KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sat, Feb 14: Lunar New Year 2026 Festival + Market At Lynn Museum Sun, Feb 15: Lunar New Year Celebration at EcoTarium
Tue, Feb 17: February Vacation Adventure
Days at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary Wed, Feb 18: Lunar New Year Family Celebration at Boston Public Library - Chinatown Branch
Thu, Feb 19: February Vacation Adventure Days at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
Thu, Feb 19: Lunar New Year at Museum of Fine Arts
Thu, Feb 19: February School Vacation Week: Ocean Voyages at Peabody Essex Museum
Fri, Feb 20: Boston Lyric Opera - At Boston Public Library - East Boston Branch
Sat, Feb 21: Lunar New Year Concert with the Boston Pops
Sat, Feb 28: Maple Magic at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
Sat, Feb 28: Maple Sugaring at Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary
Sat, Mar 8: International Women's Day Hike at Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary
Sat, Mar 8: Discover the Beauty of Classical Chinese Dance at Ming Hui Academy Boston
Sun, Mar 9: Little Leprechauns’ Bash at Time Out Market
Tue, Mar 11: Coyote's Trip from the Earth to the Moon and the Sun at Blake Planetarium
Thu, Mar 13: Under the Crimson Moon - Total Lunar Eclipse at The Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center
Fri, Mar 14: 2025 Annual Jewish Cambridge Purim Carnival at Warehouse XI
Sat, Mar 15: Saturday St. Patrick's Family Breakfast at Irish Cultural Centre
Sun, Mar 16: The 122nd South Boston Evacuation Day/St. Patrick’s Day Parade |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
Next week, my husband and I are heading to a Valentine's Evening behind-the-scenes tour of the Darwin Martin House in Buffalo, New York. It’s the same Frank Lloyd Wright museum we’ve visited
several times, but this version is fancily dressed for the holiday: candlelight, champagne, treats, and a fresh perspective on something familiar. That’s the real magic of Valentine’s Day: It’s one of those perfectly made-up holidays, constructed out of paper hearts, glitter, and good intentions... and it manages magically to transform our spaces, our schedules, and our spirits. As publisher, I've had a 25-year front row seat to communities
around the country who turn nothing into something every February. This year, visitors can say "I Love Thee" in a Victorian mansion in Riverside, CA while a re-enactor in a top hat explains the romantic origin of the Hershey’s Kiss. Frying Pan Farm Park in Virginia will
help kids say "I Love MOO!" with farm animal puns. The Oregon Rail Heritage Center invites everyone on a Valentine's
Express Steam Train ride that is more light-hearted than steamy. And next Saturday, biologists at the California Academy of Sciences will hand out heart-shaped valentines to their African penguins—who will then present them to their mates to help line their nests. Not
all Valentine’s Day celebrations require you to get out and about, though; just muster some creativity and apply it to stuff you already have lying around the house. Cut hearts from red paper and tape them to the door. Dress in scarlet or rose or salmon pink. Light a candle at dinner while you're eating heart-shaped cheese, toast, bacon, or lasagna (here are 25 fun recipes from Food Network). When you and your kids dress up your world together, you’re not just celebrating love, you’re celebrating creativity. And they're learning the life skill of transforming ordinary stuff around them into something special. It only takes one step beyond the good intention to make it so. Love can be grand, indeed. But it doesn’t have to be grand to be great.
—Debra
Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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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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Camp Invention 2026 The all-new 2026 Camp Invention® program, Spark, is coming to curious kids in your community this summer! Rising K-6 campers will collaborate with friends to tackle hands-on,
open-ended challenges. They’ll team up with robotic capybaras, ride the waves of entrepreneurship, uncover the power of protecting their ideas and build a DIY space rocket! Each experience is designed to spark confidence, build persistence and create unforgettable summer memories. Visit invent.org/save/camp to secure your spot! Register using CIFUN25 by 3/31 to save $25 or CIFUN20 by 4/28 to save $20 when you register. Interest-free payment plans are available, making camp affordable for all families. |
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Camp Winaukee is an all boys traditional overnight summer camp for boys ages 8 - 15. We offer excellent sports instruction amidst a well-rounded traditional summer camp program. Boys ages 8-15 enjoy playing sports, hiking, trying new things, making new
friends, playing on Lake Winnipesaukee and most importantly, spend their time at camp technology free! Full summer and 3 or 4 week session options available. 2 week introductory option available only to first time campers finishing 1st-6th grades.
