Anyone with a child knows that sometimes, getting kids to eat healthy can be a task of epic proportions. Luckily, parents have an ally in encouraging their children to choose nutritious food, even amidst a sea of junk food choices.
FOOD-Play, an Emmy-award winning theatrical extravaganza featuring magic, music and juggling, has been spreading the word of healthy eating to school kids across the Northeast for 26 years. Recently, the cast of FOODPlay, sponsored by Hannaford Supermarket, brought their unique brand of nutrition education to the students of Zena Elementary School. The Fresh Adventures at Hannaford-FOOD-Play Tour has been to 100 elementary schools throughout Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and now New York, with 100 more appearances scheduled.
According to Zena’s nurse/teacher Kimberly Kross, the program succeeded in its mission to teach while entertaining. “It was fantastic,” said Ms. Kross. “Rave reviews from everyone. The things that most amazed me was that the children in grades kindergarten through fifth grade, which is very hard to have them interested in the same thing at any time, were all in this thing together, and they were all totally enamored with it. It’s very fast paced and moving and funny and yet the points were so well made.”
In addition to learning which foods are healthiest, students were taught the importance of eating breakfast in the morning, how to choose nutritious foods on the run and fun ways of incorporating physical activity into their daily routine. The children are encouraged to participate in FOODPlay’s innovative and fun-filled program, including FOOD-Play’s gameshow, Pyramid Power, where the audience is tested on its knowledge of choosing healthy foods from the grocery store.
The education doesn’t stop when the FOOD-Play program is over. Each participating elementary school receives FOOD-Play’s signature resource kit that provides teachers, students and parents with all the tools necessary for encouraging a future of healthy eating. The FOOD-Play Passport to Fresh Adventures at Hannaford is a booklet that rewards kids with stickers for their passport for each new fruit or vegetable tried. When students have tried 16 fruits and vegetables, and when they have filled their passport, they receive a prize from Hannaford Supermarket.
For Ms. Kross, the materials provided by FOOD-Play will supplement what she already teaches to her charges at Zena. “I am using some of those materials on a regular basis,” she explained. “I will be incorporating some of the lessons I really like.” Kross was thrilled that FOOD-Play reiterated through theatre all of the tenets that she has been imparting to students for years. “I’m such a ‘five a day’ type of person, the highlights of their show, I teach anyway. It wasn’t new information to me, but it was so much fun to watch. The kids were blown away.”
“It takes a village to raise a healthy child,” said Barbara Stroper, MS, RD, FOOD-Play’s creator. Kross agrees and hopes that the other teachers will help to drive home the importance of healthy eating habits. “It’s another reinforcement that kids need to know.” |
