We all heard advice to give experiences rather than stuff for holiday. During the holiday season, the tickets to The Nutcracker ballet might be an obvious gift choice. But if you think the ticket price is too steep or afraid your children are too young to sit through entire performance, you could create The Nutcracker experience right in the comfort of your home. Here are a few simple ideas.
- Choose your favorite version of The Nutcracker that could be rented or streamed. The timeless ones by George Balanchine or Mikhail Baryshnikov (my personal favorite) are always great choices.
- Make a bright invitation and pack it in a nice box as a gift.
- Tell your kids the plot or read the the story of the Nutcracker. Here are my personal favorites: The Nutcracker adopted from original Hoffman’s story (more suitable for older kids) and the shorter version based on a ballet (works well for younger children.)
- Make your own tickets or ask kids to make them.
- Dress up nicely like for a night out.
- Prepare your room to look like “a theater”.
- Children may “sell” the tickets and pretend to be ushers.
- Watch with them as much or as little as they will be able to enjoy or break it into parts and finish on another day.
- Have fun!
Kids Inspired by Classical Music and FineArt 