Outdoor Summer Theatre and Children
This week is the opening of Little House on the Prairie: The Musical at Starlight AND Annie at Theatre in the Park! Our family has been looking forward to both events for months. Over the years, we've learned some tricks to help create a fun and successful, low-stress (almost always), evening for the family:
- Make sure the kids are as well-rested as possible before the show. Be sure they get afternoon naps, or at least rest. My kids rest best if they play outside in the morning, so we typically spend the morning at the zoo, a park, or other outdoor outing, then rest all afternoon before a show at night. 8pm show times can be tough for children used to an 8:30pm bedtime - so a good long nap in the afternoon really helps.
- Familiarize the kids with the story in advance. If your children are young, like mine, they will enjoy the story more if they have some familiarity. For Little House, we've read all of the My First Little House picture books, we're on book 4 of the original series with our oldest daughter, we've watched some of the shows (I only let the girls watch the fun stories that focus more on the kids and aren't as sad, reading plot summaries online before viewing), and we've been visiting historic sites around Kansas City and doing projects at home since May in anticipation! We borrowed an educational trunk from the John Wornall House Museum (816.444.1858) complete with a butter churn, costumes, recipes, games, and songs, we checked out Little House craft, recipe, and project books from the library sampling many ideas, and we found a small wooden log cabin at Michael's that made a fun painting project. These things bring the story to life for the girls and help build anticipation for them to see the show. Other shows, like Annie, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast may be a bit simpler to introduce through a storybook, film, or listening to the soundtrack before the show. Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast are both favorite stories in our home, so the girls are really looking forward to these shows without any pre-show prep!
- Eat and Drink. Eat a good supper and drink lots of water. At Theatre in the Park, we always pack a picnic (sometimes we even choose foods that fit the theme... Princess Graham Crackers and cut out sandwiches for Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella, Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches for All Shook Up, etc.). We bring bottled water, popcorn, fresh fruit and healthy snacks.
- Remember Sun Screen and Bug Spray. Don't forget sunscreen, and bug spray if you're sitting on the grass. Itches are very distracting!
- Remember blankets and chairs, unless you have assigned seating (i.e. Starlight).
- Pack Pajamas! I pack the girls' PJs and they change in our van before we get home to expedite bedtime or allow us to carry them straight into bed if they fall asleep on the way home.
- MOST IMPORTANT... Take Advantage of KCParent.com Perks! This Friday, June 25, we're giving away FREE tickets to Theatre in the Park on our Facebook Page. And, June 25th is Opening Night of Annie when KCParent.com is giving away FIVE $100 Gift Baskets to lucky audience members! At Starlight, they are hosting a Party on the Prairie every night before Little House on the Prairie, all inspired by our Little House Project on KCParent.com!
Do you have any Summer Theater tips or traditions? I'd love to hear your ideas!
Written by Kristina Light