KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sat, Nov 22: Thanksgiving Harvest Festival at Red Apple Farm
Sat, Nov 22: STEAM Family Fun Weekend 2025 at Museum of Natural History and Planetarium
Mon, Nov 24: 2025 Annual Trellis Lighting - At Christopher Columbus Park
Wed, Nov 26: Thanksgiving Eve Goat Yoga & Charcuterie Board Social - With Goats To Go
Fri, Nov 28: GARDENS AGLOW - at Heritage Museums & Gardens
Sun, Nov 30: Princess Christmas Ball at Hotel 1620
Sun, Nov 30: Santa Parade and Tree lighting - Greater Newburyport
Sat, Dec 6: Santa at the Eustis Estate
Sat, Dec 6: Breakfast With Santa at Irish Cultural Centre
Sat, Dec 6: Christmas in Rockport - Santa's Arrival & Tree Lighting 2025 at Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
Sat, Dec 13: Milk, Cookies, and Storytime with Local Author Bill Barnsley
at Old Sturbridge Village
Sun, Dec 21: A Grinch Christmas Morning Breakfast Social & Stroll With Little Goats at Goats To Go |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers,
A few days ago, my daughter Ella took her first-ever photo of a Trumpeter swan—actually, three of them, as you can see above: two adults and their lone cygnet. She’d been trying to capture one for months, and now that they're migrating, it was finally possible. She was delighted to spot the small swan family moving gently through the mid-November grays and browns of a flooded
field.
By this point in the season, most first-year birds already have matured, flown off, and found their way. But the cygnet in Ella’s photo is clearly a late bloomer: still gray, not quite ready to be on his own. Every parent who looks at that image feels something hard to name: the hope that the young one will be ready soon enough to fly, the worry that he won’t be, and the quiet reassurance that, for now, he’s not alone.
Trumpeter swans are special to our family because of The Trumpet of the Swan, E.B. White’s tender, funny, deeply wise book about Louis, a swan born without a voice. Eventually, Louis becomes a great musician, a trumpeter whose stature befits his name. What’s always struck me about his journey is how he’s allowed to become himself. His parents don’t “fix” him. Aside from providing the materials to set him on a course—his
father famously steals a trumpet—Louis works it out in his own way, on his own time.
Some young people fly early. Others stay close longer. Some wade through swamps for a long while on quests we don’t quite understand. Our job, I think, is to be like those Trumpeter parents: protective, patient, steadfast... and maybe just a little reckless, diving through metaphorical music store windows to get them what they need to begin. Then we stand back bravely and trust that the lens they’re
looking through will reveal the horizon they're meant to find.
—Debra Ross, publisher |
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes
from Deb" section of our site. |
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KidsOutAndAbout is Boston's online guide to everything for kids, teens, and families! Here is our 2025 holiday events list for Boston: Santa sightings, Christmas concerts, lights, trees, nativities,
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KidsOutAndAbout.com is conducting a short survey to better understand how families are navigating the fast-changing world of AI. We're asking all parents, grandparents, and caregivers—whether you're tech-savvy or not—to weigh in. Your input will directly shape upcoming national resources designed to help families guide kids wisely and safely. The survey closes soon, so please take 60–90 seconds to be part of this important effort.
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The Cosmic Girls Forum is more than a place to chat — it’s a launchpad for learning. Designed for curious young minds, the forum offers educational discussions, creative challenges, and positive peer connections that help girls build confidence in science, storytelling, and self-expression. Parents can feel confident knowing it’s a space where discovery and imagination go hand in hand.
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Admission is Free to Massachusetts residents every Sunday morning from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and on Wednesdays from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Proof of residency required. This offer is not available to commercial groups.
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November 14 - January 4, 4:00 - 9:30 p.m. (Closed Nov. 27 and Dec. 25)Step into a sparkling winter wonderland and stroll along tree-lined paths aglow with thousands of twinkling lights. Discover festive displays throughout the Zoo and look for animal residents, including flamingos, black bears and reindeer, adding to the holiday magic.
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Westgate Mall in Brockton is hosting The Salvation Army of Brockton’s Annual Angel Tree now through December 10, 2025. Help make a child’s holiday wish come true by selecting an ornament from the Angel Tree and then purchasing a child’s requested gift. The Angel Tree is located near Kay Jewelers. Monetary donations can also be made at SalvationArmyMA.org/Brockton.
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Grace Lin’s first picture book, The Ugly Vegetables, was published in 1999 to glowing praise. Twenty-five years later, she has created more than 30 titles, including board books, early readers, and middle grade novels, garnering Caldecott, Newbury, and Geisel honors along the way. Lin is a dedicated advocate for diversity in children’s book publishing.
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Join our artists for an enticing discussion on the intersection between art and music, specifically surrounding the concepts of rhythm and repetition.
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Celebrate your family’s special moments with Shoott’s FREE 30-minute outdoor photo sessions! Whether it’s holiday photos, family portraits, birthday milestones, or simply capturing everyday joy, our talented local photographers make the experience easy and fun. You only pay for the photos you love, with no upfront cost or sitting fee. Receive a gallery of beautifully edited images within days and choose your favorites. Book your session at shoott.com and create lasting memories!
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- Blue Genie Art Bazaar – 6100 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78752 (map), Friday, November 14, 2025 to Sunday, November 16, 2025, 10 am – 10 pm
- Live Music at The Domain – The Domain, 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Austin, TX 78758 (map), Friday, November 14, 2025 (6–9 pm), Saturday, November 15, 2025 (2–5 pm & 6–9 pm), Sunday, November 16, 2025 (3–6 pm)
- Lit with Families 2025 Texas Family Literacy Festival – Discovery Green, Houston, TX (map), Saturday, November 15, 2025 (see link for times)
- Miss National Extraordinaire, Texas – The Hills Church - Keller Campus, Florence Road, Keller, TX (map), Saturday, November 15, 2025, 2:00–4:00 pm
- Austin Sister Cities International Passport to the World Festival 2025 – Austin Central Library, Austin Public Library, West Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX (map), Saturday, November 15, 2025, 11:30 am–4 pm
- Sunday Funday- Neill-Cochran House Museum –
Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel St, Austin, TX 78705 (map), Sunday, November 16, 2025, 11 am–2 pm
- IST Open House – The International School of Texas (IST), State Highway 71, Bee Cave, TX (map), Sunday, November 16, 2025, 1:30 pm
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Boston area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams. KidsOutAndAbout has dozens (and dozens) of ideas!
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2025's best places to take kids in Boston as voted by Massachusetts parents! Parents vote, we do the math, and the result is the Top 20 Places to Take Kids! But there is LOTS more to do in Boston than even just this wonderful list: visit KidsOutAndAbout.com
to see our events calendar, find seasonal activities, get ideas for the perfect day trip and MORE !
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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