A trip to the theater can offer children much more than just an entertaining afternoon.
For children accustomed to movies, television and tablets, live theater offers something fundamentally different: there is no screen between the child and the story. Performers, costumes, music, scenery and audience reactions all happen in the same room, requiring kids to pay attention and use their imaginations in ways that passive screen viewing may not.
That shared experience can also become an important family memory. Parents and grandparents aren’t simply taking children to see a performance; they’re introducing them to an art form and creating an opportunity to talk afterward about the characters, story, emotions and ideas they experienced together.
As Simply Theatre puts it, live theater can be “a learning opportunity as well as a lot of fun.” Its benefits can include greater patience and concentration, increased creativity and stronger emotional intelligence.
Building Skills That Follow Kids Home
One of the most valuable benefits may be empathy. Watching actors inhabit characters with different experiences allows children to consider perspectives outside their own and explore emotions they may not have personally encountered.
Theater can also encourage creativity and flexible thinking because children have to imagine what is happening onstage rather than relying on the realism of a filmed production. It can teach patience, too: unlike television, where images may change every few seconds, a live performance asks children to concentrate on a story unfolding continuously in front of them.
There are potential academic benefits as well. According to the American Alliance of Theatre & Education, theater students typically scored 65 points higher on the SAT and 34 points higher on the SAT math component than their non-theater peers, although those figures concern theater participation and don’t establish that attending a play alone produces higher scores.
Confidence, Communication and Connection
The benefits don’t stop when the curtain falls. Theater can help children become better communicators and collaborators while giving them opportunities to understand emotions, practice listening and develop confidence.
Research highlighted by Parents also found that children participating in a National Theatre program demonstrated increased self-esteem and stronger speaking and listening abilities. Meanwhile, children who simply watch theater can benefit from exposure to richer spoken and lyrical language, potentially expanding vocabulary and language skills.
For parents looking for meaningful activities that don’t involve another screen, live theater may be one of the easiest choices. Buy the tickets, bring the kids and let the curtain do some of the parenting for you.
