KRAFT GREAT KIDS PROGRAM LAUNCHES NEW SUMMER FESTIVALS IN CHICAGO AND SUBURBS

CHICAGO, May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Great kids in the Chicago area deserve a great summer festival, so the Kraft Great Kids Program is throwing four, and admission is free to all.  Families are invited to Kraft Great Kids Hoopla (http://www.KraftGreatKids.com) at some of the region's best places to have fun, play and learn about the benefits of nutrition, healthy eating and active lifestyles. The new festival series is funded by the Kraft Foods Foundation and is an addition to the year-round Kraft Great Kids Program offered through partners in the city and suburbs.

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The Kraft Great Kids Hoopla series kicks off with a concert by the Dirty Sock Funtime Band at Ravinia Festival, June 19.  This will be followed by monthly events at 63rd Street Beach, Kohl Children's Museum and Chicago Children's Museum. At each festival location, Kraft Great Kids program partners will treat kids to a variety of activities and learning labs. Activities include listening and dancing to a live concert, watching a popular movie, visiting an instrument petting zoo, learning yoga and line-dancing, building your own playground, freeing imaginations with storytellers, or playing with hula hoops and other games.  

Kraft Great Kids Hoopla Calendar

• Sunday, June 19, 2011, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Ravinia Festival, Highland Park. Concert by the Dirty Sock Funtime Band, 1 p.m. Free lawn tickets (limit 6 per order) can be reserved online at www.ravinia.org/ViewDate.aspx?date=6/19/2011.  
• Tuesday, July 26, 2011, 5 p.m., 63rd Street Beach, Chicago. Movies in the Parks -- The Chicago Park District and Parkways Foundation invite you to see Babe, shown at dusk.
• Saturday, August 27, 2011, 9 a.m. – Noon, (free admission all day) Kohl Children's Museum, Glenview. Health is Child's Play -- 17 hands-on exhibits, including two acres of outdoor fun and an "Imagination Playground" will show kids that fitness is fun.
• Thursday, September 22, 2011, 5 – 8 p.m., Kraft Free Family Night, Chicago Children's Museum, Navy Pier, Chicago.  Great Kids Move with more than 15 interactive exhibits where kids can play and learn.

These Kraft Great Kids Hoopla Partners will also provide festival activities:

• After School Matters
• Chicago Public Library

Kraft Great Kids activities promote the 5-4-3-2-1 Go!™ healthy lifestyle message developed by the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC).

We're also giving away prizes at Hoopla for kids who participate in every activity at the festival. Each child will get a Great Kids Passport when they arrive at Hoopla. They'll claim their prize when they participate in every activity and have their Passport stamped by each program partner.

Kraft Great Kids Hoopla is the newest offering by Kraft Foods Foundation's Great Kids Program (see Fact Sheet below) in which partners offer after-school and other programs that include nutrition education and encourage kids to stay active and have a healthy lifestyle

"We want kids and their families to have a fun and safe summer," said Nicole Robinson, Vice President of the Kraft Foods Foundation.  "The Kraft Great Kids Hoopla shows that we're committed year round to investing in local programs that build stronger communities, while motivating and educating families to make healthy choices."

For more information about the 2011 Kraft Great Kids Hoopla, visit http://www.KraftGreatKids.com.

Fact Sheet: Kraft Foods Supports Great Kids Year Round

Great kids should also be healthy kids. That's why the Kraft Great Kids program focuses on nutrition education, fitness and literacy, all packaged as creative play at leading institutions throughout the Chicago area. The Kraft Foods Foundation has paired up with these partners for year-round Kraft Great Kids activities:

Chicago Children's Museum

Every Thursday night is Kraft Free Family Night, with the museum's exhibits and programs free to everyone. The programs connect play and learning, and focus on arts, culture and diversity.  The last Thursday of each month is themed around health and wellness, and includes nutrition games, fitness activities and an annual back-to-school health fair.  

Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Park District/Parkways Foundation

Kraft Foods provides grants to the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Park District / Parkways Foundation to offer year-round programs that support the arts, literacy, nutrition and fitness while instilling a love for reading among kids and their families.  

During the school year stories, songs, games and crafts attract families to Kraft Family Night at Kraft Great Kids Centers housed in 12 Chicago parks in underserved communities. During summer, the Kraft Great Kids Kidsmobile rolls into 24 park day camps with reading, sports and craft activities.

Families can visit Chicago's top museums for free with the Kraft Great Kids Museum Passports, available for checkout by Chicago residents at all Chicago Public Libraries. They're good for up to four family members and include a related reading list prepared by Chicago librarians.

Kohl Children's Museum

Kohl Children's Museum partners with the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) to fight obesity with active games and comprehensive nutrition information. They use the 5-4-3-2-1 Go!™ nutrition message to encourage:  5 servings of fruits and vegetables; 4 servings of water; 3 servings of low-fat dairy; 2 hours of less of screen time; and 1 or more hours of physical activity each day.

Ravinia Festival

Music and dance make physical activity fun as well as healthy, with eight special Kraft Great Kids Concerts throughout the summer.

After School Matters®

Select teen apprenticeship programs focus on fitness and nutrition, theater, culinary arts and community gardening. This summer, teens working with Project L.E.A.P. (Leaders in Exercise and Active Play) will be trained to deliver CLOCC's 5-4-3-2-1 Go! curriculum at Chicago parks.

SOURCE Kraft Foods