15 Broadway Musicals for Kids
The world of Broadway musicals is a rabbit hole worth falling into with your children.
complexity of choreography, scenery, and costumes.
Watching a musical is a true feast for the senses, and our children are such willing observers!
There are, however, a plethora of musicals to be enjoyed.
Where in the world do you start if you want to teach your children about musicals?
In our home, I began introducing my children to musicals at a young age. My daughter (who has always had a song in her heart) naturally gravitated toward them and began asking for the DVDs to create a collection.
We would go to local productions (ticket prices are cheaper!). Sometimes we would see the "junior" version of a musical.
As the kids got older I would invest in good tickets to see an off-Broadway shows once a year.
>> Learn how one mom simply introduced the musical Newsies to her kids. <<
In our SQUILT LIVE! studies each January we have two live lessons about musicals. The goal is to expose children to many selections from musicals (through a month-long listening calendar), and also to explore a couple of musicals in depth.
(In the past we have learned about Hello, Dolly!, The Phantom of the Opera, Mary Poppins, CATS, The Sound of Music, and Newsies.)
Join us in SQUILT LIVE!
Learn About Broadway
Don't assume your children know what "Broadway" is. Here are a few helpful resources to guide your study of Broadway musicals:
-
Where is Broadway? This is a wonderful book that "sets the stage" for learning about Broadway.
-
A is for Audra: Broadway's Leading Ladies A to Z - a beautiful picture book that features some of the most famous leading ladies
-
Lulu the Broadway Mouse - about a mouse who is onstage in a famous Broadway theater (this book is part of the Broadway Mouse series - cute!)
-
Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated Story - great for your older kids who want to know ALL about musicals!
-
Lights on Broadway - a Theatrical Tour from A to Z - great for learning those theater terms!
Where is Broadway?A is for Audra: Broadway's Leading Ladies from A to ZLulu the Broadway Mouse (The Broadway Mouse series)Musicals: The Definitive Illustrated StoryLights on Broadway: A Theatrical Tour from A to Z, with CD
15 Broadway Musicals for Kids
Here are 15 "starter" musicals, along with age recommendations for each.
If a musical has a "*" before the name it means it is appropriate for all ages. Those without I suggest investigating a little bit and perhaps hold off until middle or high school with that particular musical.
A simple internet search can tell you a lot about a musical.
This site has a nice listing of musicals with age recommendations - and just a lot of good information in general.
I've also linked to performances on Amazon and YouTube - and in a few instances, a free performance online. Again, a web search will help you with how best to watch the musical.
Remember, less is more!
Even if you just take one musical a year, that's ok. Watch it multiple times. Listen to the soundtrack. Is there a book that came first? Dive into the world of the musical and stay there a while.
*Annie
*Beauty & The Beast
CATS!
Fiddler on the Roof
Hairspray
Hello, Dolly!
The King and I
Le Mis
*The Lion King
*Mary Poppins
*The Music Man
The Phantom of the Opera
*The Sound of Music
West Side Story
Wicked
I'd love to help you on your quest to teach your children about musicals.
Join me at ANY TIME in SQUILT LIVE! to learn about Broadway musicals. We have lessons about Broadway musicals in our archives, and each January we offer two new live lessons about two musicals.
Additionally, you receive a month-long calendar with curated selections from musicals for each day of the month, access to our ENTIRE archives (over 60 hours of recorded content), an exclusive member discount, and a members-only volume, SQUILT Goes to the Movies.
Music appreciation has never been easier!
My favourite musical is annie
My favorite musical is Matilda
omg my fave musical is definitely school of rock, although there is some language in there it teaches children to release their inner selves
We recently found Shrek the Musical on Netflix. It was perfect for my three and six year old!
I like how you mentioned listening to the soundtrack of the musical before seeing it with the kids. Since my wife and I both love musicals, we want to take our kids some time to see a show. We’ll be sure to get them ready and find one that is easy for them to follow. https://theflyguy.com/flying-effects