Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Philadelphia, PA

So far we've taken my daughter to exactly three movies in her nearly two and half years. The first one went great until the last ten minutes; the second one was impossible, and the third, well... how did Kung Fu Panda end? Cause I have NO IDEA.

I think the biggest problem with the movies and my daughter is that they are too long, and too, well...not engaging, if that makes sense. Theater, on the other hand, is a completely different experience. After all, those are real people on the stage and I think that excites kids in a different way.

Luckily, Philadelphia is full of excellent places to enjoy theater with your kids. First up is the aptly named Philadelphia Children's Theater with shows available for a variety of ages and tastes. Mum's Puppet Theater offers a unique experience for kids, and if you want the great outdoors to be the theater be sure to check out appearance by the giant puppets of Spiral Q Puppet Theater.

But smaller local theaters offer great options too, like the wonderful Hedgerow Theater which has many children's plays. My husband and I have attended the Hedgerow's annual performance of A Christmas Carol several years running, but this year plan to instead attend the shorter and less "scary" version they've created for kids.

So check out your local theater, and discover the excellent opportunities that your children can enjoy. The best argument for theater rather than movies? It fits perfectly into a "buy local" strategy. But seeing local theater productions, you support LOCAL actors and LOCAL organizations. And how could you go wrong with that?