KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was a kid, summer meant St. Rocco’s Feast in the Peterstown neighborhood of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The streets were filled with music, carnival rides, vendor booths, and fairgoers... but the main attraction for 10-year-old me was zeppoles: lumps of dough dropped into hot oil, puffed golden, shaken in a paper bag with powdered sugar, and handed over hot enough to require
patience. To my young self, they were almost proof of magic. They were also my gateway drug into Italian food. Zeppoles led eventually to prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, risotto and gnocchi, pesto and puttanesca. Along the way, I learned that food has a vocabulary: crisp, chewy, silky, smoky, briny, bitter, fermented, caramelized. Knowing the names of flavors and textures helped me notice them more clearly, and knowing where dishes came from helped me see that food carries
geography, history, ingenuity, celebration, and memory. The more I tasted, the bigger the world became. Summer is the perfect season to help kids develop that kind of appetite... for food and discovery. Visit a farmers market and learn what grows nearby. Pick berries and notice how they taste when harvested just a second ago with your own hands. Try the food truck serving something you’ve never ordered. At a festival, ask what country or region a dish comes from, what ingredients give it its flavor, and who traditionally makes it. Kids don’t have to like everything. Exploration still counts when the verdict is “Not for me.” As tour guides to our
kids’ universe, we can help them notice that food connects downward to the Earth and outward to people. Name the flavor. Name the texture. Name the place and the tradition. Then take another bite. Sometimes an entire world opens through one little bag of fried dough.
—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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Bring your favorite people and enjoy a spooky-good adventure with The Addams Family at Encore Stage & Studio located in Arlington! Tickets are $18-22. Use code KOAA26SUMMER to receive a Buy One, Get One Free ticket offer. Laugh together as Wednesday Addams introduces her "normal" boyfriend to her delightfully eccentric family, leading to a dinner filled with surprises, humor, and heart. It's a musical celebration of love, acceptance, and embracing what makes every family unique. Recommended for ages 10 and older. Make this summer one to remember by sharing the magic of live theatre together!
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Celebrate the cultures of the world with an afternoon of international food, live entertainment, shopping, and soccer! Explore a variety of food vendors serving authentic cuisine from around the globe, enjoy live cultural performances, and shop handmade arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing, and unique gifts from talented artisans. Then, at 3 PM, gather with fellow soccer fans for our FREE FIFA World Cup Final Watch Party! We'll be streaming the biggest match in the world live on an outdoor screen, creating an exciting atmosphere to cheer on your favorite team while enjoying great food and drinks. Bring your family, your friends, and your team spirit for an unforgettable day of food, culture, shopping, and the world's biggest soccer match!
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Each summer, the Lotus and Water Lily Festival invites visitors to experience the stunning blooms of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens while celebrating the rich natural and cultural heritage of the Anacostia River. This year, the festival embraces a special America 250th theme, highlighting stories that connect our shared national history with the beauty of this treasured landscape.
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Celebrate the Nation’s 250th Anniversary this summer at the National Law Enforcement Museum with special offerings for visitors!
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We’re thrilled to welcome the Farmers Market SW to The Wharf! Starting Saturday, April 4, support local farmers offering fresh and locally sourced food. The market will be located at M Street Landing, outside of Pitango, Philippe Chow, and Fish Shop and will operate weekly on Saturdays through November from 9 AM – 1 PM.
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Along with our usual activities: petting farm, hayrides, pony rides, there will be games and activities in the Enchanted Pine Forest. Come into the forest to toss bees to pollinate the flowers, jump like a frog, spin like a fairy, create fairy and dragon art with nature. You can participate in an alphabet scavenger hunt that leads to the Fairy Forest where you can hear a fairy story or two. Join us for a fun day of rides, games, food, and laughter.
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He’s slow, he’s steady, and he’s officially older than the airplane, the Model T, and your great-great-grandmother’s wedding photos. Jethro, our beloved Giant Aldabra Tortoise, is turning 119 years young and we are rolling out the red carpet (well, the green grass) to celebrate. The party kicks off at 12:00 PM, with the main event with a giant watermelon birthday cake and a group sing-along of “Happy Birthday” at 12:30 PM sharp.
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Get ready for two days bursting with fun! The best bubble party of the summer is back at MSC on Saturday and Sunday, July 18 & 19. Mix up a batch of your own bubble solution, design your own bubble wand, and put your bubble making skills to the test. Experiment with bubble towers, double bubbles, fizzy foamies, and more as we explore all the different ways to make a bubble. Plus, be sure to catch Bubblemania, a suds-tacular show performed by world-renowned bubble artist Casey Carle.
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Scoop Up the Fun at Port Discovery's National Ice Cream Day Celebration! Get ready to chill out and scoop up some fun on July 18th for a delightful, ice cream extravaganza to celebrate National Ice Cream Day. We’ve churned up a day full of sweet, ice cream-themed activities, games, and art projects that will delight kids and parents alike! But that’s not all! As a special topping, enjoy the celebration with a delicious frozen sweet treat. Treats will be available while supplies last, so come early to enjoy this tasty preview! Mark your calendars and join us at Port Discovery Children’s Museum for an unforgettable celebration of National Ice Cream Day!
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Ahoy there! Join us for an unforgettable treasure hunt on the Potomac River with Boomerang Boat Tours! Come aboard our infamous pirate ship for a family-friendly adventure where you and your children can live the pirate’s life for a day complete with water cannon battles, incredible views of the city, and of course, pirates!
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Set sail for adventure at Shipgarten’s Kids & Family Festival! Join us on **July 19th** for a magical day with Moana and Maui as they bring island vibes, big laughs, and wayfinding fun to the whole family. Enjoy themed activities, music, photo opportunities, and plenty of excitement fit for explorers of all ages! It’s going to be an ocean-sized celebration you won’t want to miss — see you at Shipgarten!
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2026's Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Washington DC 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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Nothing says SUMMER quite like going to an amusement park with your family! We've put together a great list of ones you can visit within driving distance of Nashville. So, pack the sunscreen, load up the car and head out on a grand adventure!
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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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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 pick fruit with your family:
Strawberry picking, cherry picking, blueberry picking, raspberry picking, peach picking, and other pick-your-own opportunities in the DC Metro area.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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