KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Ann Arbor / Detroit Newsletter |
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Thu, Jun 25: Downtown Dearborn Movies
Thu, Jun 25: Livonia Spree
2026
Sat, Jun 27: 41st Annual Michigan Challenge Balloonfest
Sun, Jun 28: 2026 Ann Arbor Jaycees
Carnival
Fri, Jul 3: Salute to America in Greenfield Village
Sat, Jul 4: Crossroads
Village & Huckleberry Railroad Independence Day Celebration
Sun, Jul 19: Sensory-Friendly Concert: Joe Reilly
Fri, Jul 24: Brownstown Parks & Recreation Movies in the Park: GOAT
Sun, Aug 2: Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad 44th Annual Railfans Weekend
Fri, Aug 7: Mario Galaxy 2 at Woodland Heights Park
Sat, Aug 8: Dearborn Homecoming Festival 2026 |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: I’m a sucker for songs in 6/8 time, no matter the music style. I don’t know why that ONE-two-three-FOUR-five-six swinging rhythm so captures me whether it’s fast or slow, but there’s no denying that it does. And I might not even notice this rhythm, but for one little fact: I’m a thoroughly mediocre cellist. I took cello lessons from age 8 to age 14; during
those years, I graduated from “truly bad” to “moderately acceptable,” at least acceptable enough to play in orchestras where my individual sound would be drowned out by the better kids’ playing. But even as unskilled as I was, I know I am happier as an adult for having played: I can understand music from the inside. I hear patterns and styles and instruments with far different ears than I would have had I not studied music early in life. Understanding what makes your heart sing helps
you be on the lookout for more, and that makes your life better. Summer is the perfect season to help kids grow their ears. Yes, check out the big open-air concerts from your local orchestra, municipal band, or jazz ensemble. But also keep an active ear out for the smaller stuff: free concerts in parks, weekly community series, festivals, buskers, church lawn performances, library gigs, and whatever band happens to be playing near the funnel cakes. When you hear something,
name it: bluegrass, salsa, soul, swing, zydeco, classical, funk, folk, rock, rap, mariachi. Kids don’t have to like everything, but knowing the names of things helps them understand what they do like, and gives them handles for finding more of it later. A couple of tips: If you know you're headed in the direction of something new, play a sample of the style before you leave so kids have a hook on which to hang the experience. While you’re there, help them notice one thing: the
bass line, the drummer, the singer’s breathing, the way people move. That will help the music swirl around in their minds long after the last note fades. Remember, music isn’t only on stages. It’s in carousels, movie scores, worship services, elevators, malls, ballparks, and the ice cream truck coming around the corner. So as tour guide to your kids’ universe, don’t ignore the invisible! Point your ears toward the music, tune everyone's radar, and grow.
—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. |
Please click through to our 2026 survey to vote for your top 3 places to take kids... it will be used to compile our 2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Ann Arbor / Metro Detroit area. Voting is live through June 20; believe me, winning a place on the Top 20 list matters
to the people who create amazing family-friendly experiences. Take 3 minutes to choose your favorites as your way of saying thank you... and use the list to build your summer bucket list at the same time! |
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Join us on the last Friday of each month for a fun, hands-on nature adventure designed for preschoolers and their grown-ups! Each session introduces a new nature theme through engaging stories, outdoor exploration, and creative activities or crafts. Come ready to explore the outdoors while building early childhood learning and readiness skills.
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Canton Township's 33rd Annual Liberty Fest will be held on June 18, 19, and 20 in Heritage Park, located behind 1150 S. Canton Center Road in Canton, MI. New This Year: The festival’s Carnival and Midway areas will implement an earlier start time and will close at 8 p.m. each evening. In addition, Canton’s community fireworks will now be held later in the summer during a nationwide “America 250” celebration. For more information, visit the full news update.
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Step into a world of wonder and fun at Hamburg Family Fun Fest Fair. Enjoy a variety of Attractions, Rides, Midway, Food, Fireworks, & Fun For All Ages!
