KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, May 1: May the 4th (Force) be with you-8th Street SE Unofficial Star Wars Weekend Fri, May 1: Full Moon Nature Hike and Campfire at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park
Sat, May 2: 14th Annual Running of the Chihuahuas - District Wharf
Sat, May 2: The World & Me: Amphibian Week Kickoff Celebration with USGS and Friends! at NMNH
Sat, May 2: Busch Gardens Concert
Series
Sun, May 3: Shipgarten Cinco De Mayo with Encanto
Fri, May 8: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month -
Celebration Performances
Sat, May 9: Barnyard, Band & Booze at Green Meadows Farm
Sun, May 10: Mother's Day at Clark's Elioak
Farm
Wed, May 13: Family Program: Sorting and Shaping Seeds at United States Botanic Garden Conservatory
Sat, May 16: Mount Rainier Day Festival 2026
Sat, May 16: Gaithersburg Book Festival
Sat, May 23: Strawberry Jubilee Fest at Great Country Farms
Mon, May 25: Falls Church 44th Annual Memorial Day Parade & Festival
Fri, May 29: Annapolis Irish Festival
Fri, Jun 5: Elmo's Got the Moves - June 5, Capital One Hall, Tysons |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: One day last week, I was driving home around 7 pm when I glanced out the passenger's window and saw a stunning rainbow stretched fully across the sky, glowing in front of dark gray storm clouds that were rushing away to the east. I was approaching a stop light. Left was the way home, where various chores awaited... but right was the way to the rainbow. My husband was driving
behind me, and I knew that if I turned right, he was going to think I had lost my mind. For a split second, practicality made its case: Don’t be silly; go home, you have stuff to do. But then another question darted into my mind: Am I a person who chases rainbows, or am I not? Once I framed it that way, the answer was easy. For kids and grownups alike, this can actually be a helpful way to make all kinds of decisions. When the moment
comes to act, it helps to ask not just What do I feel like doing? but Who am I? Am I a person who tells the truth? Am I a person who helps? Am I a person who persists when times are hard? Am I a person who stops to notice the beautiful things around me? We build identity one choice at a time for our entire lives. The clearer we are about who we want to be, the easier it becomes to know what to do in the moment, to give ourselves evidence that we are, in fact, that sort of
person. I hope the kids in your world grow up thinking of themselves as people who seek what is bright and good and full of wonder. It’s our job to show them that delight is often worth the detour.
—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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Imagination Stage Summer Camps June 8-Aug 21 Explore, create, and collaborate with one (or more) of Imagination Stage’s many camp options in acting, musical theatre, filmmaking, and more! We have availability in several camps this summer for ages 4 and up. 4-Week Musical Production Camps for rising Gr 5-9 include Aladdin. and The Addams Family Musical While most of our camps are in Bethesda, a few take place in Rockville and NW DC. New location this summer, Takoma ES, with camps that include Camp Access and ASL Theatre Sampler. Financial assistance is available! Learn more and register on our website: https://imaginationstage.org/camps/
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Enjoy a special bug hunt with a NOVA Parks Naturalist! Explore the park while looking under logs, searching the gardens, and more to find creepy crawly friends. Learn what makes these critters unique and why they’re so important. Along the way, participants will record observations using the iNaturalist app and fill out bug bingo sheets. You’re sure to have an excellant time!
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Enjoy our friendly farm animals, homegrown plants and produce, savory barbecue, live music and more at the Corner Market! Our spring season has been evolving for almost a decade, and we have gradually streamlined our greenhouse operation. Spring & Summer at the Corner Market combines the best of our greenhouse operations with seasonal produce crops and so much more!
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Celebrate the transformational power of clay and the evolution of the museum’s iconic outdoor sculpture installation Always Becoming (2007) by Nora Naranjo Morse (Kha'p'o Owingeh [Santa Clara Pueblo]). Join the museum for a weekend of stories, artist demonstrations, hands-on activities, performances, and more centered on the relationship between art and the earth.
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Our Spring Festival keeps the springtime fun going a bit longer if the gap between Bunnyland and the start of harvest season is a little too long- because who wants to go two extra weeks without farm fun at Butler’s Orchard?
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The 36th Annual Children's Festival in Baker Park will be held on Saturday, April 25th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Over 60 childcare centers, preschool programs, and child-related organizations will offer hands-on activities for young children. Every year, approximately 3,000 participants enjoy the activities, entertainment, and information -- all for free! Again, this year, the Festival will feature information for parents and caregivers on school readiness and ideas on how to make everyday activities learning activities. Free activity booths and entertainment will be on hand, and food will be available for purchase.
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Lean how you can make a positive impact on the planet through exciting, interactive activities and games!
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- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - DC Metro area - Shoott - Broadway, New York, NY, USA, Thursday, 04/22/2026 to Saturday, 04/24/2026, See link for times
- 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, Saturday, 04/24/2026 to Sunday, 04/25/2026, 12 pm - 3 pm
- Farmers Market SW at District Wharf - 735 Water Street Southwest, Washington, DC 20024, United States, Saturday, 04/25/2026, 9 am - 1 pm
- National Museum of the American Indian Living Earth Festival: "Always Becoming" - National Museum of the American Indian, 4th Street Southwest, Washington, DC, USA, Saturday, 04/25/2026 to Sunday, 04/26/2026, 11 am - 5 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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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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