At what age did you first take your child to the theatre?

[Summerdays2014]

Hi,

I have a 2.2 year old son and have seen some performances for the summer at our local theatre - pepper, bing, milkshake live etc. I’m wondering if he’d still be too young to take in the summer? He can happy sit through 30 mins of the gruffalo and stick man, though he hasn’t watched anything longer. When did you first go and was it a good experience or a disaster!

Thanks!

How long are the performances? Can you book seats next to the aisle? Will there be songs? Would you be disappointed if you had to leave before the end?

I think that it depends on the child - if yours can sit still for 30 minutes (amazing!!) then it may be brilliant.

I took DD first when she was 4, to a full-length pantomime. She loved it. DS first went at about 2.5 to a short children's theatre, and was a bit wriggly but got through it. Shortly afterwards we went to a classical music concert aimed at children. I assumed that DS would need to be taken out fairly early but both DC were mesmerised. When the concert finished and they realised that they would have to go home there were floods of tears...

My dc were going to kids theatre (45mins to 1 hour length) from about 2 and were fine. Theatre aimed at that age held their attention well.

That classical music concert for kids sounds amazing!

10 months. It was a musical by a youth theater. He loved the singing, wasn't as keen on the talking bits but he was fine. In the interval I took him out for a crawl around, I thought he would have had enough and was expecting to have to take him home during the second half but he was quite happy.

My dd was just 3 when I took her to the pantomime. She spent the time kicking the chair in front and the whole thing just dragged on so we left.

However the next month we went to watch Disney on ice and she absolutely loved it. She didn't move and was just mesmerised from start to finish.

If your child has a proper love for whatever you are watching they should be fine I think :-) Good luck

The concert was a children's relaxed prom (one of the yearly proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London). It was amazing, I really hope that they will have another one this year. And maybe that it will be filmed, as DC would love to re-watch and rewatch and rewatch it at home

I took my almost 2yr old to watch The Gruffalo at the theatre and she loved. We had some snacks and a drink to help if she got restless too.

As long as you don't mind leaving if they aren't happy then it's worth a try.

We took my son just before he was 3 to see a 50 minute production in Ixfird. They all sat in cushions and he loved it. So much so that we are taking him again next month.

I took my ds when he had just turned 3 to watch Peppa pig slept through the whole thing 😒

Ds1 was 2 years 3 months when we took him to see Postman Pat. He loved it and sat through the whole thing. When he was 3 we took him to see a pfoductin of Beatrix Potter Taled and he loved that as well I think we started pantomime when he was about 4.

Thanks everyone. I think I’ll
Book something for the summer. I’ve been looking for the gruffalo as it’s his favourite book and thing to watch on tv. It doesn’t seem to be on anywhere near us at the moment though!