Introducing Kids to Theatre (Part 1)

My dad loves skiing. He's been a skier for most of his life, and it's still one of his favorite things to do. He couldn't wait for the day that I took my first steps as a child so that he could take me up on the slopes with him. So the year I started walking was also the year I started skiing.

I skied for a good many years of my life, and was actually pretty decent at the sport, but at some point I realized that skiing just wasn't the best sport for someone who can't stand cold weather. Despite my straying from the skiing world, I can still relate to my dad's love of skiing since I have a love of my own now -- theatre. So you can bet that I couldn't wait for the day that my boys were old enough for Chad and me to start taking them to theatre performances.

But just as my dad didn't throw me on a black diamond ski slope when I was two, I didn't take my boys to a Broadway show as their first theatre experience. We had to work our way up to it. Now that my boys are four and six, I can proudly say that my 6-year-old has been to his first Broadway show, and my 4-year-old will be going to his first Broadway show in June. And they couldn't be more excited about this.

Alec, at age 5, just before his very first Broadway show

But some of the looks I receive when I tell people that I'm taking my 4-year-old to a Broadway show are downright scary! I can literally see what's going through their minds... "You mean you're taking  your son into a theatre where he has to sit still for three hours?" "You must be out of your mind - what a waste of money!" "I'd hate to be in that audience!" By some of these looks,  you'd think I'm that mom bringing my screaming 18-month-old on an airplane!

So in the hopes of convincing the "lookers" that my boys actually will sit through a theatre production (willingly and excitedly at that), I'm going to share some of my secrets. These tried and true tips have helped my two boys work their way up to the black diamond ski slope of theatre - Broadway. Maybe these tips will even help other parents share the wonder of the theatre with their children... At least I can hope!

1. Start small. Many communities have small community theatres that often produce kid-friendly shows. Some even have children's theatre groups that produce short 20-30 minute plays that are perfect for kids. Chad and I have been taking our kids to see productions by our local children's theatre group (The Popcorn Hat Players) since they were two. In fact, tomorrow Chad is taking them to see their production of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Children's theatre groups are a great way to introduce kids to the world of theatre. Chase still talks about the time he got called on stage to be The Burglar in a Popcorn Hat Players production of The Golden Goose (yep, that's my little burglar up there with the sunglasses on!).

2. Check out local high schools and colleges. Many high schools have at least a play in the fall and a musical in the spring, and many colleges do even more than this. Just in the past month, high schools in my area put on musical productions of The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek and Seussical the Musical. Seussical was the first musical I took Alec to when he was three (also at a local high school), and I took Chase to see it this year. Alec got to see The Wizard of Oz for the first time this year. Tickets are usually only $5-10 per ticket, so it's a pretty safe way to introduce kids to the world of theatre without spending a fortune.

3. Listen to the music before you go. I'll throw the soundtrack in the car CD player for weeks before we go to see a musical. We don't listen to it non-stop, but it gets mixed in there with Kids Bop and Frozen. My boys love it when a show starts and they know all the songs!

4. Do your homework. Before buying tickets to anything, make sure you know what you're going to see. Does your child have a huge fear of green ogres? Maybe Shrek wouldn't be a good choice for his first show. Some shows will provide a suggested age, and some even have age requirements for patrons. For example, my boys love listening to the Wicked soundtrack, so I decided to look into tickets. Their official website states, "Recommended age for children is 8 and up. No children under 5 admitted." I'm glad I looked! Hopefully this one will still be on Broadway in another year or two. :)

For more tips on what to do once (if?) you finally make it to the theatre with your kids, check out Part 2 of Introducing Kids to Theatre!