KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
The February my daughter Ella was 1, she caught a cold that lingered for months. There were short stretches of relief, but mostly there was congestion, disrupted sleep, and a level of crankiness that turned my sunny baby into someone I barely recognized. The clouds around her felt constant, and one day, I caught myself labeling her in my head as “the crabby one.” But of course,
if I had a perpetually runny nose and no way to manage it, I’d be irritable, too! I needed to remember this wasn’t her personality, it was a season. What we needed to get through it was distraction: something fun to do "right now" and also fun things to anticipate. Aside from those who live in paradise pockets like San Diego, most of our readers are in the thick of a particularly dreary winter. The world feels heavy and gray, energy runs low, and
it’s easy to fixate on how dispirited we feel. But we need to remember that this isn't our personality, it's a season. What we need to get through it is distraction in the moment and also something positive we can place on our horizon. My family is counting down to the March 20 release of Project Hail
Mary, which stars Ryan Gosling. The movie is based on the novel by Andy Weir, who also wrote The Martian. You don't have to be a science nerd to love Weir's books (although science nerds DO love Weir's
books), because in all of them, the real hero is human ingenuity—curiosity, flexible thinking, doing what needs to be done even in extreme circumstances. When things are going awry, the answer isn’t despair, it’s problem-solving, and I always emerge from a Weir book feeling spiritually lighter. While I immerse myself in Weir and Gosling, you, of course, should do YOU! Let the art or sport that grabs you and your kids be your launch ticket to optimism now, and lift you to fun
in the future. We're glad to provide the fuel!
—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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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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For many at Old Sturbridge Village, the first whiff of spring isn't the aroma of spring flowers - it's the smell of wood smoke and maple syrup, a sure sign that the sap is rising and spring is on the way. Join us for “Maple Days” on select dates in February
and March, when the Village’s working sugar camp demonstrates maple sugaring as it was done in early 19th-century New England.
See the entire sugar-making process, from tapping the trees to "sugaring off," and learn why maple sugar was more commonly used than maple syrup in early New England. Costumed historians will also cook period foods made with maple products and the tinner and cooper will make maple-related items.
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Do you have what it takes to beat your friends or family at board games? Whether you’re looking for competition or just wanting to have fun, you’ll have plenty of games to choose from at our weekly gaming time. Drop by any time between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30
p.m. every Friday and start your weekend with some fun!
This event is open to all ages. Children under the age of 12 must have an adult present at the library.
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Rooted & Rising is an intimate artist talk and community open house designed to celebrate minority creativity, storytelling, and cultural entrepreneurship. The event will feature a moderated conversation with artists and creatives, followed by an open
networking experience that invites community members, emerging creatives, and cultural leaders to connect, learn, and engage within the museum space. The goal is to foster dialogue, visibility, and collaboration while welcoming new audiences into the museum.
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Join us for a sweet adventure at the Boston Nature Center!
Experience the magic of maple sugaring as we tap our beautiful maple trees, collect the sap, and watch it boil down into a delicious treat.
Try your hand at tree tapping and taste the fresh sap right from the source! Discover the fascinating techniques and equipment used across New England and learn what makes Sugar Maples so special.
Plus, embark on a self-guided storybook walk and a fun scavenger hunt along our scenic trails. Don't forget to enjoy a tasty treat at the end!
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Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum for families that blends science, nature, and play. The fully accessible campus provides indoor STEM-based exhibits and a nature playscape and giant treehouse for open-ended learning explorations.
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Join us for an afternoon of reflection, community, and music as we gather to engage with Frederick Douglass’s powerful speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
This year’s program features live chamber music by Cherry Hill Chamber Orchestra, with original music composed specifically for the event by Danvers resident Charles Turner, woven throughout the reading as moments of pause and reflection.
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Fly into The Good Witch and stay for a spell!
Step up to the Potion Bar and create your very own magical potion to take home! Choose your enchanted ingredients, sprinkle in magical moondust, set your golden heart intentions, and seal it all with a special charm. Every potion is a personal masterpiece—infused with imagination, joy, and a little bit of magic.
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Join Coggeshall Farm Museum for our annual Maple Sugaring tradition. Explore the farm and see the maple sugaring process from start to finish. Search the farm to find maple trees and be part of the tapping of a tree. Guests will see the process of carving
spiles, collecting sap, and sugaring down the sap to remove the water. There will also be scavenger hunts, a maple craft, and kids games. Visit our historic farmhouse to view the final stage of the process, from sap to maple sugar. This is sure to be a fun day at the farm where you will learn more about the history of maple sugar in the region and the connections to land usage, trade, and early abolitionist movements.
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Ann Arbor - Detroit area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more. Our guide puts summer fun right at your
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- Drop-In Gaming Time (All Ages) - At Boston Public Library - Chinatown Branch - Boston Public Library - 2 Boylston Street, Boston, Friday, 02/27/2026, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Game Time! (All Ages) - At
Boston Public Library - Lower Mills - Boston Public Library - 27 Richmond Street, Boston, Friday, 02/27/2026, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
- Rooted & Rising: A Black History Month Celebration - Museum of African American History - 46 Joy Street, Boston, Friday, 02/27/2026, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
- Junk Journaling - At Boston Public Library - Egleston Square Branch - Boston Public Library - 2044 Columbus Ave, Roxbury, Saturday, 02/28/2026, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
- Reading Frederick Douglass Together - At Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church - North Shore Juneteenth Association Inc - Northshore Unitarian
Universalist Church - Locust Street, Danvers, Saturday, 02/28/2026, 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
- Mayor Michelle Wu's Boston Family Days- At Old State House (Boston) - 310 Washington Street, Boston, Sunday, 03/01/2026, 10:00 am - 5:00 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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