KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
|
|
|
Thu, Apr 2: Disney On Ice presents Jump In! at State Farm Arena
Sat, Apr 4: Easter Egg Hunt & Spring Fun! at THE GEORGE RANCH
Fri, Apr 10: Poteet Strawberry Festival
Sat, Apr 11: Houston Latin Festival at Crown Festival Park Fri, Apr 17: National Youth Theater presents Grimm Fairytales
Sat, Apr 18: Reptile Open House at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center
Sat, Apr 18: 37th Annual
Burton Cotton Gin Festival at Texas Cotton Gin Museum
Sat, Apr 25: Sylvan Beach Festival at La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce
Sat, Apr 25: The Grand Kids Festival at The Grand 1894 Opera House
Sat, Apr 25: Conroe KidzFest
Sun, Apr 26: Kids Markets at the Tomball Flea Market |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: Before I had kids, one of my colleagues told me that fundamentally, a parent’s job is to point. At first, you point physically: You point at the waterfall and say “waterfall,” at the moon and say “moon,” at the flower and say “flower.” You’re helping a child connect sounds to objects, words to concepts, language to reality. But later, and really all the way through, the
pointing becomes more metaphorical. Parenting is the ongoing work of connecting your child’s growing capacity to understand with a world that is, to them, forever expanding. As I had Madison and Ella, I came to think of this as being a tour guide to the world. A good tour guide needs to know the landscape, of course. But even more important, a good tour guide needs to know the traveler. What can this particular child see right now? What are they ready for? What do they care
about? What frightens them? What delights them? It's useful to remember that kids haven’t actually been here before: The world is brand-new to them over and over again, so what feels ordinary to us is often astonishing to a child. Tour guides who are doing their job well pay close attention to who their audience is and what they know, and that makes the pointing easier and more fun. Spring is the perfect season to practice pointing. In spring, the world changes fast enough for
kids to notice. Buds swell and burst. Birds return. Tiny green things push up through the dirt as if by magic. Day to day, the world becomes visibly more alive. If we point it out, kids can catch it happening in real time. And spring does not arrive quietly. It comes as an avalanche of the senses: color, smell, birdsong, mud, wind, sunlight, thunder, petals, pollen, rushing water. So maybe that’s part of the job, too: not just to point, but to lean into it. To stand beside our
kids in the rush of it all and say, Look! Here it comes.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
Make this summer unforgettable at Language Kids World’s 15th Summer Camp Season! Children can explore Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, English, American Sign Language, or join our exciting World Explorers’ Club, where they discover cultures from around the world through hands-on fun. Our play-based, high-energy camps combine games, music, movement, crafts, and creativity to make language learning joyful and natural. With over 20 years of experience, our expert teachers know how to spark confidence and curiosity in every child. Multiple Houston-area locations, Flexible schedules, Payment plans available Give your child the gift of language, culture, and confidence this summer!
|
|
|
|
For this one day of the year, dogs are welcomed at Evelyn’s Park. In addition to the monthly artisan and small business market, we will have cool dog vendors and rescue organizations (Houston Cares Animal Rescue, Twilight Tails Animal Rescue, Waiting Under The Willow Foundation Animal Rescue) that we know you AND your furry friend will love! Jump in for special dog agility performances at 1:00pm and 3:00pm hosted by Little MonStar's Dog Show
|
|
|
|
The Shady Acres Parents Group and Live Oak Friends Meeting are partnering to run The Shady Acres Spring Fling & Egg Hunt. There are rumors that the Easter Bunny themselves may be in attendance and available for pictures.
|
|
|
|
Kids can make their own slime at Funtastik Labs in Katy with colors, scents, glitter, charms, and fun mix-ins for a hands-on creative activity.
|
|
|
|
Need the basics for fishing? We've got them! Fishing is easy. Catching is the hard part. Join us for all the basic skills needed to get to the catching part of fishing. Limited amount of loaner gear is available for use. Bring your own gear if you have it.
|
|
|
|
The Easter Bunny and his Sugar Land Lions crew will be stopping by Eldredge Park with food, fun and prize-filled eggs!
|
|
|
|
Get an early start to the day at our Easter Egg-stravaganza! This year's Egg Hunt and festivities will be held in Dow Park located at 610 E. San Augustine in Deer Park At 9:00 am, guests can enjoy Rabbit's Garden to pull a carrot, rubber ducky races, and the Junior Art Park Players Reaction Group entertaining with dancing, games, and prizes. We will host a sidewalk chalk contest from 9 - 10:15 a.m. Bunny Bingo is BACK and will be hosted in the DAC from 9 - 10 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., the Egg Hunt will begin! There are over 16,000 filled eggs to hunt for children ages 6 months to 12 years old. Find a prize certificate and redeem it for a prize. Don't forget your Easter basket! So much fun to be had at the annual Easter Egg-stravaganza - come out and join us!
