KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
|
|
|
Fri, Jun 12: Oasis Spaces: Navigating Jim Crow Traveling Exhibit - Lake Norman State Park Fri, Jun 12: Jazz at the Bechtler Sat, Jun 13: Fire Truck Festival - N.C. Transportation Museum
Sun, Jun 14: Huntersville Pride at Veterans Park
Wed, Jun 17: Family Music Bingo with DJ Stu at The Mercantile
Thu, Jun 18: Juneteenth Celebration at Veteran's Park Thu, Jun 18: LaLaCaboosa - Town of Huntersville, NC
Fri, Jun 19: Steampunk Masquerade Prom
Fri, Jun 19: Juneteenth - Town of Indian Trail Sat, Jun 20: Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center presents The Wizard of Oz Sat, Jun 20: Symphony in the Park & Fireworks - Town of
Cornelius Sat, Jun 20: Dinos, Donuts and Dads
Sat, Jun 20: Juneteenth Celebration
Sun, Jun 21: Hollywood Hits - Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Mon, Jun 22: Fruity Pickin' Storytime: Blueberries &
Blackberries - Millstone Creek Orchards
Tue, Jun 23: Sensory-Friendly Evening - Main Street Children’s Museum Tue, Jun 23: Pride Group Art Show at Blue Goose Art Supply
Thu, Jun 25: Swanee Children's Theatre Series - Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Fri, Jun 26: Learning for Littles - Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Sun, Jun 28: Celebrate America - Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Thu, Jul 2: Miles for Museums Summer Passport Program
Fri, Jul 3: Star-Spangled
Nights at Carowinds
Sat, Jul 4: 4th of July Parade - Town of Indian Trail
Fri, Jul 10: Movies in the Park 2026: Hoppers
at Richard Barry Park
Fri, Jul 17: Free Village Park Movie Series
Sat, Aug 1: SCNP: Borrow a Kayak @ Col. Francis Beatty
Park
Fri, Sep 25: Day Out With Thomas™: Let’s Rock, Let’s Roll! At N.C. Transportation Museum |
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
|
|
|
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 Charlotte 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! |
|
|
|
Make this summer unforgettable at Carolina Ninja Academy! Kids can stay active and have nonstop fun with our exciting Open Gym sessions, action-packed Summer Camps, and brand-new Summer Party Package. Our Open Gym gives kids the freedom to climb, swing, jump, and explore the obstacle course in a safe, high-energy environment. Summer Camp is filled with ninja obstacles, games, challenges, and daily activities that keep kids moving and engaged all summer long. Planning a celebration? Our Summer Party Package is the perfect way to beat the heat with an indoor birthday party full of fun and adventure. Whether you’re looking for daily fun, weekly camps, or the ultimate summer party, Carolina Ninja Academy is the place to be this summer!
|
|
|
|
Follow the Yellow Brick Road — one night only! Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 7pm, Charlotte Cirque & Dance Center's faculty and students reimagine The Wizard of Oz through cirque and dance. Tornadoes that twirl. Witches that fly. Experience 75 minutes of magic at the Knight Theater, Uptown Charlotte. Info and tickets at https://www.cltcirquedancecenter.org/oz .
|
|
|
|
The QFW 5K benefiting Charlotte Pride is growing into something bigger than a race. Led by Q Fitness and Wellness, with Charlotte Pride as the beneficiary partner, this community wellness fundraiser brings together movement, Pride, joy, visibility, and support for LGBTQ+ community impact. Our goal is to make this the highest-attended QFW 5K yet and create a fabulous start to Pride season. Join us for a morning of movement, community, fitness, wellness, vendors, celebration, and Pride. The Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce is also supporting this event to celebrate Q Fitness and Wellness being a Small Business Member, and the owner, Crem Morris-Frazier being a recent Catalyst Award winner.
|
|
|
|
Join us on the first Friday of each month for Jazz at the Bechtler, an intimate concert experience where modern and contemporary art meets music. Set in the museum’s grand lobby, these live performances bring timeless jazz and contemporary rhythms to life. Each concert is performed by the acclaimed Ziad Jazz Quartet featuring Ziad Rabie (saxophone) with special guest musicians and vocalists joining the lineup for a fresh and dynamic experience each month. These monthly concerts have defined the Uptown experience for over 15 years.
|
|
|
|
Grab your crew and join us for a completely free night out. No catch! We’re bringing the energy for a night that’s all about being loud, proud, and having a blast! There will be free bowling and shoe rentals, party lights, music, and full-on Pride party vibes. This is a space to hang, laugh, and just be yourself! Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
|
|
|
|
Enjoy a FREE family-friendly movie under the stars with the Movies in the Park summer series. Bring your lawn chairs or picnic blankets for a fun movie night at Huntersville parks. Arrive to the park early to enjoy fun themed games and activities, raffles, and free popcorn. The movie will start at dusk. Click the links below to view the Common Sense Media review and content warnings for each movie. All movies are family-friendly and rated PG.
|
|
|
|
Our World Doll Day celebration is BACK on June 13, 2026 – an annual favorite! Join us on Saturday, June 13 here at the museum to celebrate the biggest day of the year for the doll community. FREE ADMISSION to all! Enjoy our celebration and tour the museum on us! No registration is required. All guests will receive a free doll! We’ll have cake and cupcakes, doll workshops, activities, giveaways, and more throughout the day. All ages and all doll fans are welcome! No matter who you are, where you come from, and which dolls you collect, you are a part of one doll family around the world united in the love and appreciation of dolls.
|
|
|
|
Join us in celebrating the National Recreation and Park Association’s Family Health and Fitness Day with the first ever Huntersville Family Field Day on Sunday, June 14 from 4-7 pm. This fun event gets the whole family involved with games for all ages! Sign up with your family and we’ll pair you up with other families to compete to be crowned field day champion! Come prepared to get wet! Many of the games involve water. This event is FREE! Water and sports drinks will be provided, and frozen treats will be available for purchase.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Charlotte 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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Charlotte 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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Charlotte Area's Pick-Your-Own Fruit Listed below are farms in and near Charlotte that offer pick your own fruits, berries, and vegetables. And... to make the most of your experience, check out
|
|
|
Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
|
|
