Creativity All Year Round

How do you keep the freedom and creativity of summer in your life as school starts?

One of the loveliest parts of summer for many families is the opportunity to watch their children’s creativity flourish.  Sometimes “I’m bored” can be the most powerful tool for dreaming and exploring.

For years, when my son came to me with the eternal “I’m bored” complaint, I would find myself listing off the millions of things he could do: read a book, play a card game, draw a picture, etc.  Often this would end up in a boredom standoff…me getting more and more frustrated that he wouldn’t try any of my suggestions, and he, diving deeper into the “I’m bored” pool. But, this summer, I’ve tried a new tactic.  When I hear “I’m bored,” I respond: “Cool! I look forward to seeing what you come up with to do.” And then I go back to whatever I was doing before.

Last week, we had one of those moments. Ten minutes went by, and I found my son up in a tree with three clothing hangers and a bunch of string.  Still not sure what he was doing, but he was happy, and he stayed there for at least an hour without mentioning the B-word.

But, while it may still feel like summer, back to school is just around the corner (or well on its way)!  So often during the school year, there isn’t even time to think about boredom. It’s a rush to get out of the house in time, a rush to get to after-school activities or to pick up from after care, a rush to read before bed.  And the weekends somehow feel the same. Wouldn’t it be lovely to allow the creativity that can flourish with summer into our lives during the school year, at least a little bit?

More than 70% of the children in the audience come home after seeing one of our shows and engage in show-related creative play or projects--like acting out a scene, drawing a character from the show, etc.

Bay Area Children’s Theatre has been doing surveys for many years, and we have learned that more than 70% of the children in the audience come home after seeing one of our shows and engage in show-related creative play or projects--like acting out a scene, drawing a character from the show, etc. These small moments of creativity are at the core of how children learn—by exploring, dreaming, and playing.  And in our Little Performers Class, we invite children to take a fantastical journey through a story led by their teacher. They try on characters, create artwork to support the story, and help to fill in all the details of their adventure.

Children who explore new ideas and stories strengthen their imagination, learn to visualize, and gain confidence in being able to create a “journey” in their own mind.  

So, this school year, perhaps seeing a show will be the key to unlocking a moment of creative passion in your child, or perhaps taking a class will open the door to imaginative thinking.  

The benefits are huge. Children who explore new ideas and stories strengthen their imagination, learn to visualize, and gain confidence in being able to create a “journey” in their own mind.  

Hope your family has a happy journey back to school and beyond!

Nina Meehan is the Executive Artistic Director of Bay Area Children’s Theatre. Register now for fall classes at www.bactheatre.org

This post was originally published in the Piedmont Post.

Summer’s Here! Feline (and Other) Adventures Await!

Executive Artistic Director, Nina Meehan, talks summer, Pete the Cat, and to-do lists.
 
This article first appeared in Piedmont Post.  July 11, 2018

Summer can be a confusing time for families.  We all think, “Oh, summer is coming, it will be such a FUN time.” But, when I chat with other parents, it seems like summer is five times more challenging than the school year.  The kids are having an awesome time at camps or daycare, but parents are going crazy trying to figure out the ever-changing schedule of summer.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE evening picnics and weekend adventures, but the pressure for summer to be FUN is often a little overwhelming.

One antidote to the summer drive for family activity is a good book. For older kids, having leisurely hours to read a chapter book outside in a shady nook can be heavenly, and for the younger ones, what could be better than time with a parent, a grandparent or babysitter reading a favorite story aloud?  

Over the past few weeks, we have heard from so many families about one of their current favorite series of books: Pete the Cat!  Clearly, Pete has captured the imagination of children all over the Bay Area.  

Well, fear not parents, Bay Area Children’s Theatre has a perfect weekend morning or afternoon of pure FUN for you and your kids.  Yup…a rollicking musical version of Pete the Cat on stage! And, when you come, expect a crazy cat-filled trip!  

Seriously, there is something so delightful about a show that is funny and entertaining for adults and children alike. For parents, the show will remind them of TV favorites from “Nic at Night.”  And for the kids, it’s a giggle-fest musical journey. From the first reveal of Pete’s rock band to the grand finale, singing in the Biddle’s living room, this show MOVES.  We visit school, outer space, the Renaissance and even peek under the couch! It’s a whole summer’s worth of adventure in just 55 minutes!

Let’s embrace the summer of FUN, as Pete would have us do . . . find the time to explore creativity, share a moment together, eat something crazy!!  Pete the Cat wants all of us to just have a little Rock ‘n’ Roll fun, and I think he may be onto something! So, this summer, our challenge is to find those moments when we can put aside the “to-do” list, the schedule, the meal planning.  

Your Real Summer To-Do List

• Build a fort in your living room out of blankets and shoes
• Use a cardboard box to make a time machine or an astronaut’s helmet
• Cook an entire meal with your kids that is RED--the color of Pete’s shoes
• Make a rocket ship out of delivery boxes
• And come see PETE THE CAT!!!

Nina Meehan is the Executive Artistic Director of Bay Area Children’s Theatre. BACT’s production of “Pete the Cat” rocks out through August 5 at BACT’s Berkeley Theatre Center, 2055 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704, with performances on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Recommended for ages 3 – 8.

www.bactheatre.org  or (510) 296-4433.