Expect your kiddos to be fully engaged for the fun, typically hour-long concerts where kids can wiggle and bop to the beat in their seats and some concerts incorporate git-yer-giggles-out dance steps, hand moves and singing. Overall, a blast and highly recommended!

WHAT YOU MIGHT HEAR:
We’ve enjoyed everything from Klezmer to Country to Bernstein to Lemony Snicket to Salsa to Rock (yes, even NYC’s own awesome Dan Zanes played the series—with Natalie Merchant—how cool is that?!). Some offer visuals, like the recent (and absolutely delightful) Polar Express holiday concert featuring veteran Broadway actor John Tartaglia and the New York Pops. It’s fairly typical at such concerts to feature a “special guest” or even to have multiple musical groups appear together, which can make for a very lively experience indeed.

Many (though not all) concerts have what they call “pre-concert activities” an hour before the show. In short, GO! Especially if Charlotte Blake Alston, storyteller/singer extraordinaire, will appear. She’s as good as the concerts themselves.

TIP: Preconcert activities invariably start exactly on time. Don’t go late.

For each child attending there is always a colorful interactive kids’ program, handed out when you take your seats. so…

TIP: Always bring a pen or pencil along so your kids can work on these before the concert starts.

AGE RANGE:
The concerts are officially geared towards children ages 5-12 but (nice perk) babies and toddlers are welcome as long as you purchase a ticket for them (and are willing to whisk them lobby-ward if they get too disruptive). My only quibble is that they charge full admission for babies. At least the tickets are reasonably priced at $9 ticket for all seats.

WHEN TO GO & WHAT’S UP NEXT:
Family Concerts run all year long except during the Summer. All Family Concerts take place on the weekends, usually starting at 1 or 2pm.

Upcoming concerts in this series include:
Time for Three (two violins and a double bass) Saturday, March 27, 2010 Polygraph Lounge (improvisational music with “zany” instruments) Saturday, May 15, 2010
Ensemble ACJW, (musicians from The Academy partnership), Saturday, June 5, 2010

For tickets and more information about the Family Concerts click HERE

The Family Concert series is true to its name as it is genuinely geared to give pleasure to the whole family with material never too juvenile for big kids (or grownups for that matter) and never inaccessible to the smaller ones either. It’s a great way to hear some top notch musical talent and introduce your kids to new sounds and genres.

For Younger Kids: If you have smaller children (ages 4-6 ) and are looking for a weekday series that will introduce them to the instruments and their classifications (e.g. woodwinds, brass, etc.) in an informal educational setting (as opposed to a full concert experience), the Carnegie Kids series is also worthwhile. Tickets are only $6 with bi-annual sessions in Winter and Spring.

For more information on this series younger-kid series please click HERE

Photo credit: Julien Jourdes

For more fun outings like this check out our Art & Shows Guide.

Find more family fun shows and cultural activities in our Culture Guide