KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Thu, Apr 23: Disney On Ice presents Jump In!
Sat, Apr 25: Mini-Con
2026
Sat, Apr 25: Celebrate Killeen Festival
Sun, May 3: Bones & Stones: Fossil, Rock and Artifact Fest
Sun, May 3: Devine Lake Kite Festival
Sat, May 9: Mother's Day Hill Country Flyer
Sat, May 9: Pecan Street Festival
Tue, May 12: The Wiz
Fri, May 22: Fredericksburg Crawfish Festival
Sat, May 23: Kids on Bikes in Parks
Sat, Jun 6: Old Town Street
Festival
Sat, Jun 20: Dino Discovery Days
Sun, Jun 21: Austin Symphonic Band: Father's Day
Concert
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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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Creator Camp is heading back to Austin for an incredible Summer 2026! As seen on Shark Tank, we bring world-class digital arts education to the ATX creative community. Our weekly camps cover everything from professional filmmaking and YouTube strategy to game design and music production. We provide a space where kids can collaborate, innovate, and master the technology they use every day. With industry-standard equipment and a high-energy atmosphere, it’s the ultimate summer destination for aspiring creators. Join us in Austin this summer and help your child transform from a viewer into a visionary!
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Take a stroll through Texas Military History at Camp Mabry’s Living History Weekend on Saturday April 26 and Sunday April 27. This free event, hosted by the Texas Military Forces Museum, will allow visitors to see uniforms, equipment, weapons, tents, communications gear, military vehicles and more dating from the earliest days of the Texas Militia and the Texas Revolution through the end of the Cold War. Find out what was life for soldiers during the Texas Revolution, the Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish-American War.
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Three days of amazing music, food, merch, art, activities, & good vibes! F R I D A Y - April 17th- Stephen Marley, Steel Pulse, Collie Buddz, Mike Love, Eli-Mac, Zion Marley S A T U R D A Y - April 18th- Original Koffee, Tribal Seeds, HIRIE, Groundation, Irie Souljah, Cas Haley S U N D A Y - April 19th- Iration, Protoje, Jesse Royal, Through The Roots, Rik Jam, Audic Empire All Ages Welcome | Rain or Shine Kids 10 and younger are FREE with a paid guardian. No Refunds or Exchanges, All Sales Final.
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The Austin Symphonic Band, renowned for exceptional performances, presents a jewel box of musical delights — each piece a "Little Gem."
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Sherwood Forest Faire is a locally owned medieval-style village nestled in the Lost Pines section of Central Texas. We have over 100 permanent buildings on 25 acres, including stages, pubs, merchant shoppes, wedding venues, a complete castle, and more. During Robin Hood’s Spring Faire, we have over 150 shows per day by more than 40 different stage acts. We have full contact jousting, falconry, fire juggling, knife throwing, 10+ live bands, comedy, sword fighting, and a castle siege. Shows for kids, adults, and both!
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The City of Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department cordially invites you to take part in its 2026 Earth Day. This event aims to bring the community together while promoting the awareness to care for the Earth’s environment. The 2026 Earth Day will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 9:00am-12:00pm, at Yonders Point in Old Settlers Park (3103 Aten Loop). The Earth Day is a free event, geared towards all ages and with the help of exhibitors such as you, along with a wide variety of activities and services, we anticipate a phenomenal event!
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Baby Day is a FREE, family-friendly event filled with fun activities and valuable resources for children ages 0–3 and their families.Baby Day celebrates the incredible growth and development that happens during a child’s first three years of life, from first smiles to first steps. These early milestones help build the foundation for a healthy, thriving future.We proudly host Baby Day every April to honor these special years and support families with engaging activities, community resources, and lots of fun!
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Join us for the Annual New Braunfels Community Earth Day & Arbor Day Celebration held at the Headwaters at the Comal! The City of New Braunfels, in partnership with Headwaters at the Comal, will be giving away 1,000+ one-gallon native Texas trees and educating participants about the importance of trees and conservation efforts in our community. The City is also celebrating 38 years of membership in the Tree City USA program. Members of Tree City USA have all committed to protecting trees in their community, both economically and administratively, with community tree ordinances and a division within the Parks Department dedicated solely to the maintenance and preservation of the city's trees.
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We are super excited to present our Annual Butterfly Festival! The festival will include all of our wonderful butterfly releases, crafts & activities! We will also have live music, a butterfly flight house, yummy concessions, a butterfly train, butterfly art and lots more!
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The first edition of our newly reimagined biennial will spring to life at sites & venues across Austin—from intimate galleries and theaters to large-scale projects in parking garages, baseball fields, the sides of buildings, and strange empty lots. It’s a celebration of Austin’s creative community and a chance to welcome artists from around the world into conversation with this place. The festival brings together a wide range of live performances, installations, conversations, workshops, and gatherings. Artists from across disciplines—visual art, film, theater, dance, music, writing, design, and food—come together to share work and spark dialogue. Festival lineup coming soon in the new year!
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Bring the whole gang out to #DellDiamond! Come cheer on the home team!
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Calling all Pokémon fans in 2nd–6th grade! Join us for a fun, come-and-go club where kids can trade cards, share their favorite Pokémon, and connect with other fans. Each meeting may look a little different — we might play Pokémon-themed games, do a directed drawing, swap cards, or just hang out and talk all things Pokémon! Whether you’re a seasoned trainer or just getting started, this club is the perfect place to make new friends and have tons of Pokémon fun. Come catch the excitement!
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Little Land’s Sensory Art Exploration program is intended to provide children with an experience that engages multiple senses at once, while also exposing them to the seven primary elements of art: color, shape, line, texture, space, form and value. Sensory experiences help kids learn about their environment, build neural connections that support learning and creativity, and support language development, cognitive growth, motor skills, and social interaction. We know that opportunities for this type of play are declining, which is why places like Little Land are so important for little ones. Each week is themed, and themes vary from course to course, giving families the chance to attend year round and experience new material.
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- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Austin - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, 04/17/2026 to 04/19/2026, See link for times
- Fusebox Festival - 2023 East Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX 78702, 04/15/2026 to 04/19/2026, Check website for details
- 37th Annual Burton Cotton Gin
Festival - Texas Cotton Gin Museum, 307 North Main Street, Burton, TX 77835, 04/18/2026, 10 am - 6pm
- Butterfly Festival - EmilyAnn Theatre, Farm to Market Road 2325, Wimberley, TX 78676, 04/18/2026, 9 am- 3 pm
- Living History Weekend - Camp Mabry, West 35th Street, Austin, TX, 04/18/2026 to 04/19/2026, 9 am- 4 pm
- Earth Day 2026 - Headwaters at the Comal, East Klingemann Street, New
Braunfels, TX, 04/18/2026, 9 am- 12 pm
- Earth Day in Round Rock - Yonders Point, Aten Loop, Round Rock, TX, 04/18/2026, 9 am- 12 pm
- Spring Market Festival 2026 - Rising Sun Vineyard, 233 Edmonson Ranch Road, McDade, TX 78650, 04/18/2026, 10 am- 6 pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Austin 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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Enjoy the weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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