Beltway Bambinos

(re) discover Washington DC through the eyes of your children

Children’s performances at Wolf Trap

Wolf Trap Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods has been one of our favorite places to listen to music in the summer. We bring a picnic and hang out in the meadow before and after the performance. Children’s performances will be at the Filene Center in July and will return to the charming, wooded setting of Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods in August. Below is the schedule for the summer. You can find out more about the individual performances by clicking the link. The shows have an amazing range from ballet and storytelling to hip hop and folklore. Click here to see the entire summer line-up for Wolf Trap and make a date night out of it.

Wednesday, Jul 21 @ 11 AM
Oran Etkin: Timbalooloo– Finding Friends Far From Home

Saturday, Jul 24 @ 11 AM
Dan + Claudia Zanes with Friends– New Beginnings

Tuesday, Jul 27 @ 11 AM
Joanie Leeds– All the Ladies

Wednesday, Jul 28 @ 11 AM
Elena Moon Park and Friends

Saturday, Jul 31 @ 11 AM
Maryland Youth Ballet– Snow White

Tuesday, Aug 03 @ 10:30 AM
Collision of Rhythm

Wednesday, Aug 04 @ 10:30 AM
Yogapalooza with Bari Koral

Saturday, Aug 07 @ 10:30 AM
Danny Weinkauf and his Red Pants Band– Dinosaurs and Metaphors

Tuesday, Aug 10 @ 10:30 AM
Pierce Freelon

Wednesday, Aug 11 @ 10:30 AM
FLY DANCE COMPANY: The Gentlemen of Hip Hop– The Healthy Hip Hop Show

Saturday, Aug 14 @ 10:30 AM
Sonia De Los Santos and The Okee Dokee Brothers– Somos Amigos: Songs on Common Grou

Tuesday, Aug 17 @ 10:30 AM
123 Andrés– Actívate

Wednesday, Aug 18 @ 10:30 AM
Soul In Motion– Transformation

Saturday, Aug 21 @ 10:30 AM
Falu– Falu’s Bazaar

Learn more about Wolf Trap’s guidelines and policies here.

Imagination Stage produces Paper Dreams; a free production at Olney Outdoors

Imagination Stage is bringing a free, outdoor show to the Olney Theatre Center’s (OTC) Root Family Stage. The free outdoor performances of Paper Dreams at “Olney Outdoors” will be on Saturday’s and Sunday’s from July 31 to August 15, 2021. Patrons may reserve free tickets in advance online or by calling 301-924-3400.

This show may sound familiar to some, if you have older children. Paper Dreams was originally produced in 2017 as part of Imagination Stage’s My First Imagination Stage programming for very young audiences – best for ages 1-7. The playful dance theatre piece imagines two friends who live inside a wastepaper basket. Together they discover what ideas might unfold from a crumpled piece of paper. Maybe mistakes are okay – perhaps they can inspire our greatest ideas.

The link for more info and to reserve tickets can be found here.

Paper Dreams is part of My First Imagination Stage, programming which focuses on ages 1+ and recognizes “play” as the “work” of early childhood development. Through live performances, workshops, and classes, My First Imagination Stage creates fun and developmentally exciting experiences for the very young and their caregivers. A national leader in Theatre for the Very Young, Imagination Stage began focusing on the youngest of theatergoers in 2010 with the world premiere of Wake Up, Brother Bear! My First Imagination Stage has welcomed guest artists from Italy, Great Britain, and Germany, and
has developed many acclaimed world premiere productions including Mouse on the Move, Inside Out, and Blue.

LOCATION:
Olney Theatre Center’s Root Family Stage
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832

Olney Outdoors

Imagination Stage will have in-person classes this Fall! They are also planning for live and in-person productions to be coming to their theatre this winter. More to come in August!

Related posts:
Spies at Imagination Stage

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Summer bucket list
Indoor/Outdoor summer toys
Water toys that are a summer must have!
Device free road trips and flights
Outdoor music

Live outdoor music in and around Washington, DC this summer

One of my favorite parts about summer in Washington, DC are the free outdoor concerts and movies. What seems like an eternity ago (please time slow down) we took a sporadic drive to the Mall with our then three year old where we walked around, played some ball by the reflecting pool and headed towards the Capitol where the U.S. Air Force Band was performing a free concert. A huge crowd was gathered on the steps and in chairs taking in the gorgeous evening and patriotic tunes. This post will help you take advantage of some great music that will allow you to relax after a long day (and year) and see a bit of our city while doing so. Get out and enjoy the lighter evenings, let your kids stay up a little longer and enjoy the music our city offers.

