Children and theatre… the possibilities are endless!

child with theatre masks

Theatre has always been magical to me from early childhood school productions to elaborate Broadway shows. It is a way of sharing make believe mixed with a dose of reality.

Children’s theatre is amazing and can provide a child with so many learning opportunities about so many diverse things.

Literature that is turned into a play can be such a learning experience for a child from science to history, to music, to relationships and handling small childhood conflicts.

I love reading children’s books myself and reading them to children makes them all the more special. Children have the uncanny ability to take us by surprise and ask questions that we may not even realize they have swirling around in the little heads

The truth be said, I  cannot think of a better way to help a child learn life lessons than to expose them to literature and theatre.

What do you think?

Here are just a few pieces of reading that comment on what is new and in the works for young audiences.

Chicago has many opportunities to enjoy theatre with your children….the Emerald City Theatre recently had a fantastic production of Knuffle Bunny adapted from the Caldecott Award winning book of the same name.

Do your self and your children or grandchildren a favor and checkout children’s theatre in your community…you might just find another way to laugh and enjoy yourselves together.

In fact “Take A Child to the Theatre Today” is the campaign theme of The International Association of Theaters for Young Audiences for the next three years.

If you take a child to the theater, not only will they practice empathy, they might also laugh uproariously, or come home singing about science, or want to know more about history, or tell you what happened at school today, or spend all dinner discussing music, or learn how to handle conflict, or start becoming future patrons of the arts.

via Lauren Gunderson: How Theater for Young People Could Save the World.

 

 

Chicago Children’s Theatre has evolved as both a professional and personal response to the lack of a Chicago company dedicated exclusively to providing high-quality, professional year-round children’s programming. Since its founding, Chicago Children’s Theatre has rigorously pursued its mission to enrich our communities through diverse and significant theatrical programming that engages and inspires the child in all of us.

After the success of its launch production of A Year With Frog and Toad in January 2006 at Goodman Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre continues to provide Chicago children and families with the highest level professional theatre programming. There has been tremendous critical and popular support of Chicago Children’s Theatre and its audience continues to grow. In just over six years since the theatre’s inception in 2005, more than 180,000 youth and families have attended its productions.

via About Us | Chicago Children’s Theatre.

 

 

Chicago Moms

Emerald City Theatre

 

One thought on “Children and theatre… the possibilities are endless!

  1. I totally agree! Before testing took over the lives of teachers like me, we both took the children to plays and my own class performed in two to three plays, with songs, costumes and sets each year.
    I loved teaching, but as I was leaving in 2003, time for the arts was drastically reduced.
    Are the kids smarter without the arts, no……so we will have to take them as you have discussed.
    For Christmas this year my grand children received, from my husband and myself, puppet theaters and puppets….

    Say Yes To Theater…..
    An aside, I was involved in community theater when my own children were young, they took small parts from time to time…..another outlet for theater often offered in the summer as well.

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