Art&Seek Jr. is one mom‘s quest to find activities to end the seemingly endless chorus of the “I’m Bored Blues” while having fun herself.  Impossible you say? Check back on Tuesdays for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too.

Last week, Rose and I went to see two holiday plays, hosted a cookie exchange and participated in the Unsilent Night walk downtown. If that wasn’t enough, add to that: the school holiday pageant (Rose was an elf), singing in the choir at church, the Boy Scout’s spaghetti dinner, cookie baking, last-minute shopping and the science fair. Whew! How many of you out there are as exhausted as I am?

At one of our many outings last week (I’ve forgotten which one) a fellow parent commented to me that it would be nice to actually bask in the glow of the moment instead of racing off to the next yuletide shindig. Of course, now that it’s the day after Christmas we can bask all we like – until New Year’s Eve. And while basking is fine for adults, going from 60 to zero in one day can be a little off-putting for the tinies. They need to come down slowly from their cookie-eating, present-opening, candy-cane licking high. One solution for getting the elf off their backs is to take in a play or a show after the holidays. They can be the perfect activity for everyone this time of year, because kids can ramp down without going completely cold turkey and parents can relax and enjoy themselves without worrying about the holiday timeline.

Might I suggest:

I love it that Theatre Britain has brought the wonderful panto (short for pantomime) tradition to North Texas. For the unfamiliar, a panto is a traditional fairy tale complete with songs, dances, jokes, exaggerated characters and lots of audience participation. And by participation, I mean, loud singing, lots of boos for the bad guy and alerting the good guy of danger. Theatre Britain’s latest production of Mother Goose has got all the elements of the classic tale with the added bonus of a wacky plot to keep the parents interested.

And speaking of classic tales, Le Theatre de Marionette will bring the story of Pinocchio to life with its hand-crafted marionettes at the Parr branch of the Plano Public library on Thursday.  The kiddos will love the part when Pinocchio’s nose grows eight feet onstage!

On the other hand, it you’re wanting to keep the holiday energy rolling for just a little while longer, Blue Man Group might be just the ticket. Their shows are the perfect storm of comedy, eclectic music and multimedia. The kids will love their explosive antics and props. Lucky for you, the troupe is in town  Wednesday-Sunday!

Happy basking, everyone!

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer.  She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 7-year-old daughter, Rose.  Tell us about your quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at [email protected].