KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, Jul 13: Monday Night Movies at Edgewater Public Market: Zootopia 2
Wed, Jul 15: Chainsaws and Chuckwagons 2026
Wed, Jul 15: City of Englewood Neighborhood Nights: Duncan Park
Thu, Jul 16: SUMMER MOVIE at the Ward 1 Neighborhood Night: How to Train Your Dragon
Thu, Jul 16: Tunes for Trails / Perks for Parks Free Concerts: That
Eighties Band
Fri, Jul 17: Pearl Street Arts Fest
Fri, Jul 17: Tennyson Street Fair 2026
Fri, Jul 17: Movies in the Park: Bad Guys 2 - City of Westminster Parks & Rec
Fri, Jul 17: Astronomy Night: Gems of the Summer Sky | Majestic View Nature
Center
Sat, Jul 18: 46th Annual Summerfest
Sat, Jul 18: Lavender Festival at Chatfield Farms
Tue, Jul 21: Sully's 1st Birthday Party at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Fri, Jul 24: The Art Garage Summer Camp |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
When I was a kid, a giant azalea bush stretched across our backyard, exploding into glorious pink blossoms in early May. In summer, it became something even better: a secret hideout that my sister and I named the Humble Abode. We hollowed out the dead branches behind the bush and dragged in little chairs and treasures and our dollhouse family. The Humble Abode barely qualified as
a fort, and it wasn't even secret; I'm sure my parents knew when we were back there. But it was a great kids-only space. A few weeks ago, I wrote about five summer lenses through which to plan summer: music, motion, making, nature, and food. Making—the lens for this week—reminds kids that they are not merely consumers of the world, but contributors to it. They can push value into existence. They can turn sticks, cardboard, fabric, tape, mud, blocks, gears,
sand, and flour into something that wasn’t there before. Especially for younger kids, making with the hands gives the brain evidence. I did that. I made that. I can make things happen. Summer is perfect for this because summer has time and room for mess. Pull out the science kits, the rocket kits, the LEGO bins, the soap-making sets that arrived at Christmas and then sat politely in the closet. "Upcycle" old boxes, fabric, toys, crayons, paint, buttons.
Let your kids build backyard forts, fairy houses, marble runs, cardboard cities, obstacle courses, blanket tents, museum towers, and whatever else the day and their imagination suggest. Of course, glue will drip. Sand will migrate. The kitchen table may briefly disappear under invention. (If the clutter gets overwhelming, consider a trip or two to your local science museum or maker space to save your sanity.) After all, you can’t make omelets without breaking eggs. And
you can’t make a maker without giving a child some space, some tools, some trust, and permission to begin.
—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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U-Pick Sunflowers, August 1 – August 23, 2026. Soak up the final days of summer at Anderson Farms! Gather the family, grab your camera, and join us for a truly unique summer experience. Wander through our beautiful 15-acre sunflower field with over 50 varieties of sunflowers & wildflowers; and discover many hidden photo ops along the way. Multiple purchase options are available for you to create, and take home, a beautiful pick-your-own summer bouquet! Make it a visit to remember with our one-day-only Sunrise Day, Super Hero Day & Unicorn Day special events. Don’t miss a moment – grab a Season Pass and enjoy both Summer and Fall at Anderson Farms!
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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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Explore the Clyfford Still Museum for as little as one penny during the First Friday Pay-What-You-Wish Day. Enjoy free mini-tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on each PWYW Day. Online reservations are recommended, and walk-ins are welcome. Online registration opens approximately one week before the Pay-What-You-Wish Day.
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First Friday is a FREE event featuring new exhibitions each month at the Bus Stop Gallery, the NoBo Art Center, NoBo on the Corner, plus open Artist studios, galleries, artist demos and other destinations to explore in North Boulder.
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Celebrate 35 years of Art for Everyone at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival! Thanks to supporters like you, this beloved Denver tradition continues to bring together artists, community and creativity. Join CherryArts for this special anniversary. Experience three days of art, food, music, and fun – featuring 260 talented artists from around the world, live performances, and interactive experiences for all ages. Free and open to the public!
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Join the City of Lakewood and Belmar Downtown Lakewood to mark the 250th anniversary of America and 150th anniversary of Colorado with a community gathering and a spectacular drone light show on Friday, July 3 from 5 to 10 p.m.!
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Dress up as your favorite American Hero! This could be your mom, dad, Albert Einstein, or a superhero! This event is all about celebrating GREAT people who do and have done GREAT things! Come be GREAT with us!
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Celebrate the 4th of July in Aurora! This event will have a variety of musical performances, food trucks and a large fireworks show! Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. and will last 30 minutes.
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Don’t miss the best fireworks display in the north metro area! Get there early—activities, food and beer vendors, and live music starts at 4 p.m. Shuttles will be provided from various locations!
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The annual Park Hill Parade is Denver’s largest Independence Day march and runs through the heart of Park Hill, one of Denver’s oldest, most historic and diverse neighborhoods. The parade includes floats, marching bands, costumed performers and tons of red, white and blue fun. See you on the 4th!
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Experience a day filled with family-friendly activities and patriotic spirit! We invite you to join in the festivities as Superior celebrates our nation's independence with red, white and blue fun for everyone!
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Join us every Sunday from June 7th through September 27th from 9-2 in the Macy's parking lot for a vibrant farmers market filled with fresh produce, handmade breads, sweet treats, refreshing drinks, canned items, select crafts and so much more!
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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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Nothing says SUMMER like an amusement park! Denver parents have lots of options! If there is a resource that we have missed, please email us to let us know, and we'll add it promptly. Thank you!
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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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