Brushing up on dental health

Families from Allenton were able to brush up their dental health knowledge at a family activity session held during the February half-term holiday. The session was organised by Nacro, a local project that works with parents to provide family advice and support.

"It was a really good day," said Margaret Woodbridge from Nacro. "We began with a brief talk from the Oral Health Team about the high sugar content in some drinks, especially those that children drink. Each child was then given a toothbrush and some toothpaste, funded by Allenton Big Local."

The session moved on to discuss healthy food options and families were given the opportunity to make some fruit yogurt pots. Parents and children worked together to prepare fruit and then layered it into pots before topping off with yoghurt and granola.

"This is a very topical issue right now," added Margaret Woodbridge. "The session fits in really well with the recent Sugar Smart 'Change 4 Life' campaign, which encourages parents to cut down on the amount of sugar their children consume."

Twelve parents and twenty children took part in the session. Here's what they said about it:

• We enjoyed having family time.
• It was good teaching the kids to prepare food that's healthy.
• The children really enjoyed doing it.
• Thanks Nacro - a great time was had by all.
• We learned about healthy eating and bond building.
• I really enjoyed doing this activity with my daughter.
• It was something interesting to do during the holidays, so less time for the kids being bored at home.
• Thank you Allenton Big Local. It was great.
• The children enjoyed it.
• Sessions like this bring us closer together.