Fizzy Drinks. It’s a startling statistic: children are drinking just 25% of the water they need, and many are topping up with fizzy drinks instead. This hydration gap isn’t just about thirst—it’s about long-term health, energy levels, and even learning capacity.
What the Numbers Say
- Children aged 11–18 are consuming only 453ml of water daily, far below the recommended 1.8 litres.
- Younger children aged 4–10 average just 276ml, when they should be drinking 1.3 litres.
- Fizzy drinks are filling the gap, contributing to excess sugar intake, weight gain, and tooth decay.
Stretch-n-Grow’s Approach
At Stretch-n-Grow, we don’t just teach movement—we champion healthy choices across the board:
- We encourage children to choose water over sugary drinks, using fun activities and storytelling to make hydration exciting.
- We highlight how water helps keep teeth strong and bodies energised.
- We connect hydration to focus, mood, and learning, helping kids understand the “why” behind the habit.
Extending the Message to Families
- Class handouts and newsletters often include hydration tips and challenges like “Water Week” or “Hydration Hero.”
- Children are invited to track their water intake and share their progress at home.
- We promote positive reinforcement, celebrating every healthy choice with high-fives, stickers, or shout-outs.
By making water the “cool” choice and linking it to strength, energy, and fun, Stretch-n-Grow helps children become wellness leaders—inspiring their families to follow suit.
Would you like help crafting a hydration-themed handout or social media post to reinforce your nursery message? we’d love to collaborate.
Additional Information
If you would like more information on our programmes contact us .Stretch-n-Grow is a Worldwide Programme
Children ‘drink just 25% of the water they need’ and are topping up with fizzy drinks
- Youngsters between 11 and 18 are drinking on average 453ml of water
- Health experts said they should be drinking in more than 1.8 litres instead
- Younger children aged four to ten are drinking only 276ml of water a day
- Experts say switching one fizzy drink for water reduces the diabetes risk
Schoolchildren are drinking a quarter of the water they need and turning to fizzy drinks instead, public health experts have warned.
Official statistics show that children and teenagers aged between 11 and 18 are drinking only two small glasses of water a day – about 453ml – out of their total fluid requirement of 1.8litres.
And younger children, aged four to ten, are drinking just 276ml out of the recommended 1.3litres, according to figures from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey. More
