KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Wed, Jan 21: St. Mary School, OPEN HOUSE
Sat, Jan 24: Gabby's Dollhouse at
Stamford Center for the Arts’ Palace Theatre
Thu, Jan 29: Evening for Educators at Wadsworth Atheneum Museum
of Art
Sat, Jan 31: Owl Moon Night Hike at New Canaan Nature Center
Sat, Jan 31: SeaClass: Letterpress Valentine’s Day Card Workshop at Mystic Seaport Museum
Thu, Feb 5: George Washington Carver and Friends at The Bushnell
Sat, Feb 7: Black History Month Pop-Up Display at the Fairfield Museum Research Library
Sat, Feb 14: Valentine's Day at Connecticut's
Beardsley Zoo
Fri, Feb 20: Winter Passport Week at Grace Farms
Sun, Mar 15: Puppet Festival Mississauga at Crane Creations Theatre Company
Sat, Mar 21: Mystic Seaport Ship Modelers Model Tugboat Show |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
If it weren’t for a Polish pastry, I might not exist. When my great-grandmother Karolina Stelmach was a teenager in a small village in Poland, she was told she’d be entering an arranged marriage. But her heart belonged to Sylvester Nowakowski. So she left... on her own, by boat... and made her way to America. She found work in a restaurant, where
she made her family’s signature dessert: chrusciki. One day, a “distinguished gentleman” insisted on meeting the pastry chef, and he offered her a better-paying job in his own kitchen. She took it, saved enough to bring Sylvester over, and they married. Which means if chrusciki didn’t exist, neither would I. Stories like this do more than entertain. According to psychologist Robyn Fivush, interviewed on a recent episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, they help kids develop
identity, resilience, and self-worth. The more children know about their family’s past—not just the “big” stories like crossing oceans, but even the day-to-day moments and struggles—the more connected and grounded they become. Fivush and her colleagues at Emory University found that kids who know more family stories have higher self-esteem, greater emotional understanding, and a stronger sense of meaning and purpose. But it’s not just the information that matters...it’s the telling. When we sit
down and share what came before, we help kids feel like they’re part of something bigger, and that they belong. No AI can replicate that. A chatbot can write a story, sure. But it can’t tell your kids how Grandma’s meatloaf could’ve doubled as a construction material, or how two little girls in the 1950s turned a couple of ice cream cones into a front-porch endurance contest. So this year, make a point of telling your kids about your family's shared history:
about mistakes, about perseverance, about love, about dessert. Connection doesn’t have to be complicated: Just pull up a chair, pass the cookies, and pass down the stories.
—Debra Ross, publisher
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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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The Darien Arts Center has opened registration for its Winter/Spring 2025 semester, offering classes in dance, music, visual arts, and acting for students of all ages. This season includes returning favorites and new offerings such as Workshop Wednesdays, youth and adult visual arts classes, expanded on-camera acting programs, and a wide range of dance styles, including Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, and Broadway Theater Jazz. With opportunities for beginners through advanced students, the DAC provides a supportive environment for creativity and skill-building. Register online at darienarts.org or call 203-655-8683 to learn more. Please visit our website for more information.
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Summer fun starts at the YMCA of Greenwich—and registration is now open for our 2026 Summer Camps! With spots filling quickly, now is the time to plan a season of adventure, learning, and connection. This year, we’re excited to introduce all-new outdoor camps at Camp Seton, offering a nature-rich experience with hiking, archery, water activities, and more. We offer camps for every age, from infants and preschoolers to school-age kids, middle schoolers, and high schoolers. Tweens and teens can build leadership skills through specialty programs and work toward future employment opportunities at the Y. Plus, families love our one-week specialty camps, perfect for kids who want to dive into a favorite interest like coding, archery, or creative technology. There’s truly something for everyone this summer at the Y!
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Join us for our first Homeschool Days of 2026 on January 16 or 30! During these Homeschool Days, participants will learn about what life was like for New Englanders during the cold, long days of winter. What food and drink warmed their souls, and what clothing kept them safe from the chill? How did they stay entertained, and what work was necessary during this time of year? Homeschool Days offer you and your family the opportunity to explore the Village and participate in hands-on activities. Sign up for a workshop or explore the Village on your own using one of our many self-guides and scavenger hunts, available at both Museum Education and the Visitor Center.
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We're goin' up, up, up to brunch! Step into the colorful, action-packed world of K-Pop, including K-Pop Demon Hunters at 1741 Pub & Grill's ultimate DJ Brunch! Sing your heart out as DJ Heartbeat spins all the iconic tracks, including the hit "Golden". Bring the whole family for a morning full of music, fun, and excitement!
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Celebrate all things squirrely and explore the lives of these clever critters. Play a squirrel game and compete for acorns! Squirrel Appreciation Day is just around the corner!! There’s more to this clever critter than meets the eye. Take a look into the lives of squirrels with Ranger Evelyn in this fun, family-friendly program. Take on the role of a squirrel in the game squirrel scramble and compete for acorns. Ages 5+
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Ages 2-4 years One Caregiver per Little Artist! Join us at the DAC visual arts studio with your little ones and introduce them to creativity and the freedom to express themselves! Sensory art encourages exploration and interaction with materials, focusing on the sensory experience itself rather than the final product. These classes provide a hands-on, messy, and creative environment for toddlers to explore different textures, colors, and materials.
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This January celebrate Homeschool Month with an unforgettable, hands-on LEGO® experience —designed especially for homeschool families. Whether your focus is engineering, problem-solving, physics or math, our activities bring your curriculum to life in a fun, creative way your kids will never forget.
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- Family Programs at Yale Peabody Museum - Yale Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, Friday, 01/15/2026 to Sunday, 01/18/2026, See website for specific program times
- Little Red Bar[n] Live Music at Bishop's Orchards - Bishop's Orchards, 1355 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT, Friday, 01/16/2026 to Saturday, 01/17/2026, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
- Read to Tuck Everlasting at Pequot Library - Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Avenue, Southport, CT, Saturday, 01/17/2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am
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Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school options - we've got you covered.
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EXPERIENCES create memories much more than stuff does. As you're considering gifts for family and friends, consider giving the gift of a family membership to one of our local attractions. Here are local organizations that offer memberships.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Fairfield County 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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2025's Top 20 Places to Take Fairfield County Kids: Once again, our readers have spoken! Thousands of parents voted in the KidsOutAndAbout survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids. Our Top 20 results page includes a list of your top picks, including winners
in special categories like favorite spot for indoor play, favorite nature center, favorite museum, and much more!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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