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Celebrate Black history in this interactive workshop exploring Dr. Jemison’s incredible journey as the first Black woman astronaut to go to space. A person that contained multitudes, Jemison is an inspiration who defied expectations and paved her own path
to the stars. Workshop includes storytelling, a teach-in about Black identity and exploration and a craft-making activity to imagine how they can reach for the stars.
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The Teen Tween Advisory Group presents: Comedy Night!
Once a month, we will gather to tell jokes and workshop stories, and present them to each other in an open performance.
Thursday, February 5 at 4PM in the Waltham Public Library Trustees Room.
Generously supported by the Friends of the Waltham Library and the Library Initiative for Teens and Tweens.
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Join us for a reading of Claymates, written by Dev Petti and illustrated by Lauren Eldridge. In this story about creativity and friendship, two balls of clay “squish, smash and sculpt themselves into the funniest shapes imaginable” and go on an adventure.
Designed for children (5 and under) and their caregivers, PEM Pals aims to engage and excite all of the senses through books, movement, music, art and hands-on activities. Held on the first Friday of the month at 10:30 am.
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Take a cozy adventure into the world of winter wildlife! Gather 'round for a reading of Twelve Days of Winter: A Wildlife Celebration by Sherri Maret. After the story, hop on over to meet one of our rabbit wildlife ambassadors to learn how animals adapt and
stay warm during the cold months. Then, use animal track stamps to create your very own winter track book to take home. This program is the perfect opportunity for curious young explorers and families to get a taste of nature in winter while staying nice and warm!
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Let’s have a Spa Day! Join us for a little pampering and relaxation with our Witch Apprentices. Children will create their own love potion and receive a sparkly nails, fancy hair accessories, a touch of glitter with pink lips and rosy cheeks.
This workshop is limited to 12 children, pre-registration is required. Under age 4 may attend with the help of a supervising adult.
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Save the Date – 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration!
Join us for the 17th Annual Malden Lunar New Year Celebration—a free, family-friendly event filled with delicious street food, traditional crafts, lion dances, cultural performances, and the USPS Year of the Horse stamp unveiling!
Come celebrate, explore, and welcome the New Year together.
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Join Gwendolyn and Omar, two dancing pigs with big dreams, as they leap from their small town to the bright lights of Hollywood! Based on David Ira Rottenberg’s charming book, this delightful children’s ballet is full of humor, heart, and toe-tapping fun
for the whole family.
Ballet RI Black Box Theatre
825 Hope Street
Providence, RI
Performances:
February 8 – 12:00 pm
February 15 – 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm
February 21 – 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm
February 22 – 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm
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Join the March family around the hearth as ASP explores one of the most beloved texts in American literature, in a bold new adaptation by Kate Hamill (Emma, The Odyssey, Pride & Prejudice).
In the Victorian-era idylls of Concord, Jo March is anything but your classic Victorian heroine. Ambitious and headstrong, her dreams of being a novelist press against the starchy boundaries of societal expectations. But while her country comes of age as the Civil War rages, Jo and her sisters must also come of age – negotiating gender roles, politics, and romance as they define womanhood on their own terms.
Filled with laughter, love, heaps of New England charm, and sharp social commentary, Hamill’s adaptation celebrates the novel’s spirit while boldly reclaiming it for today’s world. This clever and empowering production of Little Women is perfect for all ages.
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- Drop-In Gaming Time (All Ages) - At Boston Public Library - Chinatown Branch - Boston Public Library, 2 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116, Friday, 02/06/2026, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston - At Boston Public Library - Central Library in Copley Square - Boylston Street, Boston, MA, Friday, 02/06/2026 to Sunday, 02/08/2026, Times Vary
- Game Time! (All Ages) - At Boston Public Library - Lower Mills - Boston Public Library, 27 Richmond Street, Boston, MA, Friday, 02/06/2026, 3:00
pm - 4:30 pm
- 17th Annual Malden Lunar New Year Celebration - Chinese Culture Connection, Salem Street, Malden, MA, Saturday, 02/07/2026, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
- Boston Family Days At Museum of Science - Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston, MA 02114, Sunday, 02/08/2026, 9 am - 5 pm
- Mayor Michelle Wu's Boston Family Days- At Old State
House (Boston) - 310 Washington Street, Boston, MA, Sunday, 02/08/2026, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
- Free Yoga & Movement Demo
Class - Arts Collabortive Medford, Sunday, 02/08/2026, 8:45-9:15am
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Boston area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school…
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Boston area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping a
spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist,…
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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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