Children help design messages that lead them to better food choices

Around one quarter of Canberra’s children are overweight or obese. This number is on the rise. Good nutrition is vital to children’s growth, learning and wellbeing. How can we encourage kids to eat more healthy food and drink fewer sugary drinks?

ThinkPlace healthy eating ACT Government

One way to improve the health of Canberra students is to remind them why good food is so important. Working with the ACT Government, ThinkPlace and creative agency Coordinate have developed messages to lead kids towards healthier choices.

Children were at the centre of this work. We gave them the power and encouragement to put the problem in their own words. Through their imagination and inventiveness, kids came up with great solutions. They developed their own reminders of why nutritious food is so important to learning and play.

Posters and cards are now carrying these reminders in schools, in words and pictures kids understand. Children see daily the messages they helped create. These messages are influencing them towards better choices and healthier eating.

Using human-centred design techniques, ThinkPlace brought the children’s voice to the centre of solving the problem. Tapping into their creativeness, children were given a direct role in developing messages about the importance of good nutrition. The results are messages that connect with kids and help them set up good habits for a healthy life.