New York City can be overwhelming, especially for little kids. While my 3-year old is growing to love our trips to the city, trying to keep up with her older sister on these treks has occasionally resulted in meltdowns and tears from over-exhaustion. A rare opportunity to go to the city for an age-appropriate outing came in the form of Minimon, a performance from Barcelona and currently being hosted at the New 42nd Street Studios in New York City. Created for ages 1-4, this show is a nice option for entertainment that engages little minds, but doesn’t overstimulate them, within the Times Square/Theater District.
What starts off looking simply like a child’s bedroom becomes Minimon, Catalonian for “small world”. The show’s main – and only – character, Lua, guides the audience through this alternative world within this room where a bed becomes a sailboat, a garden grows on the floor, and animated characters are projected onto the furniture into a little game of hide and seek. Because the premise of this show is that Lua goes through the dreams that have been left behind in this room, the whole show itself feels very dreamy while you’re watching it. The performance, while quite physical, is largely non-verbal. Combined with the overall setting, music and lighting, the experience is an entertaining yet soothing performance for kids and parents alike.
My daughter was engaged, yet chilled out, throughout the show, perfectly timed at 45 minutes. This was followed by another 15 minutes where the children were invited to get up and explore the stage with Lua, before moving to another room where they were led into an interactive group session of dance steps and wiggling around. That was super helpful as it was a nice little energy buster before we headed in the car back to New Jersey in time for her nap. Meltdown averted.
Macaroni Tips: Strollers welcome, coat racks available, and snacks and juices are sold during the interactive portion of the show.
For parking, try searching Icon Parking Systems for parking coupons at garages near the theater. Rates change monthly. Click here to see the current promotions.
About The Author
Michele Langer is a marketer, foodie, dog-lover, traveler, enthusiast of words and, most importantly, a mom. She grew up in the Northern New Jersey area until setting off for college in New York City, before returning back to the area in 2011. She loves to show her husband and two young daughters many of the experiences she had and places she went to as part of her childhood in Bergen County, while discovering with them the new experiences, places and activities the area now has to offer. After living in the city for nearly 20 years only to come back to her roots, she has realized that you can take a girl out of Jersey, but you can't take Jersey out of a girl.
Other Articles by Michele
Jersey Mom in the Big Apple: Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
Other Articles by Michele
Jersey Mom in the Big Apple: Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum
