Category Archives: Puppet Shows for Kids

Get out and play: Activity ideas with the kids

Here are some great ideas to beat the heat, enjoy it in the shade, or otherwise keep your kids occupied and pretend it’s not hot out:

  • Every Saturday is “Free Summer Saturday” at the Corcoran and they have a line-up of fabulous kid-friendly events. This Saturday’s event particularly caught my eye, its theme is “Edible Color Wheel” and from 10:30-2pm, kids can use icing to learn how to mix primary colors into secondary colors and make their own edible color wheels. They had me at icing…..
  • One of my all-time summer favorites kicked off last week, Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods.   New this summer, buy admission for one show and you can stay for the second show for free. Tickets are $8 and shows run Tuesdays through Saturdays at 10am and 11:15am. If you haven’t been, the setting is lovely, the shows fantastic and you can spend much of a day there if you pack a lunch and have a picnic after the show. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis, so I do try to get there a bit early. I’d also recommend bringing some bug spray. Here’s a link to a fab YouTube video to give you a great sense of what to expect when you hit this lovely park.
  • If you live downtown, Georgetown Harbour offers kids activities every Tuesday from 10:30-noon
  • If you like music outdoors, the downtown Silver Spring Swings Concert series kicks off tonight from 7-9pm and runs every Thursday through the  month of July. Head down with your kids in their suits and let them enjoy playing in the fountain and dancing to the music and I’d also recommend the new FroYo that recently opened – the frozen yogurt if fat free and delicious, the toppings include fresh fruit and the prices are so reasonable because you pay by the ounce.
  • If you have little ones, ranging from 12months – 5 years old, Adventure Theatre has started a Preschool Playlab series. Classes are broken down by age group and theme and are offered every weekend and some week day evenings at 6:30pm. The themes strike me as creative and very age-appropriate (Dora Diego theme for 2-3 year olds, for example).  The drop-in rate strikes me as somewhat steep at $24, with a pre-register rate of $20. The location is fabulous, however, and you can spend much of a day at Glen Echo Park  if you hit one of these classes, then the carousel, playground and pack a lunch.

Have a great weekend! Next week’s posts will include more activity ideas, another DC Expert Series featuring a local mom and her amazing business she’s launched, and of course, some rants from moi! Stay cool…

July 4 Kid Activity Ideas & 2 Reviews of Fab Outings

Here are some other suggestions to fill out your days this long weekend and into next week:

  • Nationals games…only pay a single admission fee (as cheap as $10) to see the Nats take on the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday and stay for the second game. Also, there will be fireworks this weekend – so no need to wait til Monday night. Final perk: Mrs. Obama will attend Monday’s evening game against the Chicago Cubs to honor military families – so plan to arrive early that day!
  • Check out the new Kastles stadium on the waterfront – and catch the Williams sisters playing next week
  • Head to Glen Echo Park….where Squeals on Wheels will be setting up a petting zoo out front of Adventure Theatre on July 2 from 2:30-4:30
  • Last chance to spend the night at the Museum of Natural  History– only night left in August – good for kids ages 8 on up – not many spots left!
  • Celebrate Magic at the Discovery Theater, the Smithsonian’s Theatre for Young Audiences, Wednesday July 6 through Friday July 8

Now for the reviews. We had a really exciting week chez moi: we hit the Fancy Nancy Tea Party at Strathmore on Tuesday and the Great Dinosaur Mystery puppet show at The Puppet Co. in Glen Echo Park this morning. We’re all still reeling from the excitement.

In case you missed the specialty tea at Strathmore this week, you  have one more chance to catch one this summer, in late July and reserve your spot soon because these teas book up well in advance. It was my first visit to Strathmore and with three 5-6 year olds in tow, who could resist the chance to be fancy like Fancy Nancy? We arrived at the tea only to find the foyer of the mansion decorated in pink and frills, the girls were invited to decorate crowns before the doors opened and what I particularly loved was noting how many young girls were there with their Grandmothers, and so many of them were dressed up and wearing hats. The tea itself was definitely fancy, as defined by the one-and-only Fancy Nancy.

Who doesn't want to have tea with Fancy Nancy?

Pink table cloths draped over each table, everyone was served tea in china teacups and saucers and small sandwiches were served, along with scones, clotted cream and jelly. If your child is a picky eater, I’d recommend giving them a light lunch before heading to the tea but we had a great time toasting “Cheers Dahhling” with our pinky fingers raised up high. The novelty was beginning to wear off a bit for the girls as they finished their cupcakes (I would say that 5 is the youngest I’d spend the money to bring them to this tea) when suddenly came the big announcement that Fancy Nancy herself would be greeting all the guests, along with her side kick Frilly Millie. You could hear the gasps and shrieks across Rockville Pike. Fancy Nancy and Frilly Millie took pictures with all the kids and gave them all necklaces and pink boas and then invited them to the foyer to read a Fancy Nancy book. The entire outing lasted about 90 minutes and really was a fun treat for all of us. I’d highly recommend you reserve your spot for next month’s Princess and Prince tea.

