KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Austin Newsletter |
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Sun, Jun 14: Family Day: Garden of Rainbows
Sun, Jun 14: Summer Kickoff Party @ Indigo Play!! Thu, Jun 18: CYT Austin Presents Disney Newsies
Fri, Jun 19: Juneteeth Celebration in Manor
Sat, Jun 20: Juneteenth Festival Round Rock
Sun, Jun 21: Austin Symphonic Band:
Father's Day Concert
Thu, Jun 25: Western Days Festival
Sun, Jun 28: Sesame Street Live
Sat, Jul 11: Dinosaur Day
Sun, Jul 19: Under the Sea
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was homeschooling Madison and Ella, one of my favorite sanity-saving tools was the Theme of the Week. If the theme was "Birds," then yes, we'd go on a bird walk. But we'd also read my favorite-ever children's book, talk about the physics of flying and of colors, and probably also do some math and logic involving eggs and
baskets. The theme made ordinary learning feel like an adventure, but more important, it gave us a focusing tool: It helped the girls connect with what they were seeing and doing, and it helped me feel that we weren’t wandering randomly through our days. Summer planning can benefit from that same kind of gentle structure. Last week, I wrote about how summer is not supposed to be a guilt-inducing race to cram in every concert, splash pad, festival, hike,
camp, road trip, library program, ice cream stand, and sunset before the school buses roll again. Trying to grab everything is a good way to miss the point; instead, to plan the summer without overstuffing it, we need to consider the kinds of experiences that make our family feel more awake, connected, and alive. The five summer lenses I keep coming back to are: music, motion, making,
nature, and food. Music helps kids hear the world differently and live what they love. Motion lets bodies teach what words cannot. Making reminds us that we can bring something new into the universe. Nature offers perspective and wonder. And food connects us to place, culture, and each other. Over the next
few weeks, I’ll address these one at a time—not as assignments, but as invitations. Even as the days fly by, a summer seen through some useful lenses can still be lazy, loose, spontaneous, and wonderfully imperfect.
—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 Austin 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 Texas Science & Natural History Museum to celebrate all things dino! Enjoy family-friendly educational activities, explore the museum’s interactive Discovery Center and newly updated Paleontology Gallery, and bring fossils for in-person identification by a paleontologist. Check out a 33-foot cast replica of a full tyrannosaur skeleton and see a wide assortment of paleontology specimens. Plus, get 20% off select dinosaur-themed merchandise in the Museum Store! All activities included with admission.
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Austin Symphony Orchestra's (ASO) Tuneful Tales is a free summer concert and arts engagement series designed for families with young children ages 3 to 10. Presented at Austin Public Library branches and select H-E-B True Texas BBQ restaurants, the program pairs Austin Symphony Orchestra chamber music ensembles with local storytellers to transform original children’s tales through live music and narration. Each performance invites children to experience storytelling, music, and creativity in an accessible, family-friendly setting. Events also include hands-on arts activities led by certified Orff Schulwerk music educators, with select locations featuring an interactive percussion center and Instrument Petting Zoo presented by Strait Music.
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Experience the energy and excitement of Newsies at Brentwood Christian School’s Worley-Barton Theater, 11908 N. Lamar Blvd in Austin, Texas. Performances run June 18–20, 2026, with shows daily from 1:00–3:00 p.m. and 7:00–9:00 p.m. Set in turn-of-the-century New York City, this high-energy musical follows Jack Kelly and a spirited group of newsboys as they rise up against unfair publishing practices and fight for justice. Inspired by a true story and the 1992 film, Newsies features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, and a book by Harvey Fierstein, including favorites like “Seize the Day.” Tickets are $18. Perfect for families and theater lovers of all ages.
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You're invited to Indigo Play’s Summer Kickoff Party on Sunday, June 14, from 3–5 PM! Enjoy a live DJ dance party, mermaid meet-and-greet, balloon art, games, prizes, and a raffle. Parents can relax with happy hour specials while kids play nonstop. Music, magic, and summer vibes all in one place! This event is included with play admission. Please visit our website for more information: https://indigoplay.com/
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It's getting close to celebrate Elgin Juneteenth Organization, 27th year. We will start our Celebration on June 11th with our Children's Pageant, then move to June 12th with our Street Dance and Vendors in the park. Last but not least, June 13th we will have our Grand Parade(line up at BTW school), followed by Music, Vendors and Activities in the park. Please come out and enjoy with us. Spread the word and please support.
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Step back in time at our next Discovery Day as we explore the fascinating prehistoric world. This family-friendly event invites visitors of all ages to discover the landscapes, wildlife, and larger-than-life creatures that defined this prehistoric era. Through hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and interactive experiences, visitors can uncover the science behind these ancient environments and the remarkable animals that once roamed them.
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Sit back and enjoy a relaxing journey into railroading history aboard the Bertram Flyer! This train ride follows our Bertram Flyer route from Cedar Park through the Texas Hill Country. Venture over Short Creek Canyon and cross the 300-foot South San Gabriel trestle bridge before returning back to Cedar Park aboard beautifully restored vintage railcars from the 1930's through the 1950's pulled by diesel locomotive. This summer were doing it up in style with a special theme for each weekend! This weekend hop aboard the Rainbow Rider where everyone invited to shine bright and be unapologetically you. Break out the bold fits, bring your whole crew, and don’t hold back. This train is all about color, joy, and a whole lot of love. Come as you are and make the ride your own!
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This year, we are celebrating in style! We are honoring how African Americans have shaped culture through decades of fashion. From the sophisticated Gilded Age and the swagged-out Harlem Renaissance; to the mighty Black Power movement and the revolution of Hip Hop. Pick your decade and bring your family and chairs and join the show as we continue to march in step from 1865 to now.
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Grab a spot at our June Movies in the Park hosted by Wells Branch MUD Parks and Recreation! Roll out the picnic blankets and gather the family to enjoy a family film. The movie will start around sunset and is completely free to watch! Check back here for information on inclement weather closer to time of event.
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Museums don’t always have to be hands-off! One Sunday out of the month, the Neill-Cochran House Museum opens its doors to feature hands-on activities, scavenger hunts, self-paced tours, and (weather permitting) lawn games with space to picnic in the shade. Looking for that extra little bit of weekend time to come out and see something new? Between our spacious lawn and kid-friendly activities, we’re in it to offer a museum experience to folks of all ages and, (ahem!) attention spans. Don’t let the 21st century get you down! Come out and learn something new about how we got to where we are now!
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Planning a kids birthday party in the Austin area? Here are lots of ideas for where to have it! If there is a resource that we have missed, please email us to let us know, and we'll add it promptly.
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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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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. Here's where you can go around Austin for strawberry
picking, cherry picking, blueberry picking, raspberry picking, peach picking, and other pick-your-own opportunities for fruit.
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Enjoy the weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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