Kids take up toothbrush challenge
Jack Rabbit - a puppet - and his friends are challenging kids to look after their pearly whites with the ‘Brushing Teeth Challenge’.
The rabbit is a character from Mac’s Patch - a pilot television series - similar to Sesame Street and produced in Kerikeri by the Illumination Workshop.
Illumination Workshop founder and producer Kylie Penn hopes the challenge will be widespread with participants uploading videos of themselves brushing their teeth to the ‘Jack Rabbit Brushing Teeth Song’ - similar to the viral ice bucket challenges.
Kerikeri’s Jack Laird has provided the vocal talent while his mother, Jo Slack, has composed the Brushing Teeth song with music by Jef Harris.
Targeting the 3 to 7-year-old age group Mac’s Patch uses puppet characters to teach kids life lessons.
‘‘Kids are getting teeth extracted before their adult teeth come through - we wanted to highlight the issue of children’s oral health,’’ Penn says.
‘‘It’s important kids know how to take care of their teeth.’’
She says the content will support promotions around the issue by the Northland District Health Board.
The Jack Rabbit Instruction Video on macspatch.org presents a healthy way of brushing teeth in a child-friendly form, Penn says.
Penn has also organised the ‘Ultimate Challenge’ for May 12, to create a music video.
Filming starts in Kerikeri at 7am, before travelling to several locations throughout Northland, with the finished product to be released at 7pm, the same day.
Penn says the oldest known European toothbrush was discovered at Kemp House near the Stone Store in Kerikeri, so it is historically significant to start the ‘Ultimate Challenge’ at this location.
To be a part of the Jack Rabbit Ultimate Teeth Brushing Music Video, take your toothbrush and meet at the following locations:
Outside the Stone Store in Kerikeri 7am, Te Ahu Centre Library in Kaitaia 10am, outside Kaikohe Library 12 noon, Whangarei Town Basin children’s playground 2.30pm.
The Illumination Workshop is a registered charity with Penn hoping to eventually showcase future episodes of Mac’s Patch on free-to-air television.
Visit macspatch.org facebook.com/macspatch more information. and for