I have to admit that I have become a little spoiled by my four-year old. She can dress herself, put on her own shoes, and walk independently. She’s at the golden age to take to children’s events.
On the other hand, my sweet, rowdy 18-month old son is chaos in motion. He is a dangerous combination of fearless and uncoordinated, so I have not been as good planning events for him. When I heard about the Kids Concert Series hosted by Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation though I thought it would be a great opportunity to have a mother-son date.
Finding age appropriate activities for young toddlers can be tough, but we had a great time at the concert and found it to be engaging yet still unrestricted enough to be enjoyable. West Park in Carmel was a great venue and offered my little guy lots of room to run around safely as well as plenty of great climbing opportunities on the natural rock amphitheater. {Editor’s note: These concerts alternate between West and River Heritage Parks!}
Kid Kazooey – the performer for the day – was silly and had no trouble at all engaging the variety of children present at the concert. During the school year, Kid Kazooey is a librarian, so it is no surprise that he was a natural with the kids. His music focused a lot on reading and the joy of books. True to his namesake, he played the kazoo as well as the guitar and sang both familiar and original tunes.
There was a large crowd at the event despite the high temperature, and there were kids of all ages from newborns being cradled and rocked by their mothers to adolescents enjoying the music and singing along.
Here’s what you need to know to maximize your concert experience:
- Bring sunscreen. Being the mother of the year I am, I forgot sunscreen. Thank goodness for my dear friend who saved the day and let me borrow hers. It’s hot. The venue at West Park in particular offers miniscule shade – the few spots underneath small trees go very fast – and Summer mornings are hot!
- Wear a bathing suit. Seriously, it’s hot outside, so why bother with clothes? After the concert at West Park we made a beeline to the amazing splash pad to cool off, along with the majority of the concert goers. Lucky for us, the sponsor of the Kid Kazooey concert was the Carmel Cooperative Preschool who had the foresight to bring a water table for the smaller kids. GENIUS.
- Bring hats, sunglasses, and perhaps a small fan. Notice a theme here? This pregnant mama was baking in the Summer sun. If you are heat sensitive or have little ones who are, this is the only possible downside of the entire event. Be prepared with the appropriate gear, and then you can just kick back and enjoy.
Ready to add this fun, FREE event to your Summer calendar? Here are some upcoming concert dates and locations:
| July 11 | Island Breeze Duo at River Heritage Park |
| July 18 | Tides Duo at West Park |
| July 25 | Jump and Hop at River Heritage Park |
| Aug 1 | Ruditoonz at West Park |
MORE INFO: All concerts are offered free of charge on Mondays from 10-11am {skipping July 4th since it’s a holiday}. Registration is available online, but is not necessary. Visit the Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation website for additional details.
Busy is a way of life for Megan Bohrer, a working mother of two kids with a surprise baby on the way. A recent transplant to the Midwest, Megan and her young family are enjoying discovering everything the Circle City has to offer.
As a social worker by day, Megan actively builds community relationships and helps families in need with her work for the Children’s Bureau. Megan also works as the Editorial Director for theCityMoms, the premier social events and support community for Indy moms. When her kids are in bed, Megan also writes for theCityMoms, Indy’s Child magazine, and works on the next great American novel, one chapter at a time.
