Lil’ Red Ridin’ Thru ‘Da Hood

Lil’ Red Ridin’ Thru ‘Da Hood, is a totally upbeat live theater performance that makes learning about nutrition fun for urban youth! Featuring hip-hop music, dance, stepping, and audience participation, “Lil’ Red” dramatically engages urban youth with its important messages of healthy eating and daily physical activity.

We’re thrilled to work with the show’s playwright, Caree J. Jackson, MS, RD, LD, and Director Bruce Robinson from Fresh Visions Theater Co, to bring “Lil’ Red” to life in 165 schools throughout Philadelphia to rave reviews.

The play’s main characters, Lil’ Red, Big Boy, and Gran’ma Jackson, inspire elementary school children and their families to think about how the food and activity choices they make today can impact their future. Through a series of fun skits, children learn how to make healthy food choices at home, school, and on the run. The audience is invited to participate throughout the show and ultimately learns a fun hip-hop song with dance steps that help them remember to keep – “Eatin’ good in the neighborhood and making healthy choices like I know I should!”

“Lil’ Red” speaks directly to children in their language and effectively teaches and motivates them to improve their nutrition and health habits. The colorful characters, incredibly upbeat music, dancing, and fun-filled skits all work together to do what FoodPlay Productions is all about – “Make good eating great fun!”

Lil’ Red” was written by Caree J. Jackson, MS, RD, LD and originally sponsored by The University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences, The University of Georgia Department of Foods and Nutrition-Nutrition Intervention Lab, and the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation. The play had a successful run in several of Atlanta’s inner city schools with evaluation results demonstrating dramatic effectiveness educating urban youth about the issues of nutrition, physical activity, and health.