Family Workshops

Modeled after Professional Development Workshops for teachers, these popular interactive sessions (lasting approximately 45 minutes) bring young children and their parents/caregivers together through a shared experience in the arts. They provide parents with an opportunity to sample the work of the artist spending time in their children’s classrooms. The number of participants varies with the presenting artist.

Schedule a Workshop

Available Workshops

JOURNEY TO AFRICA: Sharing Family Experiences
Kofi Dennis, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

This family workshop introduces many exciting ways to adapt songs, rituals, and activities from other cultures to every family’s daily routine. Participants will take an imaginary journey to share in the movements, sounds, and instruments of different West African traditions.

DANCING STORIES: Stories Come Alive!
Jody Cassell, North Carolina Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Twirl, bounce and slowly dip as dancing storyteller Jody Cassell makes stories come alive. Great family fun unfolds as the children join her in creative movements, rhythms and sounds to become parts of moving tales. Stir your imagination and delight your giggles! Come join!

AND THE BEAT GOES ON
Cynthia Elek, Arizona Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Using songs from many nations as a starting point, learn how to greet and dance and musically warm up body parts from head to toe with your child! Songs will be enhanced with simple movements, props and percussion instruments. This family experience will culminate with an interactive book or story that incorporates singing, chanting and body percussion.

BIG BEAR/LITTLE BEAR
Steve Elm, New York City Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Sego! Sego is how we say "hello" in the Oneida language. Wolf Trap artist Steve Elm, a member of the Oneida Indian Nation of Wisconsin, invites you and your family to join him in an interactive, culturally rich evening of drama on Turtle Island. This workshop illustrates how child centered techniques are used as a tool to promote and develop emergent literacy skills, including critical thinking and problem solving skills.

EVERYBODY COMES FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE
Slim Harrison, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Explore the diverse “Roots” of our American Folk Music and Dance Heritage while “a good old time is had by all!” Folk music and dances are designed to bring people together to have fun while “Learning by Doing”. Join in the “Jugband” with washboards, spoons, washtub bass, jugs, stumpf-fiddles, limberjacks, whammydiddles & skiffleboards. Simple folk dances are briefly taught and the whole family can join in circles, reels & square dances.

HAVANA HOP!
Paige Hernandez, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

This interactive family workshop dramatizes differences and similarities in family generations, culture, and dance. In this hip-hop theatre arts performance workshop, Paige presents her original work based loosely on her experience as a performer with African American Roots and a Latino Soul. Her story teaches us to be creative and unique using our heritage and family values as inspiration. The audience will see three generations of women who are determined to keep their spirit, passion, and culture alive!

MOVEMENT MATTERS
Rachel Knudson, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Come explore the magic of dance with props, rhythm instruments and a wide variety of music. Learn how to support and encourage your child’s growth through movement activities that engage all types of learners. This workshop focuses on fun and appropriate movements for building the body and the brain. 

SING YOUR CHILD'S DAY
Gary Lapow, California Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Get silly and sing your child’s curriculum! Sing along on some interactive songs that teach everything from numbers, body parts, science, and family relations to other concepts in your child’s world. Learn how music can be used to create a memorable learning experience. All of Gary’s original songs are cooked to perfection with age appropriate activities and spiced up with movement and laughter. 

PUPPETS BRING STORIES TO LIFE
Kathleen Lynam, Nashville Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Children love puppets! Learn how to transform kitchen utensils into puppets, engage your child with finger play glove puppets, and retell stories with finger puppets! An easy-to-make finger puppet pattern provided for a great project to do at home with your children.

CREATING A STORY FROM OUR SURROUNDINGS
Nancy L. Meyer, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Every object in a room, every window we pass, every person riding a bike on the street provides an opportunity for creating a story. Families will learn songs and chants their children have been using with their Wolf Trap Teaching Artist and explore a variety of ways to create stories together. Dress for movement because we will walk, dance, act, look and laugh as we discover stories in every day surroundings, in pictures, in books and even in a box!

PUPPET POWER
Joe Pipik, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Joe will explore the power of puppets through original stories. Puppets have the power to pique children’s curiosity, focus attention and incite enthusiasm for learning.

TAKING CHANCES - MAKING DANCES
Laura Schandelmeier, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Come dance and sing together!  How can you jump like a rabbit? Can you “jump” with your hands?  How can you use your body to jump on a low level? Learn how to make a dance phrase with your child based on a character from a book.  Explore the setting of a story with Interactive Movement Experiences.  Learn how to create an environment for movement exploration and vocabulary development through the Descriptive Language Strategy.

GOOD VIBRATIONS EVERYWHERE!
Sue Trainor, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Singing together creates good vibrations, here and everywhere you go. Take some home! You and your child are sure to enjoy playing with these imaginative songs, singing games and chants (which also happen to be great for teaching pre-reading skills and for redirecting behavior – shhh!).

RHYTHM, CHANTS AND SPACE GAMES: Movement For Memory
John Taylor, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

A highly energetic workshop led by John “Kinderman” Taylor integrates rhythms, movements and simple body part chants with more intricate spatial awareness games to demonstrate activities which help children identify and recall concepts such as colors, shapes, numbers, community relationships, modes of transportation and action verbs.  Finger spelling and American Sign Language are incorporated as an aid in teaching the alphabet and developing fine motor skills.  Sequencing games also build concentration, self-control and memory.

CRUISING THE CARIBBEAN
Terlene D. Terry-Todd, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Join Ms. T on a trip to the sunny West Indies, a journey full of songs, dances and stories. You and your family will take an imaginary voyage to the seashore and a Caribbean market place while exploring props and costumes which bring songs and dances from the Caribbean to life. 

Going Buggy
Jeanne Wall, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Story telling, puppetry and music bring to life tales about insects from different parts of the world.  Jeanne uses imaginative props to convey these educational tales from Africa, Mexico and Native America. Using an interactive story telling style, Jeanne brings her audience into the stories creating lots of family fun. 

READY, SET, IMAGINE!
Michele Valeri, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

In this interactive family workshop you will discover how the world of imagination can make learning fun everywhere and everyday, for you and your child.  Learn various storytelling techniques that will help open your child's door to reading, verbalizing, and problem solving.

MUSIC, WORDS, ACTION!!
Mary Gresock, DC/MD/VA Wolf Trap Master Teaching Artist

Come and discover how a unique blending of music,drama,dance and visuals can be an exciting, funfilled way to tell a story! Mary presents her original opera based upon the nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet, complete with a friendly spider, soft tuffet and a big bowl of curds and whey. A twist in the story leads to a creative exploration of sharing and making friends. The whole family will delight in singing and dancing their own versions of the beloved nursery rhyme. Plenty of additional songs and chants with fingerplay and movement will help warm up and cool down bodies and voices before and after the opera. Come join in the fun as Little Miss Muffet Goes to the Opera!!