The Yards Park Friday Night Concert Series
The free Capitol Riverfront Friday Night Concert Series is back for its 11th Season! Every Friday night this summer, head to Yards Park around 7pm to relax and enjoy the river view, fantastic bands, food and beverage, and a large variety of great restaurants within a few minutes walk from the park. Family-friendly lyrics and grassy open space make this an enjoyable event for adults and kids alike.

Glen Echo Summer Concert Series
Concerts are free and open to the public and feature a variety of local bands and musical genres. Music in the series typically ranges widely – from Country to Reggae, Swing to Latin Jazz, African to Cajun and Blues. Bench seating is provided in the pavilion, and folding chairs are also allowed. A coloring table to help keep small children busy during the concerts is also provided. Visitors may also enjoy the music from the picnic tables just outside the pavilion; many families enjoy bringing a picnic dinner to eat while listening. Dancers are welcome as well. For those who are still not comfortable with in-person events, the concerts will also be live streamed on YouTube and also available to watch later. Concerts are on Thursday’s starting July 1 – Sept. 9.

The Patio Stage at Strathmore
Designed to provide a spacious yet intimate experience, The Patio Stage features socially distanced tables that seat up to 4 people. This allows plenty of space for you and your pod in a venue that seats just 124. The Patio Stage’s lineup highlights what Strathmore does best—you’ll find music’s brightest names, like Wynton Marsalis, The Lone Bellow, Sophia Rei, and Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers; revel in contemporary and chamber music; soak in international sounds; and be introduced to your new favorite musician from our Artists in Residence program.

Wolf Trap Children’s Shows
Performances range from music and dance—interactive, educational, and fun. All shows are about an hour long and are perfect for children ages 4 and up. A list of rescheduled and postponed events impacted by the pandemic can be viewed here. August and September 2021 performances are subject to change depending on COVID-related conditions and artist availability. View Summer 2021 policies and guidelines.

Wolf Trap National Park
Offering a variety of shows outdoor. A perfect way to spend a summer evening, if you get lawn tickets don’t forget a picnic.

Jammin Java Outdoor Concert Series
Returning for our second year of outdoor concerts. This year they celebrate Jammin Java’s 20th anniversary with a jam-packed calendar. All outdoor shows are free, and donations-only shows. You can enjoy food and drinks in the outdoor seating and limited-capacity indoor seating. Limited capacity, first come first served, weather permitting.

A Capitol Fourth at the U.S. Capitol
In 2021, America’s Independence Day celebration, A Capitol Fourth, will mark 41 years on the air. The show is broadcast to millions of viewers on PBS and streaming platforms as well as to our troops watching around the world on the American Forces Network. Details on the website as to how and where to attend in person.

Olney Outdoors
The Root Family Stage is an open-air home for the summer with physically-distanced seating on blankets or in chairs. Or if you’re ready for it, the raised bleacher seats are available at full capacity. You can reserve a “pod” of seats for parties of 4, 3, 2 or even a solo. Masks are encouraged, but not required for vaccinated patrons, except indoors for use of the restrooms or in case of rain. Expect a variety of shows through September.

Live military band concerts are free and no tickets are required unless noted:
U.S. Navy Band
U.S. Air Force Band– Fridays at the Air Force Memorial at 7:30 p.m., and Saturdays at National Harbor at 7 p.m. 
U.S. Marine Band– Every third Wednesday of the month from June to August at Yard’s Park
U.S. Army Band

Looking for a music festival?
M3 Music Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion will take you back to the 80’s
Distrito Music Fest is a one-day Latin American music festival at Union Stage in Washington, D.C.
Darn Good Music Festival in Centreville, Virginia feature 14 live bands in 2 days

Venues reopening:
The Anthem, Comet Ping Pong, Nationals Park, The Hamilton, Howard Theatre The Birchmere, Jammin Java, The Kennedy Center, Pearl Street Warehouse, The Pocket DC and the big outdoor venues.

