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Excessive sugar consumption among children poses a significant public health concern, adversely

impacting their overall well-being and dietary habits. Despite widespread awareness of these risks among

adults, children often lack the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the implications of sugar

intake on their health. This study evaluates the efficacy of the SugarGuide Box , an interactive

educational toolkit designed to enhance children’s understanding of sugar content in foods and empower

them to adopt healthier dietary practices. Grounded in experiential learning theory, the toolkit employs

gamified, hands-on activities tailored for children aged 6–9. These activities foster critical sugar literacy

and informed decision-making. A mixed-methods approach was utilized to assess the intervention’s

impact, incorporating pre- and post-intervention assessments, observational analyses, and qualitative

feedback from participants. The findings underscore the importance of gamified, experiential learning in

promoting healthier dietary habits. Results demonstrated significant improvements in children’s ability to

recognize high-sugar foods and make healthier dietary choices. Additionally, findings indicated increased

engagement with nutrition education, as children actively applied their knowledge in daily food selection

and decision-making. Furthermore, the study highlights the transformative potential of child-centered

educational tools like the SugarGuide Box in addressing nutritional challenges by fostering sustained

behavioral change. By instilling healthier eating habits from a young age, tools such as the SugarGuide

Box contribute to long-term public health benefits. This study emphasizes the value of dynamic, engaging

approaches in shaping lifelong dietary behaviors and addressing childhood nutrition challenges

effectively.

Keywords: sugar literacy, educational intervention, interactive, childhood nutrition, gamification