How To Feed A Dragon Programme

The 8 week programme takes children through a journey with a hungry Dragon, who is a long way from home, in search of Dragon foods.  He needs to discover a way to enjoy new foods so that he can refuel his body, feel well and fly back home.

The sessions offer children the opportunity to actively engage in the story through the sensory exploration of a wide range of foods. It opens conversation about foods they like and don’t like and helps them learn about feelings of hunger and fullness.

It provides a ‘no-pressure to eat’ opportunity to explore and have fun with a wide variety of foods.

Families receive a FREE How to Feed a Dragon Cooking Kit which includes age-appropriate utensils to enable their child to become more involved in food preparation at home. Each week families take home an ingredient for their child to prepare for the Dragon along with suggestions of how to cook with it.

Parents are supported with resources to help them navigate food refusal at home aswell as practical information on how to nurture a healthy relationship with food.

By the end of the programme parents reported that fewer meals were refused at home each week and less food was thrown away

97%

of parents said that their child enjoyed attending the programme ‘a lot’

50%

increase in parents’ confidence in handling food refusal at home (3/10 to 7/10)

96%

of children tried more than 3-4 new foods at home during the programme

Over 75%

of parents said that their child has become more involved in preparing food at home

90%

of parents stated that they felt more confident managing family mealtimes

Most

parents reported an increased willingness to smell, touch and taste new foods

  • 'My son has been so much more hands on (touching, preparing, helping) with different foods since we started the activities in the programme. Before the programme he wouldn’t want anything to touch his hands. He absolutely loved it and enjoyed every week, especially farm week!'

  • ‘My daughter loves getting the Dragon involved at mealtimes. She eats so many more foods when she sits at the table with Dragon. She feeds Dragon first, then she eats her meal. It has made such a difference to mealtimes at home’

  • ‘Feed the Dragon programme is a fantastic programme for the kids, we really appreciate every moment of the programme and it has really helped my son to want to explore new things’

  • ‘We found it really useful, even xxxx touching new foods and being excited about bringing ingredients home! She has loved it and it has been great seeing her try new things’

  • 'I have seen a massive improvement in xxxx’s interest in food - even touching and smelling food, previously she would refuse straight away'

  • ‘Didn't get chance to say thanks on Thursday but ty for your advice and support on the dragon course, both my children really enjoyed it and I can definitely see a difference in xxxx, he's told me this week he is going off pot noodle and yesterday he came over and asked to try some of my curry, I couldn't imagine him doing that a couple of months ago’

  • ‘Thank you so much. We have found it so beneficial and enjoyed following up at home. Given me confidence to cook more. We are sad that the sessions have finished and would be interested if there are any follow up sessions. Thank you :)’