Build your library with Bookroo

No details for this season yet:
Jazz in the Sculpture Garden
Kids in Canal
Strathmore’s Backyard Theatre for Children
Strathmore Kids
Friday Night Live Concert Series at Rockville Town Square
Rock at the Row

Raffi celebrates 40th anniversary of “Baby Beluga” with fan-art music video + GIVEAWAY

Raffi has been the world’s best-selling and most influential children’s entertainer, delighting successive generations of kids and their parents with his playful, exuberant personality and his irresistibly infectious songs for over two generations. “Baby Beluga” is one of the most enduring songs in the children’s music canon as well as a catchy one. More than two million copies of the album have been sold since the original release on July 10, 1980, and the song has been streamed hundreds of millions of time across digital music services. “I think that kids love how the song makes them feel,” Raffi says. “The song plants a seed of love in young children, love for a magnificent aquatic creature. What you love, you want to protect. So, love for a beluga is symbolic for a greater love of our world of wonders, our big, beautiful planet.”

This year, Raffi is celebrating 40 years since he released “Baby Beluga,” a foundational song for the children’s music genre. When considering the art direction for a music video to commemorate the song’s enduring popularity, Raffi turned to the people who have been listening to the song their entire lives. Parents were requested to submit drawings that reflected the lyrical content of the song and its Earth-friendly message, and hundreds of children of all ages submitted their creations. The animator YOUSEF (Tame Impala, Robbie Williams, Iggy Pop), then brought a handful of the selected drawings to life as live animations.

Fatherly.com premiered the new “Baby Beluga” music video. Entertainment editor Ryan Britt, says it “perfectly captures the gentle spirit of children’s imaginations everywhere .”
 Millions of people grew up with “Baby Beluga,” which follows a little white whale through his happy day, a hit song that helped spark both a public appreciation of a threatened species and Raffi’s own climate activism.
 In July, Raffi and cellist Yo-Yo Ma released a 40th anniversary version of “Baby Beluga” as part of Ma’s Songs of Comfort web series, garnering millions of streams within the first week.  The celebration continued with the launch of Raffi’s official YouTube channel at Youtube.com/Raffi, and a new web store offering a range of special bundles around the beloved little white whale.

GIVEAWAY: Win Raffi’s original “Baby Beluga” CD. Comment on this blog post with your favorite Raffi song. Open to US residents only. Winner announced on September 7, 2020.

 https://youtu.be/mIBY-LQYkVA
Please tag Raffi whenever you share this. 
Hashtags for social media: #BB40 #BelugaGrads

For the latest Raffi news, follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and visit here.

13 kid-worthy podcasts

Podcasts have become an obsession for a lot of adults. Some listening while they’re traveling, commuting, working, cooking and sometimes even while in the shower. There are a plethora of options when it comes to choosing a podcast and that includes a variety for children also. Our family typically listens to podcasts in the car on the way to the beach but now that we are home, we are beginning to listen at home in exchange for a movie or screen time. We’ve listed a variety of quality podcasts {most are free}; science, storytelling, music and history. All of these are easily accessed through smart phone, tablet, or computer, so prepare for hours of entertainment and even some learning opportunities.

Pinna
Pinna is an on-demand audio streaming service that reimagines kids’ entertainment. Each podcast, audiobook and music compilation on Pinna is expertly developed and carefully curated for kids 3-12. From science and fantasy to interactive game shows and mysteries, Pinna has hundreds of hours of programming to pique the interest of every kid.
*They have extended the free trial period to 60 days with the promo code PINNA4KIDS

Wow in the World
Hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz guide curious kids and their grown-ups on a journey into the wonders of the world around them. They go inside our brains, out into space and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology.

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids
But Why is a show led by you, kids! You ask the questions and they find the answers. It’s a big interesting world out there. On But Why, they tackle topics large and small, about nature, words, even the end of the world.

