KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, Jun 12: The Art Garage Summer Camp
Sat, Jun 13: Colorado Renaissance Festival: Celebrating 49 Years
Tue, Jun 16: World Sea Turtle Day at the Downtown Aquarium Wed, Jun 17: Sounds Exciting! Summer Concert Series
Thu, Jun 18: Juneteenth 2026 in Thornton
Sat, Jun 20: Unicorn 5K
(North) | 3W Races
Sat, Jun 20: June Jubilee 2026
Sat, Jun 20: Highlands Street Fair 2026
Sat, Jun 20: Celtic Session with Denver Celtic Night at Fiction Beer Company
Sat, Jun 20: Dads, Donuts & DIY Create Your Own Cornhole
Boards - Planks and Paint DIY Workshop
Sun, Jun 21: Father's Day Classic | 3W Races
Sun, Jun 21: Father's Day at the Downtown Aquarium Mon, Jun 22: Exploradores de fantasía / Fantasy Explorers | Event at Arapahoe Libraries
Tue, Jun 23: Summer Concert Series | Denver Botanic Gardens - York Street
Thu, Jun 25: 2026 Thornton PRIDE Fri, Jun 26: Movies in the Park: The SpongeBob Movie - City of Westminster Parks & Rec
Sat, Jun 27: 52nd Annual Cherry Blossom Festival
Sun, Jun 28: 52nd Annual Cherry Blossom Festival
Sun, Jun 28: 2026 Frederick in Flight - Hot Air Balloon Festival Fri, Jul 3:
Pay-What-You-Wish Day at the Still
Fri, Jul 3: First Friday in the NoBo Art District
Fri, Jul 3: Cherry Creek Arts Festival 2026
Sat, Jul 4: Let Freedom Run 5k/10k | 3W Races |
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
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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. |
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 Denver 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! |
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Audacious Immersive's summer camps offer kids the opportunity to create their own fantastical worlds. For kids aged 6-12, our Fairytale Creation Camp (June 15-19 or June 22-26) empowers kids to build a fairy tale theater experience from the ground up, from storytelling to costuming to game design and beyond. Their imagination is the limit! For kids ages 8-14, our Junior Monster Hunter Camp (July 13-17) trains new recruits as mythical creature conservationists. They'll take lessons set inside an immersive world, working together to create spells, magical objects, and learn supernatural defense strategies, all while learning about international folklore. $325/week (Sibling discounts available)
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At the Montessori Academy of Colorado (MAC), we empower fearless, forward learners from infancy through 8th grade. Located in Denver, MAC offers authentic Montessori education beginning at 8 weeks old, fostering independence, curiosity, and a love of learning. Our programs, including Nido, Toddler, Primary, Kindergarten, Elementary, and one of the nation’s first purpose-based Middle Schools, are led by certified educators who deeply know and support each child. With small class sizes and hands-on, individualized learning, students build critical thinking, empathy, and global awareness. MAC graduates leave not only academically prepared, but also confident, kind, and resilient, ready to make meaningful contributions to the world. Join our warm, inclusive community and discover the MAC difference.
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Summer rides start Tuesday, May 26, 2026 and run Monday - Friday mornings through September 4*. Children ages 10 and under (along with accompanying adults) will chug along Pearl Street in this one-of-a-kind experience. The Summer Tebo Train boards in front of Wells Fargo at the corner of 13th and Pearl. The rides start at 9:30 am each day. The last train leaves the station at 11 am SHARP.
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“Thornton Yesterday, Thornton Today, Thornton Tomorrow.” This free exhibition invites visitors on a journey through the city’s evolution—from its earliest days to the vibrant community it is now—told through artifacts, photographs, stories, and murals. Join us in celebrating Thornton’s rich history and bright future! Closed on federal and city holidays.
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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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Help teens enjoy Prom and create lasting memories! Donate your gently used, and washed, formal wear and accessories to any Aurora Public Library branch through July 31.
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Family events aren't much better than this - hands-on activities, fuzzy, approachable animals, entertaining performances, and shopping for Mom and Dad. Those familiar with the wool and fiber industry know this event, held at the Estes Park Events Complex (1125 Rooftop Way), is the place to be.
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What is Parker Days Festival? It is a FREE Admission family festival that features a wide variety of music on 4 stages, shopping at over 200 marketplace booths, food from 30+ vendors, beverages, inflatable activities for kids, free kids craft area, bungy jumping, over 50 carnival rides, and family fun.
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Celebrate love and community at Adams County Pride! Free to attend and open to all, Adams County Pride is filled with heart, from live music and entertainment to immersive art experiences, food vendors, and community resources, the day will leave attendees filled with love for their community.
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Experience the World in a City at Aurora Fest! As we step into 2026 with a new name, Aurora Fest embraces a refreshed identity that celebrates the pride, diversity and global heritage that define our community. Join us for a vibrant celebration of the cultures that bring us together, featuring live music, cultural performances, incredible food, a Parade of Nations and new this year, the Bright Flight 250/150 drone show.
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Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply).
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In this fun-filled show, pigs will perform exciting tricks to music and the cues of renowned animal trainer and performer John Vincent. John tells a story that educates and weaves the animals through a series of tricks. See simple dog-like tricks like sit-up, lay-down, play-dead, and fetch to unbelievably difficult ones. This crowd pleaser has been thrilling audiences at fairs and other events, entertaining thousands all over America since 1991.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Denver 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!
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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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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 go for strawberry picking, cherry
picking, blueberry picking, raspberry picking, peach picking, and other pick-your-own opportunities around Denver.
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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