KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Thu, Apr 16: Cinderella at The Puppet Co. Playhouse
Fri, Apr 17: Observe the Sun with Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Sat, Apr 18: Chesterfield Towne Center Carnival
Sun, Apr 19: Fairy & Gnome Home Festival at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center
Sun, Apr 19: Shipgarten Petting Zoo
Wed, Apr
22: Earth Day - Tree Planting! at Soleado Lavender Farm
Fri, Apr 24: Bug Bingo at Potomac Overlook Regional Park
Fri, Apr 24: Family Program: Plants Make Their Own Food! Exploring Photosynthesis at United States Botanic Garden
Conservatory
Sat, Apr 25: Capitol Movement Dance Company Presents "Complexities"
Sat, Apr 25: Night Hike and
Campfire - Nocturnal Wildlife at Potomac Overlook Regional Park |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
As I write this column, three Americans and one Canadian are hurtling home from a trip around the Moon, inside a machine that had better do exactly what it’s supposed to do. For years, every person involved in the mission obsessed over every detail at every stage until as little as possible was left to chance. “Failure is not an option,” an ethos long associated with our quest to
explore outer space, makes perfect sense when we're talking about Artemis II. But decades ago, the attitude leaked out of the space program and into everyday life, and that was a mixed blessing. When I was a teenager, “failure is not an option” might as well have been tattooed on my brain: For me, not only was failure not an option, but anything below an A grade wasn’t an option, either. I was so afraid of not being perfect that if I felt unprepared for a test, I’d stay home
“sick.” I looked successful from the outside, but because I was working so hard to avoid mistakes, I played it safe. So I didn't actually accomplish much aside from some sharp-looking letters on a report card. It took me years out in the real world to realize that real accomplishment usually looks less like gliding and more like bumping into things until you find the way through. So these days, failure and I are best buddies: I've replaced "failure is not an option" with
"nothing ventured, nothing gained" as I inch toward and away from success each day. Even writing my column each week is an act of resilience: I add and then murder my words until they say what I mean, and I'm always aware in the end that it could be better. One of my goals when I was homeschooling Madison and Ella was to make failure safe and ordinary... cheerful, even... a sign of progress. Kids need chances to try things that might flop: recipes that taste weird, projects
that collapse, math problems they have to redo, conversations they wish they’d handled better. I wanted them to understand that when the stakes are low, failure is not a tragedy, it’s just how learning works. It doesn't usually feel fun, or comfortable. But it's the only way to fly.
—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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Unleash your imagination this Spring Break at LEGO® Discovery Center Washington, D.C.! Build, create, and play in twelve themed play zones packed with millions of LEGO bricks, travel through an interactive LEGO world on Imagination Express ride, and meet your favorite LEGO characters! Take part in a workshop class with a Master Model Builder, then experience supercharged special effects and action-packed adventure in the 4D theater. Explore MINIWORLD, a fantasy world with interactive activities and featuring iconic DC landmarks all made from over a million LEGO bricks. Conveniently located inside the Springfield Town Center. The Ultimate Indoor LEGO® Playground Awaits! Book your tickets now!
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Encore Stage & Studio presents Disney’s Dare to Dream JR., a joyful musical adventure for the whole family! On their first day at the Walt Disney Imagineering Studio, a group of trainees discovers how dreams can bring people together. Featuring beloved songs from The Princess and the Frog, Coco, Encanto, and Frozen II, this high-energy revue is filled with music and imagination. Perfect for Disney fans, the show runs May 29 to June 7 in Arlington, VA. An ASL Access performance and preshow experience are available. Tickets are $13-$16. Enjoy our special BOGO, using code KOAA26 at checkout.
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Now on stage through April 19, GOOD MORNING, GOOD NIGHT. This Helen Hayes recommended, brand-new show, was created especially for children ages 1-4. Very young children will discover the beauty of the world during daytime and nighttime through an interactive, sensory experience. Performances are on Saturdays and Sundays at 10 and 11:30. Use promo code KOAAGM20 for 20% off tickets (limit 4, good through 4/19, cannot be combined with other offers). Click here to buy tickets!
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Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, weather permitting. Become an astronomer and observe the Sun safely with a filtered telescope. Join us outside the Museum at the corner of 7th Street and Independence Avenue, near the silver Delta Solar sculpture, to view a variety of features on the Sun. Knowledgeable staff will be there to answer questions and guide observing. No reservations are necessary to participate. This program generally takes place on Fridays and Saturdays but will be cancelled if weather does not permit observing (clouds, rain, extreme temperatures).
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Step into a world of family-friendly fun at Shipgarten, Tysons Corner top restaurant for families! Join us on Sunday from 12PM to 6 PM, as we invite you to enjoy a day of excitement as we are having Mario and Rumi Host the Kids and Family Festival. Bring the whole family for an unforgettable experience! For your little ones Shipgarten has face painting and arts & crafts, allowing their creativity to shine. The fun doesn’t stop there – we’ve got live music, great drinks, moonbounces, and a full outdoor playground to ensure everyone has a blast. Dogs are more than welcome at Shipgarten, whether on-leash or in our off-leash dog park. Treat your furry friends to Pup Cups and Kongs filled with peanut butter for a delightful family treat.
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Bring the whole family to the Virginia Osprey Festival in Colonial Beach, VA! This fun, educational spring event celebrates the return of ospreys to the Chesapeake Bay. Kids will love hands-on activities, crafts, games, live birds of prey, and guided golf cart and trolley tours to local osprey nests. Enjoy local food, art, and beautiful waterfront views while learning about wildlife and conservation together.
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Discover how birds of all kinds show up in Library collections and the Thomas Jefferson Building. Create your own paper bird and learn about ornithology, birdwatching and more from staff specialists and displays.
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This drive-through environmental action event is designed to provide McLean residents with an opportunity to divert items from landfills and create a healthier planet through shredding, reusing, recycling and replenishing. The event includes document shredding (up to five file boxes—no clips please), bike donations, bulk and household item donations and more. Don’t leave without your free gifts!
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One of DC’s largest spectator events, the energy-filled National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade® presented by Events DC runs for 10 blocks along iconic Constitution Avenue. Giant colorful helium balloons, elaborate floats, marching bands from across the country, celebrity entertainers, and performers burst down the Parade route in a grand spectacle of music and showmanship seen only once a year during the Festival.
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- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - DC Metro area - Shoott - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, 04/10/2026 to 04/11/2026, See link for times
- 34th Annual Strathmore Juried Exhibition: STEEPED - Strathmore - The Mansion at Strathmore, Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, USA, 04/10/2026 to 04/11/2026, Tue–Fri: 12–4pm / Sat: 10am–3pm
- Observe the Sun with Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Jefferson Drive Southwest, Washington, DC, USA, 04/10/2026 to 04/11/2026, 12 pm - 3 pm
- National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade® - National Cherry Blossom Festival - The National Cherry Blossom Festival Admin Offices, K Street Northwest, Washington, DC, USA, 04/11/2026, 11 am - 1:30 pm
- Farmers Market SW at District Wharf - 735 Water Street Southwest, Washington, DC 20024, United States, 04/11/2026, 9 am - 1 pm
- Earth Day McLean—Act Locally at McLean Community Center, VA - McLean
Community Center - McLean Community Center, Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA, USA, 04/11/2026, 9 am - 12 pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the DMV 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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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the DMV 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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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the DMV 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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2025's Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Detroit Metro Area, as voted by thousands of parents! Our Top 20 results page includes a list of your top picks, including winners in special categories like Top Arts Educator, Top Sports Educator, and Top STEM
Educator!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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