This post is sponsored by the Midwest Trust Center’s Kids Jam concert series,
a free series designed with families in mind!
Live music for kids is back! There’s just something about watching a live performance, singing along and dancing that really makes you feel alive. When my boys were little, I loved taking them to the library every summer to hear Dino O’Dell and have fond memories of them participating in the show. It’s something I’ve missed and was happy to experience the first show of the new (and FREE!) Midwest Trust Center’s Kids Jam concert series with my five-year-old daughter, Anna.
MTC Kids Jam concert series with free events is specially designed with families in mind, and they have a great lineup of family-friendly artists this month and into 2022!
December 11 | Dan and Claudia Zanes “The Holiday Sing Along”
This Holiday Sing-Along with Grammy Award winner Dan Zanes and his musical wife, Claudia Zanes, is a multicultural wintertime celebration for all ages. It’s loosely based on the Christmas gatherings Dan experienced as a child growing up in New England, in which friends and neighbors came together to sing carols around the piano.
But it’s the 21st century now, and the singers and songs are from a variety of traditions — Christmas and Hanukkah classics in English, Hebrew and Ladino, as well as holiday songs from Korea, Tunisia, Puerto Rico, Wales and Haiti. Instead of a piano, there’s guitar, mandolin, harmonica, flute, trombone, tambourine, melodica, ukulele and anything else that happens to make it in the door!
January 22 | Dino O’Dell “Dinosaur O’Dell’s Build a Better World”
Join Dino O’Dell for an adventure around the world! Whether he’s counting monsters, fixing spaceships or swimming in peanut butter, O’Dell’s interactive songs and amazing tall tales engage curiosity, inspire laughter and stir the imagination and are fun for all ages!
March 26 | 123 Andres “Activate”
Grammy award winner for Best Children’s Album, 123 Andrés packs their show with positive vibes and energetic songs that get the whole family dancing and learning in Spanish and English.May 22 | Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove
During this high-energy, interactive program, dozens of little rockers are selected from the audience to perform with the band on stage. Adults get their turn, too, during the fist-pumping finale.Mom Tips
- Each show starts at 11 a.m. and lasts about 60-minutes, perfect to get in before lunch and naptime!
- Come early for crafts. Starting at 10 a.m., arts activities are led by the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in the lobby. They had some arts supplies that were new to my daughter and now on her Christmas list!
- Check their website for the most up to date COVID-19 protocol.
