KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, Feb 27: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in Concert at Austin Symphony
Sat, Feb 28: Lunar New Year Celebration Featuring Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team at Spicewood Springs Branch
Sat, Feb 28: STEM Girl Day at UT Austin at Texas Science & Natural History Museum
Sat, Mar 7: Texas Wildlife Day at Texas Science & Natural History Museum
Sat, Mar 14: St. Paddy's Day 5k and 1k Leprechaun Kids Run at Comal County Fair Grounds
Sat, Mar 21: Family History Day at French Legation Museum
Fri, Mar 27: Information Session - Magellan International School
Sat, Apr 11: ABC Zilker Park Kite Festival at Zilker
Metropolitan Park
Sat, Apr 18: 37th Annual Burton Cotton Gin Festival at Texas Cotton Gin Museum
Thu, Apr 23: Disney On Ice presents Jump In! - Cedar Park |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
For much of the country, it's been the hardest winter in recent memory: cold, monochrome, relentless. The kind of season that reminds us how little control we really have. We do our best to manage routines and moods and expectations, but parents feel it most. February stretches long and flat after the excitement of the holidays, before the lift of spring. You're still packing
lunches, wrangling homework, managing emotions (your kids’ and your own)... all while the cold keeps the family cooped up. This is the season of endurance. Of course, endurance isn’t about being stoic or silent or superhuman; it’s about continuing, even when things are hard. It’s about showing up for your people, your plans, and yourself, day after chilly day. And it’s about knowing that if you’re feeling the drag right now, you’re not alone. Many of us are moving through it
together. Even for those who don't live in Nature's Refrigerator,* February can still bring its own version of stuckness: that long stretch between holidays, where kids are restless and routines feel stale. Sometimes, by February, our gray matter feels just as gray as the weather. When that happens, help is allowed! Check out our article and outsource the brainstorming to KidsOutAndAbout: Stuck Inside This Winter? 20 Creative Indoor Activities for Kids is packed with creative, practical, low-effort ways to keep your family engaged (and sane) when outside play isn’t an option. And it shows you how to tap your favorite AI to be your thought partner to personalize it for your
family. February Gray doesn’t need to be conquered; it just needs to be lightened a bit. So whether you're "out and about" or "in and not at all about," we're here to brighten the rest of your winter!
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build
Strong Communities
*Rochester, NY ☺️ |
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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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Come hang out at The Fieldhouse in Cedar Park, TX for a full day of cards, collectibles, and good vibes.
Browse rare sports cards, Pokémon, TCGs, and awesome collectibles during the card show from 10am to 5pm, and enjoy food trucks on site throughout the day.
The fun doesn't stop there — The Fieldhouse stays open until 12am, so stick around and keep the night going!
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Miss Nelson can’t control her crazy classroom because she’s just too nice. But when she disappears, her replacement is the hard-as-nails, detention-loving, recess-canceling, homework-overloading substitute teacher Viola Swamp! With the Big Test approaching,
the kids suddenly realize how much they miss Miss Nelson and they’ll do anything — including hiring a private eye — to solve the mystery of her disappearance and bring her back.
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You're invited to join the Texas America250 Reading Challenge! Texans of all ages are invited to log 2,500 minutes (41.6 hours) of reading, state parks visits, and/or service
activity in 2026, in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary. Participants who complete the challenge can receive a certificate from their local librarian.
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Alex the lion is the king of the urban jungle, the main attraction at New York’s Central Park Zoo. He and his best friends — Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo — have spent their whole lives in blissful captivity. Not content to leave
well enough alone, Marty lets his curiosity get the better of him and makes his escape — with the help of some prodigious penguins — to explore the world.
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Pack your blanket, a picnic, and your loved ones and join us for a night under the stars! We are partnering with the Hill Country Backyard Astronomers to bring another amazing astronomy night and we're celebrating Valentine's Day at the same time! Create a
card for your loved ones, enjoy a picnic outside, and view the night sky through telescopes! This event takes place on the library's south lawn and lobby.
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Looking for a fun day date on Valentine’s Day? Whether you’re celebrating with your Galentine friends or enjoying a sweet afternoon with your significant other, join us from 2:00–3:30 PM for a creative and delicious cookie decorating class with Cookie Bee
Baking!
Spend the afternoon learning step-by-step decorating techniques while creating beautiful Valentine-themed cookies—no experience needed. It’s the perfect mid-day break to laugh, relax, and do something hands-on together.
