There’s so much happening around Ottawa that I think one can be forgiven for missing out on even something as fantastic as the NAC’s Kinderconcert series.
It seems this series is one well-kept secret; one that — happily — I have now stumbled upon! Here’s what I found when I attended my first Kinderconcert, titled Giggle & Stomp …
Before the show: there were fun interactive activities and displays set up for the children to enjoy. My 20-month old son really enjoyed experimenting with the different percussion instruments, while my seven-year old daughter immediately pounced upon the table where you could make your own instrument. The instrument was called a Brazilian Laughing Cup. It was fun and easy to make (easy makes Mommy happy!) and it really did make a great laughing sound. (If you’d like to try it out, all you need is a paper cup, a string and a paper clip. And I found this online instruction sheet.)
During the show: I didn’t expect a concert at an arts centre to be so kid-friendly — what a refreshing treat! It was in a large room on the second floor, set up with chairs as well as mats at the front where everyone was welcome to sit on the ground and get comfortable. Not only did all the kids (and parents!) giggle and stomp along with the happy performers, but I couldn’t help but smirk when two boys broke out in an almost a full-on brawl at one point as well as one young girl who took to yelling at the top of her lungs at random points in the show. It was perfect.
After the show: A beautiful troupe of young people performed the violin for us. We stayed and admired their impressive talent for a few numbers. It was really inspiring.
The folks who’ve organized these Kinderconcerts must really know what they’re doing when it comes to kids: the show wasn’t too long or too short, the room was set-up to allow for a whole variety of seating choices and the performers knew exactly how to warm-up a young crowd.
Plus, the organizers understand a family budget too — these concerts are reasonably priced. An adult ticket is $14, a child ticket is $8 and a family of four pass is $36. And better yet, if you subscribe to all four concerts in the season, you receive a 20% discount off of the regular prices. Not to mention that if you subscribe before April 30th, you’ll save on the 8% HST. So, in summary, a family of four can take-in all four concerts in a season for a grand total of $100!
If you’d like to treat your kids or someone you know to this concert series, you can call the box office at 613-947-7000, ext 620. I’ll see you there!
Disclosure note: My family received no-strings-attached complimentary tickets to the Giggle & Stomp show, which is a dollar value of $36.
My parents bought the family pass to take my son to these concerts and I’ve gone to 2/3 with them. They are so much fun! Maybe we’ll see you at the next concert! We already have our season’s pass for next year!