2018
