KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sat, Feb 28: Maple Magic at Drumlin Farm Wildlife
Sanctuary
Sat, Feb 28: Maple Sugaring at Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary Sun, Mar 1: Maple Magic at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
Wed, Mar 4: 6th Annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration
at Irish Cultural Centre
Thu, Mar 5: Celtic Woman at Orpheum Theatre Boston Sat, Mar 7: Camp Exploration Day at Code Ninjas - Canton
Sun, Mar 8: Free Intro Yoga & Movement Class for Littles at Wiggles & Jiggles Fitness for Littles
Sun, Mar 9: Little Leprechauns’ Bash at Time Out Market Sat, Mar 14: Children's Art Discovery
Classes: Color Me Curious at The Guild of Boston Artists
Sun, Mar 15: Áine Minogue Irish Harpist - St. Patrick's
Day Concert at Wright-Locke Farm
Sun, Mar 16: The 122nd South Boston Evacuation Day/St. Patrick’s Day Parade |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: February is Children’s Dental Health Month, which means it's the perfect time to talk about LYING. The first lie my daughter Madison ever attempted was when she was about 3. "Did you brush your teeth?” I asked as she was getting ready for bed. She nodded earnestly, but I had my doubts; a check of the toothbrush revealed it was dry as the Sahara. "Looks like
we need a do-over," I said. "Try again." In a 2025 Delta Dental study of 1000 parents of kids age 12 and under, 67% of respondents reported difficulty in getting their kids to brush their teeth. And in a related but thoroughly
unscientific survey, 100% of the friends I asked told me that their own kids have lied about tooth brushing at least once. See, young children don’t experience truth as adults do; their developing minds blur the line between reality and hope, between what happened and what they would prefer had happened. Brushing is tedious, being done is better. Add a desire to please Mom, and those wires can cross. In those early years, our job is to help kids gradually separate fact from
wishful thinking. You might think that prosecuting dishonesty harshly might scare kids into telling the truth, but that often just scares them into hiding more cleverly. Our goal as parents isn't just to have kids who brush their teeth and do their own homework and someday file tax returns without creative interpretations of “business mileage,” although we do want all those things. But overall, we want kids who are brave enough to be, rather than seem to
be. If they see early that mistakes can be brought into the light and fixed with a do-over, they’re far less likely to build a life around pretending they didn't happen. So my best recommendation for Children's Dental Health Month is to model both scrupulous honesty and scrupulous teeth-brushing yourself. In case you need an immediate solution, though, I hunted down a list of kids' best tooth-brushing songs thoughtfully supplied by the American Dental Association. Grit your teeth and hum along.
—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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Bring in the Year of the Horse at the MFA! Stop by on the evening of Thursday, February 19, and celebrate the Lunar New Year by exploring Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese art from our collection. Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asia and around the world.
This year, the holiday marks the Year of the Horse, one of the 12 animals of the zodiac in many Asian countries.
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Step inside a breathtaking re-creation of the Sistine Chapel — where Michelangelo’s iconic ceiling paintings are brought down to eye level.
Rated 4.8/5.0 by over 3 million guests.
No trip to Rome needed. No crowds.
Just an unforgettable experience of art, light, and scale — in a peaceful, immersive setting for all ages.
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Join Boston Lyric Opera for OPERA STORIES: Daughter of the Regiment – an interactive, 45-minute performance for kids aged 5-12. Experience and learn how we bring a story to life through music, acting, and movement in this introduction to opera.
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February Vacation Week: Prehistoric Planet
February 16 – 20, 2026
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
What was the world like when dinosaurs roamed the Earth? Dig into geology and paleontology with us to learn about the history of our planet and all its incredible creatures. We will track footprints, touch real fossils, meet distant descendants of the dinosaurs, and more!
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Calling all New Members!
Join us Friday, February 20th from 9am to 12pm or 4pm to 6:30pm for a Free Trial Day! The perfect activity to add to your Winter Break Itinerary.
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Welcome the Year of the Horse with a vibrant festival heralding new beginnings and the coming of spring! Enjoy a scavenger hunt, art making and tours of Yin Yu Tang.
Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. While some traditions are shared across countries, others are unique to one region, community or national cultural identity. Our programming this year focuses on Chinese cultural traditions.
Please note that museum galleries will not open until after the morning performance concludes.
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Join us to celebrate Black History Month! There will be other arts and crafts opportunities available as well.
Participants are provided with lunch and are also introduced to a Black American painter through a story that is read aloud.
Registration is Required
Annually, North Shore Juneteenth Association organizes an event to give all members in our community a chance to paint the Juneteenth flag and learn about the symbolism behind the flag.
There will be other arts and crafts opportunities available as well.
Participants are provided with lunch and are also introduced to a Black American painter through a story that is read aloud.
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Be apart of the storytime circle! Join us for a reading of Joy Takes Root with author Gwendolyn Wallace!
In this story about the importance of intergenerational wisdom, a young Black girl journeys into the world of herbal medicine, gardening, and mindfulness during a summer spent with her grandmother. Celebrate Black History Month through stories and imagination. Gwendolyn Wallace leads this engaging Children’s Storytime, bringing joy, creativity, and meaningful conversation to young readers and their families. In “Joy Takes Root”, a young Black girl
immerses herself into the world of herbal medicine, gardening, and mindfulness during a summer with her grandmother. Read along and let the stories take root!
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Quincy's Lunar New Year Festival returns for its 38th year! Usher in the Year of the Horse with food, games, performances, and more!
Join us for Quincy's signature Lunar New Festival! Celebrate diverse Asian cultures and usher in the Year of the Horse at this free, family-friendly festival. From delicious food, energizing cultural performances, and a variety of booths and activities, there's something for everyone to enjoy!
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- Boston Lyric Opera - At Boston Public Library - East Boston Branch - 365 Bremen St, East Boston, Boston, MA 02128, Friday, February 20, 2026, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Drop-In Gaming Time (All Ages) - At Boston Public Library - Chinatown Branch - 2 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116, Friday, February 20, 2026, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Free Trial Day at Goldfish Swim School North Attleboro - South Washington Street, North Attleborough,
MA, Friday, February 20, 2026, 9-12pm and 4-6:30pm
- Game Time! (All Ages) - At Boston Public Library - Lower Mills - 27 Richmond Street, Boston, MA, Friday, February 20, 2026, 3:00 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, February 20, 2026, Times Vary
- Children's
Storytime: Joy Takes Root - Museum of African American History - 46 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02114, Sunday, February 21, 2026, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
- Celebrating Black History: A Paint Workshop! Family Friendly - At Old Tyme Italian Cuisine - North Shore Juneteenth Association Inc - Boston Street, Lynn, MA, Sunday, February 21, 2026, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
- Summer Camps Open House - Main Street, Farmington, CT, Monday, February 22, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Free Yoga & Movement Demo Class for Littles - Wiggles & Jiggles Fitness for Littles - Classes Held in Various Locations, Winchester, MA 01890, Monday, February 22, 2026, 9:30-10:00am
- Co-Operatives Puzzle Wall in the Teen Room! (Grades 6-12) - At Waltham Public Library - 735 Main St, Waltham, MA 02451, Saturday, February 21, 2026 through Monday, February 22, 2026, 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
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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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