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Welcome to Jurassic Park! Watch the 1993 classic film while you make pixelated dinosaurs with fuse beads. Rated PG-13. Runtime 127 minutes.
This event is for ages 13-18 only.
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Texas is home to over 600 bird species, making it one of the most bird-diverse states in the U.S. Discover the wonder of birding with your family in our all-new monthly guided walk through the gardens! Volunteers from Travis Audubon will teach young nature
enthusiasts the basics of birding, including how to use binoculars and identify both native and migratory birds by sight and sound.
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Join your favorite pink-and-polka-dot Miss Mouse for a heart-filled morning of love, laughter, and polka-dot fun. Enjoy a Choc & Fruit Fondue Cart, a Hot Chocolate Bar (for kids and grown-ups), and a card-making station to share a little love.
Miss Mouse will make a LIVE special visit for hugs, photos, and smiles!
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McKenna Valentine's Party- Friday, February 13th at 2pm
Join us for a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day!!!
Crafts, Snacks, Valentine's Bingo!!!
**Included with Museum admission while supplies last**
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Grab your baby and your bestie and join us for a 45-minute Mommy & Me Barre class open to all motherhood stages! After class enjoy a complimentary fruit platter and connection with other mamas!
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Pal’s, Party, and Plenty of Fun! Come celebrate the season of love The Little Gym way! This theme is designed to celebrate friendships and the people we love. With tons of activities to encourage teamwork and cooperation, kids will build new friendships
along the way!
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- Preschool Storytime - 1100
Church Street, Bastrop, TX 78602, Friday, February 13, 2026 at 10:30 am
- Baby Lapsit (0-18 months) - 405 East Loop Street, Buda, TX 78610, Friday, February 13, 2026 at 10:30-11 am
- Discovery and Dance Storytime - 501 Sportsplex Dr, Dripping Springs, TX 78620, Friday, February 13, 2026 at 9:30-10:15 am
- Music/Movement
Storytime - Main Street, Liberty Hill, TX, Friday, February 13, 2026 at 10:15-11 am
- February Movie in the
Park - La Verde Park, Burnham, Kyle, TX, Friday, February 13, 2026 at 6-9:30 pm
- Live Music on Lake Travis - Robert
Mokry - Farm to Market Road 2769, Leander, TX, Friday, February 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
- Soccer Stars Free Demo Day - Ages 1-10 at Lakeline Park - 234 Escarpment Way, Cedar Park, TX, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 10:00AM
- Arcade @ Laura's - Bee Caves Rd, Austin, TX, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 1-3 pm
- Teen Movie & Craft: Jurassic Park - 550 Discovery Boulevard, Cedar Park, TX, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 1-3 pm
- Read with Ruby the Therapy Dog! - 501 Sportsplex Dr, Dripping Springs, TX 78620, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at
10:30 am-12 pm
- Valentines Day Date: Cookie Decorating with Cookie Bee Baking - 501 Sportsplex Dr, Dripping Springs, TX 78620, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 2-3:30 pm
- The Craft Squad - Pokémon Shrinky Dinks Keychain - 500 W Live Oak St, Hutto, TX 78634, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 3-4:30 pm
- Dungeons and Dragons Club - Main Street, Liberty Hill, TX, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 4-6 pm
- Baby Time with Ms. Melissa - Pfluger Street West, Pflugerville, TX, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 10:30 am
- Pokémon Club - East Liberty Avenue, Round Rock, TX, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 9-10:30 am
- Family Storytime - East Liberty Avenue, Round Rock, TX, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 11-11:30 am
- Free Family History Workshop with the Texas Society Daughters of the American Revolution (TXDAR) - 1201 Brazos St, Austin, Texas 78701, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 10 am-2 pm
- Family Make N Take | I ❤️ Bastrop Scavenger Hunt - Main Street, Bastrop, TX, Saturday, February
14, 2026 at 11 am-2 pm
- Sweethearts Celebration (0-5 years) - 550 Scott St, Kyle, TX 78640,
Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 10-11 am
- Picnic Under the Stars - 405 East Loop Street, Buda, TX
78610, Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 6:30-8:30 pm
- Black History Month Story Walk - Lohmans Crossing
Road, Lakeway, TX, Friday, February 13 through Sunday, February 15, 2026, all day
- Texas America250 Reading Challenge - 1201 Brazos St, Austin, Texas 78701, Friday, February 13 through Sunday, February 15, 2026, all day
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Austin 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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Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school options - we've got you covered.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Austin 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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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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Enjoy the weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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