What Makes Children Smile

Research has revealed it’s still the simple pleasures in life that make our children smile. Forget technology – pulling silly faces (44%), reading stories (28%) and playing hide and seek (27%) remain the best and simplest ways of putting a smile on a child’s face, said the survey of 1,000 parents and children.

The research commissioned by Wrigley’s Extra®, spoke to children and their parents about what makes them smile to mark the launch of its own storybook, The Lost Smile.

Joseph Coelho, author of The Lost Smile said: “It’s so exciting to hear from the research that a simple bedtime story is still so meaningful to children. Children give smiles so easily and yet as grown-ups, the pressures of modern life can stop the smiles from happening. This book is a simple nudge to parents to smile. You smile and the world smiles back. So it’s critical that we protect those smiles.”

The monies raised from sale of the book will go towards Wrigley’s Extra Smile Back Project which aims to protect children’s smiles by donating money for every pack of Wrigley’s Extra and every storybook sold to its chosen charity partner, Action for Children. This will fund the creation of oral healthcare workshops for families across the UK, benefitting more than 10,000 children and 5,000 parents in its first year.

So when I was offered the chance to review a free copy of The Lost Smile, I knew it was only right for me to read it out loud to both the boys as a bedtime story, and watch them smile too. I do make sure they have regular check-ups at the dentist, but for information on how to protect your family’s smiles and how you can support the Smile Back Project through the purchase of The Lost Smile, visit www.smileback.wrigley.co.uk.

This is what it says on the back cover.

Kyle’s family have lost their smiles.
Kyle decides to find them.
Using a magnifying glass, a toothbrush
and a pair of sunglasses he begins his search.

Join Kyle as he uncovers giggles,
brushes up grins and learns
how to make the world smile.

This book certainly got us smiling and I recommend you buy a copy. But I have to say unlike in the survey, lack of technology can remove the boys smiles. I certainly get some cross faces from them both, if I say they have had enough screen-time. However a story soon makes them forget and their smiles return.

The Lost Smile can be purchased online currently at £4.99 and all funds raised through its sale will go towards supporting the work of Action for Children and the Oral Health Foundation. A nice read in my opinion, plus the bonus of supporting good causes. There will be a minimum £1 donation per book.

I’d love to hear about your child’s favourite books.

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Disclosure.  This post is a review of a product I was sent for free.  All opinions are my own.