Pip’s Island: Immersion Theater for Kids

My boyfriend and I recently brought our 5-year-old daughter to the coolest children's theater experience we've ever had.

Pip’s Island is an interactive and experiential play that takes you and your kids on a journey through a magical tree portal where you are transferred to a fantastical Island where the journey takes place. The adventure takes you though 12 imaginative, spectacular rooms—they’re what dreams are made of. It all begins as the kids prepare for the expedition by wearing special vests. Each vest has a badge, and throughout the expedition, different icons light up as the kids unlock the “sparks.”

Kids are quickly identified as the explorers and the adults are the assistants. Adults are encouraged to hang behind as their kids gain the confidence to join the head of the pack. A charming cast featuring Pip, Finn and Pebble—three explorers who all have unique connections to Pip’s Island, leads the journey. Throughout the expedition, you navigate from room to room, each one more outrageous than the next, and meet interesting characters.

This immersive play experience is stimulating in so many ways, but we never felt overwhelmed. The maximum crowd size is 50 people, so it's an intimate group that allows direct interaction with the characters as well as other kids. We found the experience to be empowering for our daughter. After holding her hand through the first two rooms, she relaxed and gained confidence, eventually heading to the front of the pack. My boyfriend and I dropped into the background and watched the kids figure out how to work together to get “sparks” and light up their badges. We experienced a moment of magic while holding hands and watching our 5-year-old thoroughly immerse herself into this experience.

Photo courtesy of Pip's Island

The play is about 60 minutes and there are a couple of times for adults to sit for short breaks, while the kids mostly stand and move around. In the story line, there is a villain and moments of tension. This play is designed for children ages 4-10, and my 5-year-old wasn't frightened at all, just timid in the beginning. As we were giving the vests back at the end of the show, she asked when we could go again...and has continued asking! What makes it so unique, beyond the incredible rooms, is that the children are not just watching the show—they play a vital role in the story.

Photo courtesy of Pip's Island

Tips for Seeing Pip's Island:

RELATED: Find More Theaters and Performances Near You

Embark on an Interactive Theater Show in Central Park