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Emagine Summer Kids Series June 19th - August 21st, 2026 Check your local theater for showtimes.
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Join us for the 21st Annual Summerfest to celebrate all the things we love about summer! Summerfest will have both new and old traditions, so be sure to check us out this year!
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The City of Oak Park Juneteenth Commission invites residents, families, and community members to celebrate together. Join them for a Juneteenth Celebration honoring freedom, culture, and community with activities, entertainment, and opportunities to connect. Juneteenth marks an important moment in American history and serves as a time to reflect, educate, and come together in unity while celebrating progress and community pride.
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Are fireflies the same as lightning bugs? Let's find out! Come learn about these insects and their glowing butts with an afternoon of kid friendly activities.
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Come join the fun! Festivities include Live music, featuring Mama Sol, Bounces Houses, Hands-on Arts and Crafts, Vendors & Artists, Food Trucks, and more! The traditional Freedom March will start at noon to provide spiritual coverage - led by Hamady High School Marching Band. Partnering for our fifth year with the Flint Cultural Center to bring blackness throughout the Flint Cultural Center campus (including the Flint Institute of Arts, Gloria Cole Flint Public Library, Flint Institute of Music, Sloan Museum of Discovery, Longway Planetarium, and Whaley Historical House).
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The 10th Annual Grosse Pointe Pride Celebration by WeGP will be held on Saturday, June 20th from 10:00am to 12:30pm in the Village of Grosse Pointe, outside Maire Elementary School at the corner of Cadieux and Waterloo. GP Pride by WE GP is a special family friendly Pride celebration, intentionally focused on love, support and joyful celebration for LGBTQ youth. Festivities will begin with a short march from the Library to the event space, followed by music, inspiring guest speakers and family-friendly drag performances. The event will also feature interactive activities for children, a Pride photo booth, a special ten-year celebration tent, activism opportunities, and so much more!
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Show of your creativity by creating a one of a kind card for the special men in your life! Participants will be able to create with a variety of provided supplies. No registration required.
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This lively street fair and marketplace will be held in Agricole’s ‘parking lot,’ aka the Jackson St. parking spaces on the north side of the building. There will be farm, food, and artisan vendors as well as kid-friendly activities and Quarantine Records spinning tunes. Agrifest is designed as a fundraiser for the Agricole food access initiative Our Neighbor’s Basket. All proceeds will go to the continued funding of the program to provide fresh local food to community members in need.
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Kick summer into high gear on Father's Day weekend in Greenfield Village and enjoy one of the country's most exciting historic vehicle shows, transporting you to the golden eras of car culture all weekend long. Hundreds of car owners show off the talent that goes into preserving and restoring these living connections to the past, and experts share history and insights at pass-in-review parades. Every automobile, from luxury vehicles to gritty muscle cars, has been carefully chosen to guide you through a unique story of American drive.
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Each summer, visitors to Cranbrook Art Museum can experience a “hole” new dimension of the historic campus with our miniature golf course, inspired by the art and design of Cranbrook. Join us Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21 from 10am–5pm to celebrate Father’s Day with free Cranbrook on the Green Mini-Golf for dad/one special adult in your life! To receive the complimentary ticket, please purchase all tickets for your group on-site
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Our Lunch and Movie showings take place at Emagine Royal Oak. Admission is $22 per person and includes an $8 movie ticket, cheese or pepperoni pizza, house salad, and a 21 oz. drink.
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Celebrate Father’s Day in Nature with FREE admission for fathers/grandfathers! We are so grateful for everything our dads do for us. Spend time with your dad while exploring the Wildlife Park, Ambassador Trail, and Alexandria’s Nature Scape.
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Dads receive free general admission on Father’s Day! Spend the day exploring, learning, and making memories with the whole family.
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Enjoy Ann Arbor's Make Music Day at MilkShake Factory from 11:30am - 3pm!
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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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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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It's almost time for fruit picking! Fruit picking is a great activity to do together as a family. It helps little ones understand where their food actually comes from, and it's a fun tradition to share every year right through the teens.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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