Dallas weekly e-newsletter |
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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 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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We offer a variety of fun and educational themes for Campers aged 3 - 8! Campers will be immersed in the Spanish language and culture while enjoying hands-on activities related to each camp's theme. Full and part-time programs are available to meet your needs.
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Learn robotics building, programming and 3D modeling while having a blast this summer at Magikid Robotics, home of robotics champions in North Dallas! Limited spots left for June. Magikid Highland Park offers one-week camps for students ages 4–14, providing a fun, high-energy environment where students tackle real challenges and unleash creativity. Weekly camp themes include VEX and Humanoid Robotics, Drones, Solar Explorer, Coding with Minecraft and Roblox, 3D Modeling & Printing, and Unity Game Development, all tailored to different skill levels. NBC DFW describes us as “a beacon of educational excellence in the Park Cities/North Dallas area” and commends us for “shaping the next generation of tech leaders.” Here’s why: 1) 3–4 projects per day—not just one per week; 2) an award-winning curriculum that prepares students to win major robotics competitions nationwide; 3) small class sizes for personalized attention; and 4) no-repeat projects—we track progress to keep learning…
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Experience FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas as the ultimate free, open‑to‑all home base for World Cup fans, where Fair Park transforms into a 1‑million‑square‑foot celebration packed with live match broadcasts, concerts, games, food, and culture from June 11–July 19.
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Crafternoon is our semi-regular craft time. Three Friday afternoons each month, stop in to create a fun and easy age-appropriate craft for pre-school and school-age children. Learn about the flag that symbolizes Juneteenth, and create your own flag using a paper plate. You can register for an email reminder, but it's not required
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Hawaiian Falls is proud to be partnering with Special Olympics to honor Champions with an exclusive morning designed for our families and individuals with special needs. Champions and their families will have exclusive access to the park from 9am-10am. Champions tickets are FREE and family companion tickets are only $10 (limit 4).
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Join us for one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the region as the Best Southwest cities—Lancaster, DeSoto, Duncanville, and Cedar Hill—come together for a powerful day of culture, music, and community! This high-energy Music Festival will welcome over 15,000 attendees for a full day of entertainment and experiences that celebrate freedom, unity, and Black culture.
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The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center is hosting the 2026 Juneteenth 4K Freedom Walk & Festival on Saturday, June 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event will begin with a 4K Freedom Walk for health & wellness, and end with a free community festival with live entertainment, vendors, and fun activities for the entire family. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., the opening ceremony will begin at 9:00 a.m., and the walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. To participate in the walk, or as a vendor or volunteer, you must sign up online.
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Pride in Bloom is back for another year of music, vendors, and community in one of Dallas’s most beautiful settings. Whether you’re here for the daytime festivities or the evening’s live performances, there’s something for everyone.
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Dallas area 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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The Dallas Area's Pick-Your-Own Fruit Listed below are farms in and near Dallas that offer pick your own fruits, berries, and vegetables. And... to make the most of your experience, check out our
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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