Next up on our busy summer social calendar was “The Great Dinosaur Mystery” puppet show at the Puppet Co. The show is billed as best suited for those ages pre-K through 4th grade but I brought  my 2.5 year old and she was totally enthralled for the entire 50 minute production. The story is set in the basement of the Natural History Museum where the paleontologist finds a mysterious empty box meant to house a dinosaur. Next we learn that a giant shoe has been discovered by a police detective and the shoe is thought to belong to a mysterious dinosaur named Tootsie. Several beautiful and custom-made Dinosaur puppets appear throughout the show to provide clues on where to find Tootsie, much to the delight of the kids in the audience, and the children are encouraged to sing-along and engage with the performers – which certainly helped keep the interest of my younger one. I also learned some fun facts about dinosaurs along the way.  The baby dinosaurs were the favorite puppets for my girls. In the end, the great mystery is solved.

The mysterious Tootsie and her ping-pong ball necklace

After the show, we were invited backstage to check out the puppets. Ingrid Crepeau hand-made each of the puppets,

Ingrid Crepeau with one of her dinosaur puppets

taking her about 400-500 hours per puppet. We learned that Tootsie’s fancy pearl necklace is made from ping-pong balls that Ms. Crepeau strung together and painted with pearl nail polish. Also noteworthy, Tootsie’s shoes were handmade by Ms. Crepeau herself. Her grandfather was a Swedish shoe maker and he taught her his craft. Again, more fun facts for me on this journey.  You have only a few more weeks to checkout this fabulous and fast-paced show, it runs through July 17 and tickets are $10. It’s a great way to beat the heat and then enjoy the carousel ride and picnic next to the park after the show.

Get out and play: Activity suggestions with the kids

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted any activity ideas…please forgive me…things have been hectic. There are always so many great events happening around town in the summer, so here are just a few ideas, if you can tear yourselves away from the pool:

For the outdoor music lovers: Strathmore is kicking off a free outdoor concert series on Wednesday June 28 at 7pm. For 8 Wednesdays this summer, pack your beach chairs, toss a few blankets into the car and head over to Strathmore for some great music, let the kids play outdoors, and even purchase dinner at the BBQ shack while you’re there. Wednesday’s performer, Rafi Malkiel, brings a jazz sound infused with Klezmer, Latin and Caribbean influences – perfect for a sultry summer night. Strathmore also offers some wonderful programs just for the kids. Beginning Thursday mornings in July, take your kids for a trip around the world in the Backyard Theater for Kids for just $8, free for those ages 2 and under. The series takes place outside under a tent, so pack your bug spray and picnic blankets, and even plan to bring a picnic lunch to make it a longer outing. Each week focuses on music from a different part of the world. Also, if you’re looking to take a break from the heat, check out the Strathmore calendar of events for upcoming specialty teas for the kids. Next week I’m looking forward to the Fancy Nancy specialty tea and in July they are hosting a Prince and Princess specialty tea. Be sure to book early because these teas sell out quickly.

For the young theater lovers:

The Puppet Co in Glen Echo Park is showing The Great Dinosaur Mystery through July 17. Targeted for the preschool set through grade 4, I’ve heard the show is lively, engaging and definitely loud…which should appeal to my never-quiet 5-year-old. Click here for ticket prices and show times. The show lasts about 50 minutes and as always, is catered towards the little ones. I’m headed there next week with the girls and really looking forward to it.

Charlotte’s Web is opening on Friday at Adventure Theatre.

Images by Bruce Douglas

You can catch the show until September 5 though if you are around over July 4 weekend and looking to fill in some time, I heard they have plenty of tickets still available for that weekend. I’m taking my eldest to see it in a few weeks, the web site indicates it’s good for those ages 3 and up and I’ve always found their age recommendations to be spot-on, when determining whether or not to take my younger one. Click here to purchase tickets or peek at the great upcoming season. We never miss a show at Adventure Theatre, in my house, because they are always so well done and the perfect  duration for young ones.

I realize today’s post is all about Montgomery County…as always – if you have an event anywhere around the beltway – please email me at monica.sakala@gmail.com or post a comment here to let us all know about it. I’ll resume more activity ideas after the long July 4 idea. Until then…stay cool…and have fun.