Summer’s Songs and Stories

Summertime is show time for preschoolers, preteens and beyond, with a festive variety of high-stepping, music-making, horizon-expanding, family-friendly performance and arts programs. Here are a few outstanding perennials:

Ford Family Fun: With everything from African storytelling to Shakespeare on the menu, this series of daytime one-hour shows for kids of all ages and parents, too, is part of the outdoor Summer Nights at the Ford performances at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre nestled in the Hollywood Hills.

The family offerings begin with an unusual musical program, “My Hair Dryer Sings!” (July 5, 4:30 p.m.) from California E.A.R. Unit, L.A. County Museum of Art’s resident ensemble. It’s a comic romp that demonstrates the building blocks of music, using not just piano and violin but duck calls, plastic tubes, blow dryers and other unexpected sound-makers.

Also scheduled:

“The Vela Storyteller: Nailah Malik,” in a changing bill of evocative tales for ages 5 to 10: “Africa: ‘The Dancing Granny’ and ‘The King’s Drum’ ” (July 11, 10 a.m.), “Diaspora: The African’s Journey to Brazil and Beyond” (Aug. 1, 10 a.m.), “South Africa: A Little Boy, a Giant Monster and . . . “ (Aug. 15, 10 a.m.) and “Tales From Vietnam” (Sept. 5, 10 a.m.).

Kultura Phillippine Folk Arts’ “International Youth Folk Arts Festival” (July 12, 4:30 p.m.; all ages); Dance Kaleidoscope’s “Crazy for Dance” (July 25, 10 a.m.; all ages); JP Nightingale’s music and comedy “World Tour” (Aug. 9, 4:30 p.m.; all ages); East L.A. Classic Theatre’s retelling of Shakespeare’s rich tale of shipwreck, hidden identity, folly and fun, “Twelfth Night” (Aug. 22 and 23, 29 and 30, 10 a.m.; ages 9 and up).

* “Ford Family Fun,” John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, July 5 to Sept. 5, $7. (213) 461-3673.

Peter Alsop’s Kids Koncerts: Back for a fifth year under the oak trees in the natural canyon setting of the Theatricum Botanicum, this is a celebration of kids’ favorites: a bunch of strumming, humming, comic and creative singers, storytellers and performers. The series opens with the wonderfully silly, shamelessly punning, notably musical wordsmith Dan Crow (July 12).

Also scheduled:

Linda Arnold, with her polished Broadway-style vocals and charming kids’ songs (July 19); Peter Alsop and the Theatricum Kids, with tuneful songs of the heart (July 26); bubbly, sweet singer Courtney Campbell (Aug. 2); Barney Saltzberg (and the Boomers), who can get parents dancing, too (Aug. 9); songs from around the world, signed for the hearing-impaired, with Jeanne and Karl Anthony (Aug. 16); high-energy rocker Dave Kinnoin (Aug. 23); from Texas, noted Native American storyteller Gayle Ross (Aug. 30); master of circus skills Nathan Stein of the acclaimed, eccentric Mums (Sept. 6); folk songs for little ones with the mellow-voiced Melora Marshall (Sept. 13); the ecology-minded and fun Banana Slug String Band of Santa Cruz (Sept. 20).

* “Peter Alsop’s Kids Koncerts,” Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, July 12 to Sept. 20, all shows, 11 a.m. to noon. $6, or six shows for $30. (310) 455-0499.

Open House at the Hollywood Bowl: No doubt grandparents out there took their own kids to this venerable event; it’s been part of the summer scene for ages 3 to 9 for decades. Recent changes include a shift from eclectic arts entertainment to a global musical beat, but the format--weekday performances followed by hands-on workshops--remains pretty much the same. Attendees can still end the outing by observing orchestra rehearsals at the Bowl.

For its 30th anniversary, the 1998 series of weekly bills of fare sports a “Music’s Fantastic Voyage” theme. Kicking it off is “A World of Music” with the Erth Tones (July 6 through 10), played by instruments from far-away places and showing how music can communicate in any language. The post-show workshop offers multicultural mask-making.

Also scheduled:

“Stellar Strings,” musical games and familiar tunes from the String Family Players and an instrument-making workshop with Craig Woodson (July 13 through 17); the drums of Abalaye offering “Rhythms and Sounds of Africa” and Rlua Akinsheguin teaching African Wrap doll-making (July 20 through 24); Bucovina Klezmer Ensemble’s lively show “Crazy for Klezmer,” followed by a community quilt-making workshop (July 27 through 31); the swaying rhythms of the samba and Latin American jazz in “Brazilian Carnival” with Lula and Afro Brazil and a festive workshop in carnival props with Olga Ponce Furginson (Aug. 3 through 7); using gongs, bell chimes and cymbals, “Bali and Beyond” takes the audience on a musical journey through time; in the workshop, Balinese shadow puppets (Aug. 10 through 14).

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* “Open House at the Hollywood Bowl,” July 6 through Aug. 14; performances, 10 and 11:15 a.m.; optional workshops, 11 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.; all Monday shows signed for the hearing-impaired. $3 per show; $1 workshop materials fee. Free parking. (213) 480-3232; (213) 850-2000; https://www.hollywoodbowl.org.