by Contributing Blogger Maytal Wichman
It’s no secret that I’m passionate about nutrition and feeding my children healthy food. I’m always on the lookout for ways to inspire and encourage them to make smart eating choices. I was in for a “treat” when I attended The Berenstain Bears Live! In Family Matters the Musical and learned that it was about, among other things, eating healthy!
The musical combines a few stories from some of the very popular children’s book series The Berenstain Bears, by Stan and Jan Berenstain. In one of the stories Brother is sick and the doctor thinks the family has been eating too many cookies and sugary snacks. Brother has to stay home and miss soccer and Mama decides to make some dietary changes: the kids get healthy food, such as carrots, nuts and raisins to take to school and all junk food is eliminated from the house. The message is clear: junk food makes you sick. I could not have been happier with this gentle, not-in-your-face approach to educating children about junk food.
In another story, Sister is always talking to strangers and Brother warns her that this is not a good habit. Sister becomes so afraid, that she stops talking to people she does not know. My kids actually own this book (The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers) and I loved the way the book was adapted into the musical. It made the message even more clear, which is important for younger kids, who may not understand certain concepts only via the medium of books.
The show itself was very entertaining and high-energy! The different stories are interwoven together and flow very nicely. The music is catchy and fun and the bears are all very sweet and welcoming.
My 5-year-old daughter LOVED the show and said it was her favorite. My 3-year-old son lasted for the first 30 minutes and then started asking about lunch. Towards the end I noticed that some of the younger kids (ages 2 and 3) were starting to get antsy, but the slightly older ones were glued to their seats and seemed fascinated with the show.
The show is currently playing on weekends at the Marjorie S. Dean Little Theater at 10 West 64th Street and Central Park West. It is suitable for kids ages 2-10 and runs about an hour. After the show kids can enjoy free face painting and pictures with the bears!
Tickets are from $34.95-$59.95.
I was not paid for this post. I did receive tickets to the show.
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Guest Blogger Maytal Wichman is the owner of Mama’s Bites and also writes for Savvy Sassy Moms. Maytal has been living in New York City for eleven years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but writing about nutrition and helping families eat better is her true passion. She grew up in both California and Israel, which explains her love for California cuisine (fresh, local ingredients), as well as Mediterranean food (flavorful, heart-healthy ingredients). Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to two kids (ages 5 & 3) and works hard to ensure they eat healthy, unprocessed food, while trying to make it as delicious as possible. Married to a vegetarian and being a pescetarian herself, this can be quite a challenge. On an ordinary night at her dinner table, you can hear things like “More cauliflower, please!”, “How come I didn’t get a lot of tomato?” and “Fish oil! Yaaaay!”.
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