Survival Tips for Shopping Centre Holiday Shows

You've probably already been for some of the free holiday programmes running at miscellaneous shopping centres, e.g. Barney, Dora etc. 

I brought Hannah to watch Barney and had the good fortune to turn up an hour early ... but there were already 20 people in the queue in front of us. There's a whole strategy for surviving holiday shows, and standing in line, I've had the chance to observe some fantastic ones and come up with a few of my own ... here goes:

1. Bring help ... as much as you can muster

Some shows (e.g. Dora according to a friend) make you queue in one line for photo-op passes, and in another line for the show, so extra help means you can conquer as many lines as there are. Help will also be needed if your child needs to use the toilet (*groan*) and you need to leave the queue. (On the matter of water, ration your child to drink in sips. After all, it wouldn't do to have to pee just when it's time to take photos with Barney.)

2. Pack a lunch/dinner for meal-time shows

I was prep'd and packed a picnic lunch which we consumed while waiting in line. The show was at 2, but we started queueing at 1 and some others, earlier. When I took out the salmon shitake sandwiches, everybody looked. And when Hannah bit into her juicy, oversized, bursting with fatty flavour bratwurst sausage, people started leaving the queue and coming back with MacDonalds. 

3. Have toys/games on hand

Kids get restless in line and having toys or games on hand helps you keep your sanity. If you didn't bring any, getting your kids to befriend some other bored kid fulfills the same objective. 

4. Bring hand extensions

A gazillion kids fighting to go up on stage to sing with Barney means your child may not get noticed. But if you give him/her hand extensions (like a whopping big foam hand), that greatly increases the odds in his/her favour.

5. Be kind to queue cutters

Be compassionate on those who cut queues in front of you. If they feel the need to cut queue for a free half hour programme in a shopping centre, they need help. Give them the number for Woodbridge Hospital.... opps, IMH.

6. Bring a handbuster

Kids love the confetti that they shoot out at end of the shows. They go around collecting them like treasures. So bring a handbuster to suck it all up in a time-efficient manner. Heck, offer your cleaning services for priority seating at the next show. 

7. Lastly ... bring a camera

You've fought hard to get a personal photo with Barbie. So don't forget the camera (*doh!*)

... Incidentally, if you still haven't been for any, here's a selection of programmes still showing