Theatre for the Very Young

2017-18 Season Shows Now Available!

We are so excited to announce our 2017-18 TVY Season
(click on the image for show information):

If you had a Munchkin Flex Pass last year, the TVY Two-Pack is for you.

• Save $5 when you buy both Theatre for the Very Young shows
• A $30 value, only $25!
• Enjoy both of this year's premiere productions for one low price
• Plus no service fees!

Please note that TVY Two-Pack tickets are good for TVY shows only. However, Flex Pass subscriptions are available for our main stage shows for bigger kids, and offer excellent savings, too.

Get a TVY Two-Pack today!

What is Theatre for the Very Young?

Our multi-sensory story experiences are designed for the youngest audience members, with moments of interactive engagement throughout, a small audience size and content suited to the unique early developmental needs of children ages 6 months to 3 years. (Tickets are required for children 6 months and up.)

A joint venture by the Bay Area Children's Theatre and Children's Fairyland to encourage childhood growth and learning by giving very young children creative opportunities to play, sing, imagine and act out stories together.

What to Expect at a Theatre for the Very Young Show:

Exciting Interaction! Be prepared to talk to the actors, join in song and dance, and touch or use various objects! There are intentionally no seats for the children to sit in because we want them to stand, move and engage with the actors as the show unfolds!

A Feast for the Senses! Colorful props to see and touch. Familiar melodies or new sounds to hear. And possibly even something interesting to smell. The children will be guided and encouraged to explore the theatre experience with their senses.

Theatre that Speaks the Language of Little Ones! You wouldn't expect a toddler to be able to follow a story, so we don't either! Theatre for the Very Young focuses on creating experiences that reflect how toddlers and munchkins take in the world around them – moment-by-moment!

Sneak a peek at a past show!

Why Theatre for the Very Young?

"Theatre for the Very Young (TVY) is a movement that is gaining visibility in the U.S. and aims to transform adults' ideas about theatre in the process... TVY can be wordless, devised, interactive, or immersive... TVY can also have real cognitive benefits."

- American Theatre Magazine
(Click to Read Article)

“Young people are growing more in those first five years of life than they ever will again. Every moment when you’re 2 is a moment of discovery. If the brain is the most alive at that point, then we want to engage creatively with that young mind and open a world of possibilities to that young person at the moment when they’re the most receptive to it.”

- Julia Flood, Artistic Director of Metro Theater Company in St. Louis

"Even as young as 16 months old, toddlers can begin to discern the difference between different types of non-literal concepts with the help of parental cues. The reason why that matters is that being able to grasp the complexities of the non-literal world at an early age opens the door to more abstract thinking later in life. In other words, doing stuff that makes many parents feel ridiculous – for example, pretending a wooden block is really a galloping horse or acting out silly jokes with toy chickens – could be the key to raising kids who are able to engage in innovative thinking later."

How to Raise Innovative Kids, Dominic Basulto, Washington Post
(Click to Read Article)

More about Theatre for the Very Young

• Toddler stage: The very little get in on the improv act, Lily Janiak, San Francisco Chronicle
  • Theatre for the Very Young, C.J. Hirschfield, Executive Director of Children's Fairyland