Kids Week – Theatre Day in London

We love the theatre and over the last few years we have been very lucky and taken the little adventurers to a number of shows in our local theatres. However, watching a world class West End show is an experience that any little and older adventurers will always remember. I still remember my first West End show as a teenager, going to watch Blood Brothers and years later, the memories of the shows are still remain and the show is one of my old time favourites. When we were invited to learn more about Kids Week and their fantastic offers, I thought it would be an ideal way to start off our summer adventures taking the little adventurers to their first ever West End theatre show.

What is Kids Week

Kids Week is an initiative run by Society of London Theatre who wish to bring the magic of theatre into the lives as many families as possible. Every year in the month of August, families have the opportunity to receive a free theatre ticket for a child (aged 16 years old or under) when a paid adult accompanies them. In addition, for families with more than one child there is the option to buy up to two extra kids’ tickets at half price. The tickets are available for a range of theatre shows and I love this as there is shows suitable for very young adventurers, school aged children and teenagers, so really making it a family friendly offer.  There are some restrictions so do check the full terms and conditions before you book.

In addition, the tickets purchased through Kids Week allow theatre goers some additional benefits such as discounts on fabulous food choices which is ideally located for a pre or post theatre visit. One of the restaurants included is MOD Pizza which has a children’s eat for free offer with every adult meal purchased. We visited MOD and loved it, further details are below.

Preview of Kids Week

We were invited to attend a preview event which was a great way to introduce the fun of west end shows for the little adventurers. The preview event had elements from several of the shows which are included in the Kids Week offer and I loved the variety and different genres that are available. For the little adventurers, we got a taster for “Going on a Bear Hunt” and “Tiger who Came to Tea” both of the shows were entertaining, really fun and interactive which is perfect to retain the attention of the young theatre goers. Watching little adventurers totally in awe of live theatre will be an image imprinted on every parents minds. There were other shows aimed at older audiences from Horrible Histories to Six.

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As an adult I have been to the theatre on many occasions and for both myself and the little adventurers, the “behind the scenes” of how a theatre show is put together was really interesting.  From the music, to the lighting, to the props and sets, it was amazing how much detail and work goes into putting on these shows.

One aspect which I loved about the preview event was that you got an insight into lots of different shows and two which I hadn’t really thought about watching, Six and Horrible Histories were amazing and captivating for both myself and Maya. The ladies from six went against all the steropetoes that you would have about the wives of Henry VIII and their performances was truly spectacular. Likewise the humour, wit and how accessible and enjoyable history was made through the Horrible History show was really great and think it would be one which we would watch as a family.

Why we love the Kids Week offer

Even though we were invited to the event this year, the Kids Week offer is something, which I have always loved, and championed. The joy of watching live theatre especially from a young age is a truly wonderful experience and in todays screen filled lives its more important than ever. I love that through Kids Week more families and children are able to access things such as these shows and any thing which makes family activities cheaper is always welcome, especially during the long summer break.

A day in London

As we live in the North we rarely make a single day trip to London so when this opportunity arose we decided to make the most of our day in the city and try as many family friendly activities as possible. It was the first time venturing with all three little adventurers on our own and we managed to pack in lots in just one day!

Michael Jackson Exhibition

The National Portrait Gallery is currently exhibiting the Michael Jackson, Writing on the Wall exhibit which is a must see for any fans. Doc was brought up Michael Jackson music so it was a shame he wasn’t with us for the visit as I think he would have loved it.

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My little adventurers have been listening to the songs for years so we thought we would give the exhibit a whirl.  The exhibit is a range of art pieces inspired by Michael Jackson, his life and his music. I loved the different mediums that were used from the people singing the songs, to Michael Jacksons jacket, to art made from words of the songs.  With young adventurers aged under 10 years old, I think it was a little too much but for older teens and fans of the

Free activities in Leicester Square

One of the major areas, which I love to visit, is always Leicester Square, whether it be in summer or winter there is always a real buzz in the area and lots for little adventurers to do and see. Two activities which my little adventurers adore are the M&M and Lego store. Both are fabulous attractions in their own right and if your little adventurers are like mine, they will just be wowed by all everything there is to see and admire across all the floors. The M&M store had three floors of “chocolately” goodness and the floor with shelves and shelves of M&Ms is a real sight to behold.

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We actually spent a few hours in Leicester Square as the sun was beating down over the city, the grass area was a welcome shaded area to watch the hustle and bustle of the city and people pass by. The little adventurers have a new found love for card games and it was wonderful to spend time just enjoying the city without rushing to and fro. Our baby adventurer loved the water fountains and spent ages running around and through them.

Post Theatre Lunch at MOD Pizza

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After the Kids Week Preview Event, we visited MOD Pizza to road test their amazing pizza. The restaurant is located just off the main area circular area in Leicester Square and has a real laid back, super family friendly feel. The little adventurers were famished after our day of adventuring and were ready for a proper good lunch and MOD was perfect. We loved that you are able to personalise your pizza to meet all your needs and the little adventurers got to choose as many pizza toppings as popular.

The staff, vibe of the restaurant and menu were all family focused and as a Muslim family it was amazing to see that the beef and chicken they seve is halal so the little adventurers had more choice than normal. Maya is our Pizza connoisseur and exclaimed that “this was her best and most favourite pizza ever” which speaks volumes for how amazing it was.

Our first family West End Show

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We finished off our fabulous day in the city by watching the evening performance of 42nd Street. I hadn’t heard much about the show but was told the dance routines, costumes were incredible and the little adventurers would love it. We weren’t disappointed. As storylines go, it wasn’t the best West End show but where the storyline may have been a little lacking the dance, songs and costumes more than compensated. As I watched my little adventurers, their eyes were huge with excitement and then were totally mesmerised by all that they were seeing on stage. That is the joy of live theatre and that is the joy of the West End.

All in all we had a wonderful day and ended the day truly exhausted. Maya made and edited her first ever vlog, do watch it below.

 

We were guests of Kids Week and London Theatres and even though we received the tickets for free, views are my own and never biased.

Nisbah

I am a traveller, mother and blogger. We love to go on adventures (big and small, near and far) and strive to show our children how amazing and beautiful the world is! I caught the travel bug many moons ago and despite having three little adventurers, I still suffer from "itchy" feet. We love the great outdoors and one another. Come and join the fun :)

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2 Responses

  1. Flyingkids says:

    What a fun-filled experience for the kids! London has lots of beautiful spots for families to explore.

  2. Kelly says:

    nice, a perfect way to familiarize kids about theatre and great people that made it through!

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