KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, Apr 20: Paws in the Park at Cantigny Tue, Apr 21: Kids Adventure Storytime Event: Meet 11-yr-old Author Bella Olson (Chicago 4/21)
Tue, Apr 21: Parent-Tot Yoga at the Exploritorium
Sat, Apr 25: Preschool Playdate at Daystar Academy Sun, Apr 26: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Auditorium Theatre Mon, Apr 27: Paws in the Park at Cantigny
Fri, May 1: WPB First Friday in May
Sat, May 2: Visit the Children's Farm at The
Center
Sun, May 3: Art in Wilder Park Mon, May 4: Special Olympics Spring Games at Dunbar Park
Fri, May 8: CHICAGO the Musical at the Auditorium Theatre
Sat, May 9: 2026 Opening Weekend at Coyote Crossing Mini Golf
Sun, May 10: Mother's Day Brunch at the Chicago Botanic Garden Wed, May 13: Playdough Playtime at the Exploritorium
Fri, May 15: Dad and Daughter Date Night at Blackberry Farm
Sat, May 16: Rocky In Concert 50th Anniversary at the Auditorium
Theatre
Sun, May 17: Hidden Lives of Fungi at Little Red School House Nature Center
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When my kids were little, one of our favorite nature activities was also one of the simplest: We’d head out onto a trail, stop among the trees, and play the Listening Game. The rules were easy: Close your eyes. The first time you hear a sound, any sound at all, put up one finger. Then add another for each new sound you notice. After a minute or two, someone says, “Open your
eyes,” and everyone compares fingers and talks about what they heard. It’s a small exercise in attention, but it changes how kids experience the world. The invisible becomes visible... not to the eyes, exactly, but to the mind. Things that were just out of range suddenly move onto our radar. Nature is full of motion and music, and this game helps us tune ourselves to it. The free Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology takes that magic one step further: Tap Sound ID, and suddenly the songs around you appear on your screen as a voiceprint and a bird name and an image that shows you what to look for. And what a moment ago was only background atmosphere becomes a Carolina Wren, or an Eastern Whip-poor-will, or the Common Yellowthroat pictured above,
singing his heart out for a girl with a camera. That’s one of the great tasks of childhood, and of the adults who love children: to help hidden things come into view. Before we know something, it is almost as if it isn’t there. But once it is named, we have a new way to see. There are suddenly new dimensions to our universe, helping us transform even more mysteries into things that are ours. And we never really experience the woods—or the field, or the river, or
the ocean, or the city, or our backyard—the same way again.
—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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Tuesday, April 21, 7pm: Meet 11-year-old author Bella Olson at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville during her national book tour celebrating her debut adventure novel, TRAPPED. Bella will share the inspiration behind her story, read a short passage, answer questions from young readers, and meet fans during a book signing.
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Explore science after hours with the whole family! Join us for an evening celebrating the Grand Opening of the Pokémon Fossil Museum at the Field Museum! Receive exclusive, after-hours access to the exhibit and embark on your own fossil adventure through the exhibit halls of the Field Museum. You’ll want to catch all this event has to offer, including demonstrations by our team of scientists, hands-on activities, crafts, and of course, plenty of fossils! Guests must register in advance and will receive a timed-entry ticket for the Pokémon Fossil Museum at check-in. Access to all other museum exhibitions, including the Crown Family PlayLab and After the Age of Dinosaurs, are included with admission. All sales are final.
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Morning Glories is a free, drop-in program designed for kids ages 0-3 and their caregivers! The lessons will follow themes of science and nature with modifications to focus on motor skill development, sensory exploration, and social interactions between families. A typical Morning Glories session can be expected to include story times, a sensory bin, lots of blankets for crawlers and tummy-timers, and a friendly atmosphere!
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Handyman Hal is rolling into town on his “awesome tool vehicle” for a fun-filled adventure! Join Hal for songs, surprises, and silly moments as he builds a secret project with cool tools, special guests, and help from you! Sing and dance to hits like “tools are cool” and “the awesome song,” and brace yourself when a wild science experiment unleashes dino-sized chaos! It's a high-energy show packed with awesome fun for the whole family!
