KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sun, Apr 26: Tulip Fairy & Elf Festival
Sat, May 2: Cinco de Mayo Festival 2026
Sat, May 2: The Great Estes Park Rotary Duck Race 2026
Sat, May 2: Dazzle
Kids' Matinee presents Jack and the Beanstalk
Sun, May 3: Temple Micah's Spring Fling & BBQ Thing
Tue, May 5: Homeschool Day-
Archaeology
Sat, May 9: Maker Mornings: Art and Recycling
Sat, May 9: Run to the Shrine
Sat, May 9: Dazzle Kids' Matinee presents Cinderella
Sun, May 10: Space Race 5K at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
Tue, May 26: CAMPS: From Fiber to Fantasy! - CBArt Studios |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When my kids were little, one of our favorite nature activities was also one of the simplest: We’d head out onto a trail, stop among the trees, and play the Listening Game. The rules were easy: Close your eyes. The first time you hear a sound, any sound at all, put up one finger. Then add another for each new sound you notice. After a minute or two, someone says, “Open your
eyes,” and everyone compares fingers and talks about what they heard. It’s a small exercise in attention, but it changes how kids experience the world. The invisible becomes visible... not to the eyes, exactly, but to the mind. Things that were just out of range suddenly move onto our radar. Nature is full of motion and music, and this game helps us tune ourselves to it. The free Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology takes that magic one step further: Tap Sound ID, and suddenly the songs around you appear on your screen as a voiceprint and a bird name and an image that shows you what to look for. And what a moment ago was only background atmosphere becomes a Carolina Wren, or an Eastern Whip-poor-will, or the Common Yellowthroat pictured above,
singing his heart out for a girl with a camera. That’s one of the great tasks of childhood, and of the adults who love children: to help hidden things come into view. Before we know something, it is almost as if it isn’t there. But once it is named, we have a new way to see. There are suddenly new dimensions to our universe, helping us transform even more mysteries into things that are ours. And we never really experience the woods—or the field, or the river, or
the ocean, or the city, or our backyard—the same way again.
—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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Wednesday nights are about to get a major upgrade as the Sounds Exciting! Summer Concert Series returns to Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park. Starting June 17, the community is invited to enjoy a night out at the amphitheater, featuring a high-energy lineup ranging from Southern rock to Americana folk and including the return of the legendary Hazel Miller. Attendees can complement the music with local food truck favorites and craft pours from the Foothills Credit Union beer garden, all while watching the sun set over the foothills. Tickets are available starting April 16 for Wednesday evening concerts, June 17 – July 29. Visit LakewoodCO.gov/SummerConcerts for the full schedule and to purchase tickets.
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If you want to give your little learner a head start for success in kindergarten and beyond, the Denver Preschool Program is here to help. We support Denver families like yours by reducing the cost of preschool tuition, regardless of your household income or neighborhood. And Denver Preschool Program support can be combined with Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program for even more savings! Whether you have already enrolled in a preschool or are still looking for a program that fits your needs, we can help. Learn more at dpp.org today!
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Join the Children’s Museum for an Earth Day celebration filled with activities all about our big, beautiful planet! Meet fascinating critters, unleash your creativity with sustainable art on a giant scale and dive into the world of conservation. Plus, we have some amazing local organizations joining the party!
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The Cosmic Studio invites you to tap into the creative energies of the universe. Explore three new hands-on activities. Combine the deepest reaches of outer space and en plein air painting at In the Open Sky. Interwoven illustrates how working collaboratively allows for large-scale fiber creations. State of the Art asks to imagine the future of art with exciting materials and mediums.
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Celebrate compassion, community, and the beauty of spring at Spring Fest 2026 at Luvin Arms! Bring your friends and family for a joyful afternoon at the sanctuary filled with connection, fun, and of course — rescued animals.
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"The World’s Largest Dinosaurs” invites you to explore the mind-bending biology and amazing anatomy of sauropods — the largest land animals to ever live. From eating and breathing to reproducing, size affects almost everything an animal does. Through imaginative and enthralling exhibits and displays, including a towering, life-sized model of a 60-foot-long Mamenchisaurus, you will go beyond the bones and into their bodies to discover the fascinating mechanics behind how these titans lived their lives on Earth millions of years ago. Exhibition content is presented in English with the option for a Spanish audio guide.
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- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Denver - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, 04/17/2026-04/19/2026, See link for times
- Playtime Storytime at Meadows Library - Boulder Public Library District, 4800 Baseline Road, Boulder, CO 80303, 04/17/2026, 10:15 am
- Free spring
mini photo session with Shoott! - Boulder - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, 04/17/2026-04/19/2026, See link for times
- Thornton 70th Anniversary History Exhibit - Thornton Arts & Culture Center, Dorothy Boulevard, Thornton, CO, 04/17/2026, 10 am - 5 pm
- Marine Biologist for a Day - Downtown Aquarium, Water Street, Denver, CO, 04/18/2026, 9am - 2pm
- OPEN HOUSE - , 7805 West Hampden
Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 04/18/2026, 1pm
- Spring Fest 2026 - Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary, County Road 7, Erie, CO, 04/18/2026, 11am-3pm
- Mythical Storytime with Fantasy Friends - Audacious Immersive, The Audacious Space, 1373 N Grant St. Denver, CO 80203, 04/19/2026, 12:30pm
- Science Sunday - , Regis University, Regis Boulevard, Denver, CO, 04/19/2026, 11AM-1PM
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KidsOutAndAbout's Denver-area 2026 summer camp guide for kids! Pick the dates you want to explore on our calendar and see what summer camps are available. Hundreds of local summer camps: day camps, overnight camps, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts &
crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more!
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Denver? 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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