Story Pirates
The Story Pirates aren’t your typical swashbuckling sailors. They don’t steal gold, pillage villages, or claim land; they’re searching for a different kind of treasure: kids’ wildest, most imaginative stories. It all started in a Harlem school auditorium when a group of friends put on an absurdist sketch comedy show based on stories written by kids.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
A fairy tale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world. Based on the bestselling series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, each episode delves further into the lives of women from the books, encouraging young listeners to ask questions and explore their interests. Narration by real-life women who are pioneers, creators, champions, leaders, and warriors!

Book Club for Kids
This biweekly podcast features middle schoolers talking about a popular middle-grade or YA book as well as sharing their favorite book recommendations. Public radio figure Kitty Felde runs the discussion, and each episode includes a passage of that week’s book read by a celebrity guest. This is best for tweens and teens.

Best Robot Ever
Best Robot Ever is the home of the most innovative kids and family audio programming, including original podcasts produced by Gen-Z Media and its friends, and distributed in partnership with PRX. Shows featured on Best Robot Ever have won nearly all of the major podcasting awards that stand for great quality programming, including the Peabody, Best Kids & Family Podcast from the Academy of Podcasters, and iTunes Best of the Year. From exciting adventures and addictive mysteries, to hilarious game shows and popular science programming, you’ll find the best content for your next long car ride or after-dinner family listening. Tumble-Science, Earth Rangers and Pants on Fire are a few to mention.

Brains On!
Brains On! is an award-winning audio show for kids and families. Each week, a different kid co-host joins Molly Bloom to find answers to fascinating questions about the world. The mission is to encourage kids’ natural curiosity and wonder using science and history…but there’s no age limit on curiosity, and episodes of Brains On can be enjoyed by anyone.You can listen to Brains On and their other podcasts — Smash Boom Best and Forever Ago — at home, on the go, or even as you’re nodding off to sleep!

Stuff You Missed in History Class
Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Little Stories for Tiny People
Little Stories for Tiny People is a children’s podcast featuring original audio stories that will delight the tiny people in your life. Perfect for bleary-eyed parents, innovative teachers, and at-wits’-end babysitters looking for an alternative and non-annoying way to engage the toddlers and young kids they love at bedtime or any time! Each story is lovingly written and performed with attention to the whimsical senses of humor children often possess.

Circle Round
Created and produced by parents of young children, WBUR’s Circle Round adapts carefully-selected folktales from around the world into sound- and music-rich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. And each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups.

Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl
The Saturday Morning Cereal bowl is a weekly, two-hour program of music for the entire family to enjoy.  This isn’t simply kids music.  It’s two hours of some of the best family music you’ve ever heard.  So sit back with the kids and enjoy!

Peace Out
Short stories that help children calm down and relax by guiding kids through visualization and breathing exercises. Perfect for parents or teachers who want to teach mindfulness and self-regulation.

Live Streaming Shows for Kids: Online Listings

Everyone loves and needs music in their lives, especially now. Kids are already starting to miss their routines and familiarities. Here is a chance for your kids to sing along with some familiar artists. There are 37 artists (and counting) who stand together to help one another and our community by stepping up their game and preparing to transition their expertise in live engagement onto the online space! 

Below you will find a link to the resource where you will find the artist who will live stream music on a certain day and time.

Live Streaming Shows for Kids: Online Listings

Thank you to the below artists for enriching our days and keeping us smiling:

Amelia Robinson of Mil’s Trills
Lloyd H. Miller / The Deedle Deedle Dees
Hopalong Andrew
Matt Heaton
Darlene Graham/Rockin Tots
Hannah from The Buttons
Joanie Leeds
Joanie Leeds
Music with Michal
Suzi Shelton
Marsha and the Positrons
Katie Ha Ha Ha
Little Miss Ann
Miss Nina
Alina Celeste and Mi Amigo Hamlet
Megan Schoenbohm
Esther Crow
Flor Bromley
Stacey Peasley
123 Andrés
Under the Tree Arts
Vered of Baby in Tune
Mr. Hoo
Red Yarn
Marko Polo / FIRE DOG
Ben Tatar (and the Tatar Tots)
Mömandpöp
From Page To Play
Laura Doherty
Mr. Jon & Friends
Jesse Jukebox
Claudia Robin Gunn
Two of a Kind
Silly Goose & Val
Alastair Moock
Lucy Kalantari
Queer Kid Stuff
Joanie Calem Sing Along
Music BY ZEV
Dana’s Music Playground

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