KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, Feb 16: America's 250th Presidents’ Day: Puzzle Party - FREE Admission at Indiana State Museum
Fri, Feb 20: Anime Crossroads 2026
Fri, Feb 20: GeoFest at Indiana State Museum
Sat, Feb 21: ICC Community Outreach February Day of Song at Indianapolis Children's Choir Performing Arts Center
Sat, Feb 21: Model Train Show - at Avon-Washington Township Library Sat, Feb 28: Pete The Cat at Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre Sun, Mar 1: Spring Bulb Display 2023- At Garfield Park Conservatory
Fri, Mar 6: Barbie Game Day - Indy Fuel at INDIANA FARMERS COLISEUM
Sat, Mar 7: Sap to Syrup Day - At Holliday Park
Sat, Mar 7: Lunar New Year Festival Year of the Horse at Indianapolis Central Library
Sun, Mar 8: The Indianapolis Children’s Choir Presents: Jubilate
Deo at Hilbert Circle Theatre |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
For much of the country, it's been the hardest winter in recent memory: cold, monochrome, relentless. The kind of season that reminds us how little control we really have. We do our best to manage routines and moods and expectations, but parents feel it most. February stretches long and flat after the excitement of the holidays, before the lift of spring. You're still packing
lunches, wrangling homework, managing emotions (your kids’ and your own)... all while the cold keeps the family cooped up. This is the season of endurance. Of course, endurance isn’t about being stoic or silent or superhuman; it’s about continuing, even when things are hard. It’s about showing up for your people, your plans, and yourself, day after chilly day. And it’s about knowing that if you’re feeling the drag right now, you’re not alone. Many of us are moving through it
together. Even for those who don't live in Nature's Refrigerator,* February can still bring its own version of stuckness: that long stretch between holidays, where kids are restless and routines feel stale. Sometimes, by February, our gray matter feels just as gray as the weather. When that happens, help is allowed! Check out our article and outsource the brainstorming to KidsOutAndAbout: Stuck Inside This Winter? 20 Creative Indoor Activities for Kids is packed with creative, practical, low-effort ways to keep your family engaged (and sane) when outside play isn’t an option. And it shows you how to tap your favorite AI to be your thought partner to personalize it for your
family. February Gray doesn’t need to be conquered; it just needs to be lightened a bit. So whether you're "out and about" or "in and not at all about," we're here to brighten the rest of your winter!
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build
Strong Communities
*Rochester, NY ☺️ |
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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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Experience the ultimate summer of discovery with Club SciKidz Central Indiana! With premier locations in Carmel and Greenwood, our STEM.org Accredited™ programs offer an unparalleled hands-on learning adventure for children. Designed for ages 4–15, we
feature over 70 exciting themes—from Battle Bots and Veterinary Medicine to Space Exploration and Lego Engineering. Our award-winning curriculum inspires confidence and creativity through engaging experiments led by expert, background-checked instructors. Whether your child is a budding coder or a future scientist, they will find their passion in a safe, high-energy environment. Join us this summer to ignite curiosity and build real-world skills in every camper. Space fills up quickly!
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Play with mixed media during this quarter's drop-in activities!
This quarter's programs focus on: mixed media! Explore mixed media to make bug-themed cards for Valentine's Day. Make a bug, write someone a positive message, and leave your note for someone to take. Grab a Love Bug that someone left for you before you leave! Step-by-step instructions and materials will be provided in Ignite Studio. Ages 5+.
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Need a little time to enjoy a Valentine's night out—kid-free? Drop the kids off for an evening of fun while you take a well-deserved break! Whether it's date night, dinner with friends, or some solo self-care, we've got your little ones covered. Kids will
enjoy a heart-filled evening with supervised pool time, followed by a cozy Valentine-themed movie complete with snacks and sweet seasonal fun. Crafts, games, and plenty of love-themed laughter make this a win-win: you relax, they have a blast!
Participants will need: Swim suit, change of clothes, & a reusable water bottle.
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Bring the family to meet Rumi and come skate and sing along to Rumi’s favorite songs from the movie during our Glow Skate! Admission includes a glow stick, meet and greet, and all you can eat cheese pizza! Don’t miss out on our dance party at the end of the
skating session.
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It’s Valentine’s Day and what better way to spice things up than watching the Fuel take on their rival, the Fort Wayne Komets!
The Fuel will wear their best for this date night matchup with a specialty jersey with their nicknames on the back! Stick around after the game for a specialty jersey auction in section 108!
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Join us for a fun-filled day of activities designed for animal lovers of all ages. Families can enjoy crafts, hands-on nature activities, meet-and-greets with our ambassador animals, and special “Animal Valentines” you can create and donate to help care for
your favorite critters.
$5 per person or $10 per family.
All proceeds from this event go directly toward food, enrichment, and medical care for the Nature Center’s animals.
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Join us for a fun and creative painting event!
This is a fully guided experience—our instructor will lead students step-by-step through drawing and painting their very own masterpiece on a 16x20 stretched canvas that they'll proudly take home at the end of the event. Perfect for beginners and budding artists alike!
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A perfectly-timed kids-only workshop... our gift to you this Valentine's Day! We will be making trendy "neon" splatter bows in this two hour dropoff workshop - the perfect length for a date night dinner for the grownups! No babysitter required.
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- Drop-In Activity: Love Bugs (ages 5 & up) - At Hamilton East Public Library-Fishers Library – Municipal Drive, Fishers, IN 46038, Friday, February 13 through Sunday, February 15, 2026, All day
- Valentine's Card Party - Johnson County Public Library-Indiana - White River Branch – 1664 Library Boulevard, Greenwood, IN, Friday, February 13, 2026, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
- Palentine's Photo Frames - Brownsburg Public Library – 450 South Jefferson Street, Brownsburg, IN
46112, Friday, February 13, 2026, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- Fishers Gallery Hop - At Hamilton East Public Library-Fishers Library – Municipal Drive, Fishers, IN 46038, Friday, February 13, 2026, 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
- Data Detectives - Coding a Sandcastle - At Indianapolis Public Library - Michigan Road Branch – 6201 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268, Saturday, February 14, 2026, 10:30 am - 11:30 am
- Indy Winter Farmers Market - At The AMP at 16 Tech – 1220 Waterway Blvd, Indianapolis, IN
46202, Saturday, February 14, 2026, 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
- Belle Musique Valentine's Day Concert - At Hamilton East Public Library-Fishers Library – Municipal Drive, Fishers, IN 46038, Saturday, February 14, 2026, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- Paint and Punch (Ages 10-18) - Presented by the Teen Advisory Group - At Indianapolis Public Library - Michigan Road Branch – 6201 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46268, Saturday, February 14, 2026, 2:00 pm - 3:00
pm
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Indianapolis area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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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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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Indianapolis? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping a
spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Indianapolis 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 Best Places for Kids in the Indianapolis area! Here are the Top 20 places to take kids in and around Indianapolis, based on KidsOutAndAbout's annual reader survey. Of course, there is LOTS more to do locally "out and about"! Get great ideas here at
KidsOutAndAbout.com!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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