Dressing Up with The Night Fairy

There's nothing cooler than an awesome fairy costume.  So, with Halloween just around the corner and The Night Fairy taking flight on our new Second Stage in downtown Berkeley, we collected some awesome costume ideas to make your garden adventure with Flory, her animal friends, and foes even more exciting.

Accessorizing is key:

If you're looking for some classic fairy accessories to accompany the amazing outfit already in the dress-up box, try this tutorial for the perfect DIY wand and floral crown.

Don't forget to FLY:

If you're currently lacking the perfect set of wings, here's an easy tutorial to make wings for a fairy of any age and size.  Make some mom and me wings, or wings for the whole family!

Would you rather be another garden creature?

If you prefer eight legs over two, a beautiful garden spider is the way to go.  For a costume that will turn heads and only require a short trip to the hardware store, this tutorial will have you spinning a web in no time! 

If you'd rather fly than climb:

This cute bird cape is the perfect no-sew project.  Add a matching mask, or get clever with a headband, hat, or matching fabric braided into hair. 

Or, maybe you prefer life as a wallflower: 

Pick a favorite flower, or grab some friends to make a whole bouquet!  Copy your favorite flowers in your own garden, or what you see on weekend trips to the farmers market with this cute felt DIY costume. 

Whether you love to dress up during the Halloween season or year round, The Night Fairy is ready to inspire your next collection of garden fashions.  

Donating Your Birthday to BACT

Recently, we caught up with Danyelle, who donated her birthday to BACT on Facebook last month. 

Here's what she had to say. 

Of all organizations to donate your birthday to, why BACT?

Facebook's algorithms are pretty amazing. I search for BACT show information on my phone frequently enough that the sponsored ads for BACT pop up a lot on my feed so when Facebook asked me if I wanted to start a fundraiser for my birthday, the images of BACT as a bright, colorful non-profit ad were stuck in my brain enough for me to remember them and search for them as an organization on Facebook. Social media ad exposure works!

But aside from that, my first experience with BACT has always stuck with me, a rainy Saturday morning, my son and I went to see Bloom Kaboom in Montclair and everything about it was magical. From the sets to the actors to the smile on my toddler's face. I was enchanted. 

My first experience with BACT has always stuck with me, a rainy Saturday morning, my son and I went to see Bloom Kaboom in Montclair and everything about it was magical.

What drew your family to BACT?

I was a new-ish mom looking for resources of things to do with my son on the weekend. I happened upon the Rookie Moms blog which led me to 510families which led me to BACT and it's been a favorite of ours ever since.

What shows have you enjoyed the most, why?

I've enjoyed every show but probably the shows that are for the very young because of the artistry involved in breaking down complex concepts into bite-sized, easy to understand moments for children. 

What do you value most as a family about your experiences at BACT?

I value the time I spend at the performance not glued to my phone and fully present with my child and what we are experiencing together. 

How do you hope your contribution will help bring tolerance to the Bay Area?

I hope that my contribution will help the organization further it's mission and bring the experience of the theatre to children of all backgrounds and income status because the theatre is not just for the privileged, it's an even playing field and everyone starts out the same and that's how life should be. Theatre is a space of exploration and expression and every child should get that opportunity. Putting your self in someone else's place and feeling their feelings is acting, empathy, and fosters tolerance all at the same time. 

 The theatre is not just for the privileged, it's an even playing field and everyone starts out the same and that's how life should be.  

BACT gets parents... They get that kids will need something so before a show starts so there are books or coloring pages, or the entire area of Fairyland. BACT gets that kids are wiggly and so there are interactive elements. I don't have to be worried that my kid will spoil something because BACT artists aren't expecting perfectly behaved children. I'll keep buying tickets and keep going to shows because my son loves them and I love seeing my son captivated by art, in any form.  

Thanks so much Danyelle for helping bring the joy of live theatre to children across the Bay!  Cheers to another great year!

Do you have a story to share with BACT?  Let us know! 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: An Enjoyable Show for Children

Check out our Jr. Blogger Kara's thoughts on the Very Hungry Caterpillar Show!

On Friday, I got to see the student matinee show of The Very Hungry Caterpillar put on by the Bay Area Children’s Theatre and inspired by Eric Carle’s books.  This play includes the books, The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, The Very Lonely Firefly, Mister Seahorse, and of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The characters are life-size puppets controlled by puppeteers who use bars and their bodies to make them walk and talk.   The puppets themselves are colorful, majestic, and bright, especially the seahorse from Mister Seahorse.  The polka-dotted donkey puppet from The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse was neat because the colors were fun and the actors did a good job making him dance around.  I laughed when they played hide-and-seek.  It was like magic.  

The set was made up of moving set pieces that looked like trees, seaweed and lots of other things.  Also, the background would change color depending on what was going on in the scene.  The music and sound effects were captivating.  All this helped make the story come alive.  They had a narrator to help the characters tell the story; it really helped portray Eric Carle’s books well.

My favorite story was The Lonely Firefly.  It was about a Firefly looking for some friends to play with.  At first, he finds a lamp, a candle and a flashlight, but he can’t find any other fireflies to play.  Finally he finds his firefly friends and they joyfully dance around in the night.  I loved this production because it retold the story just like the book would.  I enjoyed the show immensely. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a show that young children would enjoy.