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Stuff You Should Know is the award-winning podcast hosted by Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark since 2008, Every single week since it began, Stuff You Should Know has released a staggering array of new episodes, cracking open the mechanics, history, science, and cultural impact of topics like Ouija boards, asteroid mining, ants, Nazis on meth, disco, Cabbage Patch Kids, the reality of reality, kindness, Pop Tarts, and so on and so on, totaling more than 2,000 episodes and adding more every week. Did you know? If you listened to every SYSK episode back-to-back for 24 hours a day it would take nearly 50 days to finish them all!
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Fox Valley Mall is again partnering with the Morton Arboretum to plant new trees—and we’d love for you to join us! This is a fun, hands-on volunteer opportunity to help beautify the area and contribute to our shared commitment to sustainability. No experience is needed—just bring your energy! You’ll work alongside the Morton Arboretum's CRTI team and other volunteers to dig, plant, mulch, and water. We’ll provide: A free pair of garden gloves for every volunteer, All tools and supplies. What to bring & wear: Long pants and closed-toe shoes. Dress for the weather – rain or shine. Let’s work together to make a lasting impact on our community and environment. We hope to see you there!
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This musical based on Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved children’s book is drenched in primary colors that pay homage to Clement Hurd’s vivid illustrations in an all-new, immersive setting. Catchy songs, delightful dancing, a technicolor set, the quiet poetry of the original tale, and the humorous antics of one very nocturnal bunny all play a part in this fun, family-friendly celebration of one of the most iconic children’s books of all time.
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Join Bodhi Learning Center's 4th Annual Autism Awareness Month Festival in the Memphis area for a family-friendly Autism Awareness Month event featuring music, vendors, speakers, and autism resources!
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Enjoy free admission to the American Writers Museum on the third Sunday of each month! Free admission grants you access to all our exhibits, including special exhibits and at 11:30 am, grab the little ones and join us for a special Little Squirrels Storytime!
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Join Chicago Children's Museum for a Day of Yes!, celebrating imagination, generosity, and the power of play. Enjoy full museum access with a lively mix of special programming and hands-on activities, food and drink stations and sensory experiences.
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Calling all kids!! Come help us plan out our summer outdoor kids’ garden! Come join us at Lurvey Home & Garden as we plan our summer outdoor kids’ garden together. We’ll explore which plants thrive in the summer heat, then let the kids take the lead in choosing what we’ll plant next month.
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- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Chicago - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, Friday, April 17, 2026 to Sunday, April 19, 2026, See link for times
- Tree Planting at Fox Valley Mall - Fox Valley Mall, 195 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora, IL 60504, Friday, April 17, 2026, 1 pm
- Fridays in the
Field at Little Red School House Nature Center - Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, 9800 Willow Springs Rd, Willow Springs, IL 60480, Friday, April 17, 2026, 10 am
- Early Bird Walks at NPV - North Park Village Nature Center Park, 5801 North Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL, Saturday, April 18,
2026, 8 - 10 am
- Kids Adventure Storytime with 11-yr-old Author Bella Olson - Check your city's listing, Saturday, April 18, 2026, 11:00AM - 1:00PM
- Earth Day Celebration at Little Red School House Nature Center - Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, 9800 Willow Springs Rd, Willow Springs, IL 60480, Saturday, April 18, 2026, 10 am
- Sunrise Walk at Little Red School House Nature Center - Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, 9800 Willow Springs Rd, Willow Springs, IL 60480, Saturday, April 18, 2026, 5:15 am
- April Free Museum Day at the American Writers Museum - American Writers Museum, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, Sunday, April 19, 2026, 10 am - 5 pm, check the schedule for special events throughout the day
- Kids Garden Club at Lurvey:
Let's Get Growing! - Lurvey Home & Garden, 2550 East Dempster Street, Des Plaines, IL 60016, Sunday, April 19, 2026, 12 - 1 pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Chicago 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 fingertips!
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Chicago 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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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Chicago 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, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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