By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

The Fountain of Rings with its 12-foot water sprays is the centerpiece of downtown Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park. 

If you are visiting any major attraction in downtown Atlanta — CNN, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, the Georgia Dome, or Philips Arena just to name a few — or if you just want a downtown destination that is cool, fun, and a chance to reminisce about Atlanta’s hosting of the 1996 Olympics, stop to experience Centennial Olympic Park. About three million visitors do just that each year.

The Fountain of Rings, the centerpiece of the 21-acre park, is the world’s largest interactive fountain, utilizing the Olympic symbol of five interconnecting Rings. Time your visit with one of the four daily Fountain of Rings shows (12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.) where the Olympic fountain’s synchronized water dances to familiar tunes complete with sound and lighting effects. Water height during normal fountain operation can reach 12 feet, but during the Fountain Show, sprays can be anywhere from 15 to 30 feet tall—all in tune with everything from Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and The Little Mermaid’s “Under the Sea” to Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” and The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout.” When it’s not show time at the Fountain, children – and adults – love to play in its spray. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Verdi, Dvorak, Gershwin. These may not sound like topics of discussion that children would enjoy—at least under the age of 12. And they probably aren’t. But music—and music beautifully performed—is something that even the smallest child can tune into in some way.

Last fall I took then four-year-old daughter Brianna to Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta to watch and hear the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra play the musical score of “The Wizard of Oz” while that 1939 Judy Garland celluloid masterpiece lit up the hall’s big screen in all its black and white and Technicolor glory. She was mesmerized. Of course, a few gummy bears to eat and costumed Dorothys and Good and Bad Witches of the North and East scattered around the audience helped.

Then this past spring, my husband and I took now five-year-old Brianna to The Beach at Callaway Gardens to hear the ASO perform from their stage with Robin Lake as background. Chastain-like tables with reserved seating, candles and serious food and drink took center stage in front of the orchestra, but the grassy hillside was dotted with families and friends taking advantage of the free concert. To the left of the bandstand, children played on the beach, running, dribbling soccer balls, throwing Frisbees, occasionally yelling a little loudly, but all and all, soaking up the sounds of the orchestra. As it grew darker, Brianna and most all returned to their seats on the knoll to clap their hands and dance. (more…)