When I saw that Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood was coming to town I immediately thought of my daughter and her love for the series on PBS. As a cautious parent, I have concerns about what type of content she is exposed to at such a young age, but I have found that Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood has been a great fit for us. Not only is it entertaining, but the messaging is age-appropriate and encouraging.
This past weekend we had the opportunity to go see Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live “King for a Day.” Just like the television show, it did not disappoint at all! When the lights dimmed and the curtain opened, the children clapped and yelled with excitement as Daniel Tiger appeared on the stage. My daughter was overjoyed seeing Daniel, and much like the children around us, she began to sing along with all the familiar songs. She really felt like Daniel was speaking to her when he was inviting us, “his neighbors,” to come along with him as he became king for a day.
As we followed Daniel throughout the show, we watched him learn some important life skills:
- How to share with his new baby sister Margaret.
- Understand that grown-ups come back to pick you up after a day at school.
- Recognize that even though every person is different, there are many ways we are similar.
- Be kind to others.
The set and characters were colorful and bright, and the songs and dances were very engaging to the audience. I wondered how the characters would appear in real life, as they are typically animated, but the costumes and puppets were very believable to a child.
This was only the second time my daughter had ever seen a live theater performance. Despite struggles to sit through the previous performance, this time she paid attention and was engaged until the very end. There was a short intermission which I think helped the kids get a little break in before concluding the program.
One of the best parts for me as a parent was seeing the excitement in my mom’s eyes as she watched her granddaughter mouth the words to all the songs, and clap and dance as though she was right there on stage with Daniel. It was a fun time for all of us as a family, and I would highly recommend this show to parents out there that are familiar with the tv series, and even family members that are new to it but want their children to get to experience a live show aimed at preschool-age children.
To learn more about Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: http://www.pbs.org/daniel/
To learn more about the live production: http://danieltigerlive.com/