|
|
|
|
Valerie Neal, emerita curator from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and expert on human spaceflight, interviewed many of the US women astronauts to bring their experiences to life. She offers a culturally insightful history of their achievements, the challenges they’ve faced, and their distinctive stories. Collectively, they’ve completed more than 100 space shuttle missions, 10 SpaceX missions, and more than 30 long-duration stays on the International Space Station and Russian Space Station MIR, and they continue to prove themselves in present-day space exploration efforts. With its sweeping look from the first women astronauts to Christina Hammock Koch, assigned to the first crewed Artemis mission around the Moon, there is no comparably thorough book on America’s women astronauts. On a Mission is an inspiring tribute to unsung women’s history.
|
|
|
|
Spring Fest is back at Dewberry Farm! March 7–April 26, 2026, enjoy photos with the Easter Bunny, FREE daily egg hunts, spring photo-ops, 40+ attractions, Candy Cannon blasts twice daily, and delicious seasonal treats—including our famous Easter funnel cakes…YUMMM!
|
|
|
|
Paddle into Easter with a one-of-a-kind kayak egg hunt on the scenic Lake Woodlands Canal! Parents and kids team up in tandem kayaks to search for colorful eggs, then follow the bunny trail for photos and more surprises. Finish with a festive on-land egg hunt for the whole family.
|
|
|
|
Join us for the annual Tomball German Heritage Festival, March 27-29, 2026. With a great line-up of vendors, contests & entertainment – it’s fun for the entire family. Most importantly, admission and parking are FREE!
|
|
|
|
The YMBL South Texas State Fair & Rodeo brings thousands of visitors to Beaumont each spring with food, entertainment, and, of course, carnival rides. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) showcases the country's top cowboys and cowgirls at the YMBL Championship Rodeo while locals present their masterpieces at the School Art, Quilt and Photo Show. There's a Livestock & Poultry Show as well as a Youth Animal Auction, Kids Fun Zone and more. Held annually at the Ford Park Entertainment Complex, the fairgrounds are filled to near capacity with over 250 booths dishing out exotic and intriguing dishes made for easy eating on the go - funnel cakes, cheesecake-on-a-stick, pork-kabobs, rabbit-on-a-stick, fried alligator, fried pickles and more!
|
|
|
|
During the school year, homeschoolers from all over the Houston area come to The Learning Zoo to bond over their shared excitement for nature and science! Each of our Homeschool Days has a theme and special activities geared towards ages 6-12. Complimentary Craft and Scavenger Hunt is provided. Tickets are $8each. Each guest over the age of 12 months will need to purchase a ticket. Both adults and students will require a ticket for entry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The all-new 2026 Camp Invention® program, Spark, is coming to curious kids in your community this summer! Rising K-6 campers will collaborate with friends to tackle hands-on, open-ended challenges. They’ll team up with robotic capybaras, ride the waves of entrepreneurship, uncover the power of protecting their ideas and build a DIY space rocket! Each experience is designed to spark confidence, build persistence and create unforgettable summer memories. Visit invent.org/save/camp to secure your spot! Register using CIFUN25 by 3/31 to save $25 or CIFUN20 by 4/28 to save $20 when you register. Interest-free payment plans are available, making camp affordable for all families.
|
|
|
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Dallas - Fort Worth - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA - Sat, 03/21/2026 to Sun, 03/22/2026, See link for times
- Spring Break at the Nasher Sculpture Center - Nasher Sculpture Center, 2001 Flora St, Dallas, TX 75201 - Sat, 03/21/2026 to Sun, 03/22/2026, 11 am to 5 pm
- Spring Break in the Park 2026 - Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy, Dallas, TX 75201 - Sat, 03/21/2026 to Sun, 03/22/2026, 9 am- 6 pm
- First Day of Spring at the Dallas Farmers Market - Dallas Farmers Market, South Harwood Street, Dallas, TX -
Sat, 03/21/2026 to Sun, 03/22/2026, Saturday 9 am- 5 pm Sunday 10 am- 5 pm
- Holi Festival - Heritage Park, 600 Spinks Rd, Flower Mound, TX - Sat, 03/21/2026, 11 am- 3 pm
- Texas Forever Fest - 901 E 15th St, Plano, TX 75074 - Sat, 03/21/2026, 11 am- 6 pm
- Twin Coves Open House - Twin Coves Park and Campground, Wichita Trail, Flower Mound, TX - Sat, 03/21/2026, 11 am- 3 pm
- Visit from The Creature Teacher - PGA District, PGA Parkway, Frisco, TX - Sat, 03/21/2026, 10-11 am
- Pokémon Gym Badge Challenge -
Richardson Public Library, 900 Civic Center Dr, Richardson, TX - Sat, 03/21/2026, all day
- Jurassic Elm - The Lawn at The Lakefront, 125 Main Street, Little Elm, TX - Sat, 03/21/2026 to Sun, 03/22/2026, all day
|
|
|
|
The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Houston 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!
|
|
|
Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
|
|
