'Toddler Hiking Club' Play Combines Art, Music, Nature In Northbrook

NORTHBROOK, IL — A new interactive walking play for toddlers featuring nature and silly musical animals is set to debut in Northbrook. "Toddler Hiking Club: An Imaginative Nature Walk" is intended for children between the ages of 2 and 5 and combines arts, music and nature.

From the Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences, the outdoor summer production runs from July 12 through Aug. 2 at Techny Prairie Park and Fields. The interactive walking play takes place along the Trail Through Time paved path trail, according to the Northbrook Park District.

Tickets are $17 per person, with performances in the mornings. The audiences will be invited to walk 0.1 to 0.3 miles on a gravel walking path. Attendees should wear appropriate walking shoes.

Professional actors will play a variety of characters and encourage children to participate in music, art and creative drama games as they walk along the trail.

The program will feature two trail guides (Trail Guide Bunny and Trail Guide Rat) and a number of
friendly and silly "musical animals" (such as Duck, Frog, Squirrel and Skunk) playing
instruments including the guitar, ukulele, flute tambourine and bells.

"Children attending this production will benefit from a connection to nature that will spark
engagement and imagination, along with physical activity and a sense of community," said Drew Kambach, visual and performing arts manager for the district. "This is going to be a really fun experience for everyone, with the benefit of introducing the audience to one of the park district's most beautiful natural settings."

The park district said Ashley Laverty, the production director, conceived the idea and also directed the original production for the Chicago Park District last year. Laverty is the founding artistic director of Kerfuffle, an award-winning midwestern theatre and dance company that creates performances for children.

The plot and characters of "Toddler Hiking Club" were devised with the help of young children
who engaged in creative drama and improvisation. The original idea came Laverty during her
many walks alone in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I always thought it would be so neat to create something that leans into the magical mysteries
of being on a hike," she said. "Like, what would happen if the skunk you're following turned
around and spoke to you? What if that duck swimming in the lagoon was strumming a ukulele?"

For more information and tickets, visit nbparks.org or call 847-291-2993.