Kids Theater

We've gone to several performaces by The Chicago Kids Company. Their shows are fun and interactive. www.chicagokidscompany.com

There are a lot of great small theaters and local (school, college, library, ballet school) performances that welcome kids, sometimes for free!

For a more theater experience, I've heard very good things about Emerald City Theater. I personally really like the Chicago Folks Operetta, although they do not have a permanent performance space, i don't think. They have a web page, though. http://chicagofolksoperetta.org/ And there's the Chicago Children's Theater

http://www.chicagokidscompany.com They're great!!

http://www.cytchicago.org/main.aspx I have taken my 3 & 5 yr olds to a couple of these and they loved them, and I really enjoyed them too!

Hi T.,

I was glad to see someone else recommended my website, www.kidwinks.com. To take it one step further, you can search specifically for all upcoming plays using the Advanced Search feature on kidwinks. Up in the right hand corner on any page in kidwinks, you'll see the word "Advanced". Click there and you'll get the search form. The first thing you must do is use the drop-down menu under "Business Type" and select Event. That will then give you the specific search form for Events. Then put in today's date as the start date, and click on the box for Plays and Live Theatre (which is in the 3rd column, about 7 down), then press enter. Scroll down, and you'll see the search results - there are about 23 options. If you become a member of kidwinks, which is free, the mileage to each of these theatres will be displayed, and you can even sort them in order of distance from your house.

Hope this helps and was not too confusing.

J.

We have had success taking our 5yo & 2yo to local high school productions. It's cheap for mom and dad and the kids are usually free. It's an informal & family-friendly atmosphere. We usually look for musicals. We have also attended productions by Elmhurst Children's Theatre.

We just saw Lifeline's "The Flight of the Dodo" with our soon to be 6 year old son. It was great, scatalogical (spelling?) , but fun. This only runs through sometime in Feb.

J.

Register for kidwinks.com & you will find all sorts of local activities for you son. I have a three year ond & another which will arrive during Holy Week, I work full-time, but I still take my daughter, neices, nephew to as many places as possible & all our kids are exposed to our language, herritage & parents country on a regular basis! I love it & think they will enjoy it more & more as they get older---my brothers & I have all married people with Greek backgrounds so we are all familiar with our culture & traditions---& our language.

Lifeline Theatre!! We love them. They do only adaptations of books, and they're all musicals. They're usually about an hour long, and the kids can mingle with the actors in character afterwards in the lobby. Their shows are really clever and smart. They've been around for 26 years and always get chosen "Best Children's Theatre" by Chicago Mag, the Trib, the Reader. They're in Rogers Park and tickets are really affordable. Here's their website: http://www.lifelinetheatre.com/

Chase Park Youth Actors Program does great performances for kids - even the younger ones.
They did "Winnie the Pooh" last November and "Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard" plays April 17-19th. More info: www.chaseparktheater.org.
My kids are also big fans of Lifeline Theatre in Rogers Park.

check out Chicago Parent...it is a free newspaper that can be found at libraries Not in Chicago area???
try your local colleges they often offer very cheap daytime theatrical events specifically designed for children....also don't discount your local library service...you may be surprised by what information they can provide