KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter for the Ann Arbor / Detroit Metro Area |
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Tue, Apr 21: Earth Day Craft Time with Mother Nature at Romulus Public Library
Sat, Apr 25: Outdoor Adventure Center - Trails Expo at DNR Outdoor Adventure Center
Sat, May 2: Camp Kenan Open House - Healthy Kids Day
Sat, May 2: CHIHULY at Meijer Gardens
Sat, May 9: Mother’s Day Weekend Ballet Tea Party
Thu, May 14: Frankenmuth Funtown Chowdown Food Truck Festival
Sun, May 24: Honoring American Veterans: Opening Weekend | Crossroads Village Huckleberry Railroad Fri, May 29: 2026 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
Fri, Jun 19: Detroit Tigers Home Games
Sat, Jun 20: Pathways, Petunias, Piglets and Pancakes | Clarkston Family Farm |
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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Ann Arbor Summer Camps That Actually Keep Kids Engaged (9–5 Full Day) Looking for a summer camp your child will actually love and that solves your day? iCode Ann Arbor offers hands-on tech camps where kids build games, explore robotics, and create with AI—not just play on screens. Camps run 9–5 with small groups, guided instruction, and real projects kids are proud of. Designed for ages 6–15, from beginners to advanced learners. Spots are limited, and families are already enrolling. Right now, save $150 with our Grand Opening offer. View camps and reserve your spot: https://icodeschool.com/ann-arbor-mi/camps/
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Join PYTMI’s Summer Camps for 10 weeks of creativity, confidence, and fun! From musical theatre and improv to storytelling, dance, and design, campers ages 4–18 explore the arts in a welcoming, high-energy environment. Each week ends with a live performance, giving every student a chance to shine. Whether your child is brand new or already loves the stage, PYTMI offers an inspiring space to learn, grow, and make lasting friendships.
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Join us this year for another exciting year of Spark! Camps at the Michigan Science Center. Campers will explore Mi-Sci’s 220+ interactive exhibits, engage in immersive theater experiences, and investigate fascinating science phenomena through hands-on activities and experiments.
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The Grand Rapids Lantern Festival is a truly breathtaking experience for all ages. John Ball Zoo is the first and only place you can see these incredible works of art in Michigan. The lantern festival will feature handcrafted Asian lantern displays that will illuminate the Zoo and tell the intersecting story of wildlife and Asian culture.
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The MSU Science Festival is a free annual celebration of science, fueled by some of the basic elements essential to scientific inquiry: curiosity, wonder, and discovery. With events for the whole family to enjoy, the MSU Science Festival explores topics ranging from the ordinary to the extraordinary. From astronomy to music, and chemistry to microbiology; scientists and educators across the state are eager to share the wonder of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
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Attention Homeschool Families! Join us every Friday from 12-3PM for a discounted rate!
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Celebrate Earth Day with an eco-friendly craft (ages 4-10) and story time with Miss Michigan competitor, Iyla O’connor! Iyla’s service initiative is to educate youth on the importance of nature, so take the opportunity for your little ones to learn about what makes our planet so special. This is a FREE event!
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The Ann Arbor Earth Day Festival is an annual celebration coordinated by the Ann Arbor Earth Day Festival Planning Committee, a coalition of local environmental nonprofits and agencies, and will be held this year at Leslie Science & Nature Center. This free, family-friendly event features displays; hands-on activities; live entertainment; green building and commuting technologies; energy topics; water awareness; sustainable agriculture; and more.
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Join Elsa for stories, live song performances, dancing and interactive games! Then, get a professional portrait with your favorite ice queen.
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Get ready for a family fun morning at the Hope for Vision Walk! Walk a mile on an indoor track, hang with DJ Super Dave as he plays fun kid-friendly music and games, and enjoy Jersey Mike’s subs and refreshments. The event is free to attend and great for all ages! Participants are encouraged to fundraise and/or donate. Any amount, big or small, makes an impact. Every step helps fund research and support families with children facing vision loss!
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Earth Day Crafts: Make seed bombs and cardboard crafts with friends at the Library! For all ages.
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Celebrate spring in full flight during two special late-night evenings at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Spring Nights invites guests to experience the magic of twilight among vibrant tropical blooms and more than 7,000 butterflies in flight. Sip and savor your way through the evening with beverages available for purchase—crafted to complement the warmth and wonder of spring. Guests 21 and older could also enjoy specialty cocktails and a curated bar menu, while everyone is invited to indulge in themed treats and beverages available for purchase in the James & Shirley Balk Café.
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- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Detroit - Ann Arbor - Shoott - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, Saturday, April 18, 2026 to Sunday, April 19, 2026, See link for times
- Earth Day Story Time & Craft Event at Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy - Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy Inc, 21714 Harper Ave, St. Clair Shores, MI 48080, Saturday, April 18, 2026, 11AM - 1PM
- Ann Arbor’s Earth Day Festival 2026 - Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, 220 East Ann Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, Sunday, April 19, 2026, 1PM - 4:30PM
- Hope
for Vision Walk - Pediatric Retinal Research Foundation - PO Box 294, Warren, MI 48090, Sunday, April 19, 2026, 9:00am - 12:00pm
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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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Families purchase shares (or half-shares, or bimonthly shares) of produce that is either picked up or delivered to them, fresh from the farm, each week during the growing season. Some farms encourage pick-your-own, in some you get to help out on the farm.
What a great field-to-table lesson for the whole family!
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Dallas 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 of ideas!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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