Kids come in all kinds of sizes and with wildly different interests. So we’ve cast the net far and wide to find something to satisfy any creative and curious youngster (and the young at heart). 

Stage stories

Show Day, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
4-22 April @ Ellie Eaton Theatre, Claremont Showground 
What’s your favourite memory of going to the show? The woodchopping competition, the farm animals, the baking bonanza? Spare Parts Puppet Theatre is bringing the wonder of the agricultural show to life this holidays with Show Day, at Claremont Showground. If your kids are 13 or above and curious about a career in the theatre, book a ticket to Pulling the Strings: A Technical Tour of Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, which includes entry to the 6.30pm performance of Show Day.  The popular puppeteers will also take over Forrest Place on 12 April for Puppets in the City – a day of workshops, activities and free fun for the whole family.

Cicada, Barking Gecko Theatre
12 April-8 June @ various locations 
Shaun Tan’s beautiful story of the lonely Cicada is touring from Margaret River to Bunbury over the next few months. Adapted by Arielle Gray, Luke Kerridge and Tim Watts, Cicada is told around the supposedly boring confines of an office desk and yet manages to run the gamut of emotions from heartbreaking to heartwarming. Our reviewers loved this parable of oppression and resilience at AWESOME Festival, with junior reviewer Pippa Turnbull saying the story “touched our hearts and promoted reflection”.  

A Fortunate Life, THEATRE 180 and CinemaStage
14-29 April @ various locations 
An adaptation of Albert Facey’s classic A Fortunate Life is also doing the regional rounds. THEATRE 180 brings his autobiography to life with a compelling combination of live acting and multi-media cinema. Follow young Albert from dreadful poverty at the turn of the 20^th century into the harsh WA outback and onto the Gallipoli battlefront before he finds love and happiness. Executive director Rebecca Davis reckons the production appeals to everyone aged eight to 98 – “it’s immersive, fun and entertaining”.

Movie magic 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 in Concert, WASO
14-15 April @ Riverside Theatre 
What’s better than a movie on a big screen with a rousing soundtrack? A live performance of that soundtrack, of course. The West Australian Symphony Orchestra has been working its way through the Harry Potter films for years, with magical results. As Harry gets older, his world gets darker, with friends Ron and Hermione joining him on a seemingly impossible quest. These concerts are a great way to introduce young fans to an orchestra and Alexandre Desplat’s score is a beauty. 

Disney 100: The Concert, Perth Symphony Orchestra
April 21-22 @ Riverside Theatre 
It’s OK to pretend you’re going along to this celebration of 100 years of Disney for the kids but we all know it’s really for you. And why not? There is so much joy to share. Join the Perth Symphony Orchestra and musical theatre stars as they play and sing along to scenes from some of our favourite Disney movies, including Frozen, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan and The Little Mermaid. With music as memorable as the well-worn plots, we’re willing to bet the grown-ups will know just as many songs off by heart as their children (and grandchildren). With Perth maestra Jessica Gethin directing proceedings, it’s bound to be a magical occasion. 

Learning fun 

Take flight with Katie Stewart
20 April @ Ellenbrook Community Library 
Want to know how to draw your favourite bird? A cockatoo or an owl perhaps? Katie Stewart, author and illustrator of Wombat Can’t Sing, is giving a free, hands-on illustration workshop at Ellenbrook Community Library. The former teacher and school librarian is an animal lover who finds plenty of inspiration in nature. She’ll show the kids how to draw their own birds with simple shapes and then bring them to life with collage. Once the birds are done, they can be perched in the library tree. Suitable for six to 12 year olds, spaces are limited so book to avoid disappointment.

Museum marvels
8-23 April @ WA museums 
Whether you’re in Geraldton or Perth, the Great Southern or the Goldfields, there’s a museum to discover and more than a few fun (and often free) activities for the kids to do, too. Learn how to make a wattle corsage or some paper posies; settle in for story time; navigate some super shipwrecks; or try to crack the code in a tour that is part scavenger hunt, part escape room. And don’t forget that the curious world of Wonderland finishes on 23 April, so get down to WA Museum Boola Bardip before Alice disappears down that rabbit hole for good. You can also explore after hours with Kids up late: Wonderland on 15 April.

Thrills and spills 

Uglieland 1923, CircusWA
8 April @ Fremantle International Street Arts Festival; 15 April @ Boorloo Heritage Festival 
Step back in time with the youth performers from CircusWA’s Level Up Academy as they recreate the 1920s when the Ugly Men’s Association ran Uglieland carnivals to raise money for charity. See them perform spectacular acrobatics, pile on the slapstick and celebrate the crazy characters of yore, including the amazing Lizard Man. Join a tug of war competition and cheer on the high-flying flappers. The Perth City Band, which celebrates its 100^th year, will help give an authentic feel to these energetic performances.

 

Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators 
WA Maritime Museum, 1 April–16 July 
Monsters of the deep come to life in this “seriously scary” exhibition. The 13-metre long Elasmosaurus and the nine-metre Prognathodon are just two of the gigantic creatures you’ll be super glad no longer swim among us. With immersive multi-media and hands-on interactives, however, it will certainly feel like these ancient specimens are within touching distance. Featuring more than 70 exhibits, including a 1.4-metre Kronosaurus jaw, Sea Monsters are bound to thrill and chill kids big and small.  

Pictured top: Hear your favourite tunes played live to scenes from classics such as ‘Pinocchio’ at ‘Disney 100: The Concert’. Photo supplied.