The Seattle Childrens Festival

Seattle throws some pretty cool parties, but the Seattle Childrens Festival is one meant specifically for children of all ages.

Actually, the festival used to be called the Seattle International Children's Festival, but in March 2009, the organizers decided to change the name of the festival to Giant Magnet. The reason for the name change was that the organizers didn't believe that the original name adequately reflected what the festival was all about. Mostly the fact that it wasn't just for children, but for children, parents, and people of all ages.

I'm not sure how long it will take for the new name to catch on, but hopefully it won't be too long because the children's festival has been a wonderful festival for nearly 20 years.

About the Seattle Childrens Festival
The festival takes place every May, specifically the week after Mother's day, and lasts about week. It's traditionally held at the Seattle Center with various booths and performances set up at different locations throughout the complex. There are all types of performances, such as music acts, circus shows, theater, and even puppetry. What makes Giant Magnet so fun is that the shows are specifically geared towards different age groups so that everyone can enjoy their time there.

For example, one show that ran a few years ago was put on by Le Theatre de Quartier. The show was specifically directed towards 2-6 year old kids and depicted a series of "first events" that happen in a baby's life. You wouldn't think that a 45-minute live production would be able to hold the attention of small kids, but everyone was fully engrossed in the show.

That's what the Seattle Childrens Festival is all about.

Before Heading to the Festival...
Before you make your way to the see some of the shows and performances at the Children's Festival, you might want to keep in mind that it's relatively easy to get tickets to shows that are going on during the week, but the weekend can be a bit harder. So if you have a chance to take off work for a morning during the week, that might work out better.

Also, it's popular for school groups to head on down to see a performance or two, but the public can attend any event at any time as long as tickets are available, so don't get scared off by the busses pulling up to the Seattle Center.

All in all, Giant Magnet (or the Seattle International Children's Festival) is a great event where your child can get a sense of culture beyond what they might see on an everyday basis, and it's a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your children in an environment that both you and them will enjoy.

If you want more information on dates and/or purchasing tickets, you can check out the official website at SeattleInternational.org

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