Family Series at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The first time attending a show at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Almost 4 years ago! Time flies!!

I love exposing my children to live theater. The picture above is from their first visit to the Segerstrom Center. I love family/children’s theatre, and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts offers two fantastic series for young families.

The first is the Discovery Series. It is designed for kiddos ages 4 to 8, and features five shows throughout the season. The second series is the Explorer Series. It is designed for kiddos 7 and older. This season there are three shows in the Explorer Series.

All shows feature a pre-show interactive activities in the lobby of the Samueli Theater. Last time we were there they had the coolest foam activity, and we had to almost push the kiddos in. They were having a total blast before the show, and of course after!

We’re going to be heading to the first show of the Explorer Series this Friday, and we can’t wait. We will be watching the Perth Theatre Company-The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer. This is the West Coast premiere of the show, and the kiddos are looking forward to a night at the theater.

For additional information, or to purchase tickets to the either series, head here.

Why we love Children’s Theater

My son enjoying the pre-show activities at the Samueli Theater

I love children’s theater. Growing up my family didn’t have many resources, but I do remember my mom taking me to watch Cinderella when I was younger. It might have been a simple show for some, but it inspired me and I remember leaving the theater full of ideas and bursting with creativity. Fast forward almost thirty years, with children of my own and I promised myself that I wanted to make sure my children were exposed to the arts early on.

Pre-Show Activities at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Discovery Family Series

We’ve watched a couple of shows at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. This past weekend we had the opportunity to watch our very first show as a family. I’ve watched shows with the kids before and also with my husband, friends and even by myself, however, this was our first as an entire family and we had an absolute blast.

Last month, I posted about the Discovery Family Series at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. We had the opportunity to catch 500 Clown Trapped and had an amazing time. My son and daughter, who are 6 and 7, were laughing hysterically from the first minute. I nudged my husband, because we couldn’t believe just how much they were into the show. They laughed and participated throughout the show and before we knew it, the show was over. The Discovery Family Series is timed just right for the kiddos, not too short and not too long.

500 Clown Trapped features storytelling, improvisation and of course, clowning. The kiddos loved the music, the audience interaction and were fascinated throughout the course of the show. The beauty of 500 Clown Trapped and Children’s shows in general, is that both old and young will enjoy.

Once the show was over, the kiddos couldn’t stop talking about wanting to attend summer camp at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, writing a play and basically two kiddos that were bursting at the seams with ideas. They came home and wrote a Christmas show. I’m a firm believer that education involves more than just school work, some of the most important learning experiences happen outside of the classroom.

To learn more about the Family Discovery Series or about the Segerstrom Center for the Arts head here.

Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. We received complimentary tickets for review purposes. However all opinions are my own.

Discovery Family Series at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Credit: SCPA

My family loves the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and we usually watch a few shows as a family per year. I love introducing my kiddos to the performing arts. One of their first exposures to the theater was through the Family Series at the Samueli Theater. I took my then almost four and five year old to their first play, Stellaluna.

The Discovery Series, designed for kiddos ages 4 to 8, and features five shows. The Explorer Series is for older kiddos and features two shows. It is geared for children age 7 and older. All shows feature pre-show interactive activities in the lobby of Samueli Theater.

The 2012-13 season kicks off this weekend, October 20t-21, with Exit, Stage Left. The show is described as

“Parallel Exit creates moments of simple magic for audiences of all ages. They blend theatre, dance, and music into works of physical theatre that transcend age, language, and cultural barriers. Exit, Stage Left brings the joy, laughter and technical wizardry of Vaudeville to life once again. This break-neck show will have audiences of all ages rolling in the aisles”

Some of the future shows include Treasured Stories(A Brown Bear, A Caterpillar And A Moon), Sleeping Beauty, Recess Monkey and 500 Clown Trapped.

For additional info about the Discovery Family Series or to purchase tickets head here.