Parents spend a lot of time thinking about what their children should learn.
Sports teach teamwork. Music lessons build discipline. Art encourages creativity.
But few experiences expose children to as many different forms of learning as a live performance.
In a single evening, children encounter storytelling, music, visual arts, costume design, dance, history, and culture. They learn how to follow a narrative, appreciate live musicians, and become part of an audience.
Just as importantly, they experience something special.
Choosing an outfit. Finding their seats. Opening a Playbill. Watching the lights dim.
These rituals remind children that some experiences deserve our full attention.
Fortunately, South Florida offers no shortage of opportunities to introduce children to the performing arts during the 2026–2027 season.
A wonderful place to start is Palm Beach Symphony's Sleeping Beauty and the Orchestra on October 20, 2026. Created specifically for young audiences, the free performance combines storytelling, narration, illustrations, and live orchestral music into an experience that feels more like a fairy tale than a formal concert. For many children, it could be their first time hearing a full orchestra perform live and discovering how music can bring a story to life.
As the holidays approach, families have several wonderful options. On December 19, Candlelight: Christmas Classics transforms First Presbyterian Church of West Palm Beach into an intimate concert venue illuminated by candlelight. Performed by a live string quartet, the program blends classical favorites with beloved holiday songs and familiar selections from films like Frozen and Anastasia.
Just a few days later, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical arrives at the Kravis Center from December 22–27. Because most children already know the story, it serves as an ideal first Broadway-style experience. Around the same time, families can continue a holiday tradition with The Nutcracker at the Kravis Center, introducing children to ballet, classical music, and one of the most enduring works in the performing arts.
As the new year begins, families can make the short drive to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts for The Pirates of Penzance on January 31, 2027. Filled with comedy, adventure, and memorable music, the classic operetta in English introduces children to a form of musical storytelling they are unlikely to encounter anywhere else.
Then comes one of the most beloved family musicals ever written. The Sound of Music takes the stage at the Kravis Center from February 16–21, 2027. If there is a perfect first Broadway show, this may be it. Most children already know at least one song from the production, even if they don't realize it. Long before they know who Maria is, many can sing, "Doe, a deer, a female deer." Watching them discover where those familiar lyrics come from is priceless.
The family-friendly season concludes with Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the Broward Center from April 6–10, 2027. For many children, seeing a beloved animated story transformed into a live theatrical production is the moment they truly understand what makes theater special. The costumes, sets, music, and performances create an experience that feels both familiar and entirely new.
Each of these performances offers a different doorway into the arts.
Some introduce children to orchestral music. Others to ballet, musical theater, operetta, or live storytelling.
Together, they offer a chance to sit together, experience a story, and connect with works that have endured for generations.
A child attending The Nutcracker today is participating in a tradition more than a century old. A child watching The Sound of Music is hearing songs shared by grandparents, parents, and children alike.
That's one of the gifts of live performance.
For a few hours, children become part of something larger than themselves—and part of a story that continues long after the curtain falls.