I took my almost 17 month old and six year old to see Kaleidoscope by Filstkit Theatre Company at the Pegasus Theatre yesterday. It’s recommended for 6 to 18-month-olds but my six year old was mesmerized too. We walked into the space greeted by a woman wearing rainbow glasses sitting on the floor playfully imitating the movements many six month old babies delight in, from finding their feet to rolling side to side. Gentle sounds accompanied the exploration, including from a drum. Everything from her black and white contrasting clothes, to the similarly ordained tent, and the soft mats we sat on were carefully chosen to resemble the contrasts that babies first see. My six year old commented on how calming the space was and, indeed, the still and quiet from usually babbling and wriggling little ones was testament to how captivating this opening mirror into the world of babies was.

From there, we were invited into an energising and nurturing journey - inspired by research into how a baby’s sense of sight develops and how they instinctively begin to categorise colour. Many adults might remember having a kaleidoscope as a young child: a simple tube that transforms reflected surfaces into shapes and colours. It’s derived from the ancient Greek words of kalos (which means beautiful), eidos (which means shape), and skopeo (which means to examine). The show indeed examined beautiful shapes with fun hanging lights on a tent, and introduced colours based on the science of how light first begins to refract for little ones. Movement combined with notions of how babies experiment with cause and effect to make for a truly magical show for babies. Plus, it gave adults and older siblings a chance to go to the theatre in ways that often seem inaccessible in those first 18 months of nurturing a new life!

The show also included a stay and play at the end, as the babies and toddlers (plus my six year old) got to play with glow lamps, sheer colourful material, bang the drum, and explore the hanging lights from the tent. That my toddler finally got to explore the space and wriggle around was very welcome!

I’ll also be keeping a look out for any other child friendly shows at the Pegasus Theatre. Not only is it a gorgeous space itself, it’s next to Caper - a new children’s bookstore which not only includes a lovely range of kid friendly books but also has options for adults, a Narnia-inspired through the cupboard door, a fridge full of books, and a range of art classes during the holidays. Magdalen road and Iffley road also host some of the best cafes and bakeries around so it became the perfect way to spend a morning and my seventeen month old had the best two hour nap after all the adventures.