KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, Jun 8: Tales and Tots
Wed, Jun 10: Story Hour: Bread and Jam for Frances | The
Rabbit hOle
Fri, Jun 12: Downtown Overland Park Art Fair
Fri, Jun 12: Sugar Creek Slavic Festival 2026
Fri, Jun 12: Arts in the Park
Sat, Jun 13: St. John's Annual Mexican Fiesta!
Sat, Jun 13: JAM Session: What's Swimming in Our Wetlands? (ages 6-10) - Museum at Prairiefire
Sun, Jun 14: Second Sunday: Free Days at the Museum - June
Wed, Jun 17:
Mobile Music Box: Gillham Park
Thu, Jun 18: Azura Credit Union Free Family Fun Nights at Kansas Children's
Discovery Center - June |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: One summer afternoon during a family camping trip in New Jersey when I was about 6 or 7 years old, a horse fly suddenly appeared next to my ear and started following me everywhere I went. I’m sure that, from its own perspective, it was just going about its business doing ordinary horse fly things, but to me it felt enormous, ominous, and purposeful. I can't remember if it
actually bit me, but I can still summon the hot panic of not being able to get away from its threatening buzz. To my small self, that fly wasn't a little distraction, it was a crisis with wings. The memory surfaced recently when my daughter Ella sent me the above photo, taken in Quintana Beach County Park, near Houston. The point was clear: Proceed, and you will be under attack, and not by any adorable Northeastern bugs you might be used to. No, these bugs were born in Texas. Beware. Sometimes that is exactly
how challenges feel, especially to kids: Problems loom much larger to them than they do to adults with decades of experience. A broken toy, a skinned knee, a mistake in front of the class, or a slight misunderstanding with a friend may be a fly in the ointment to us, but a Texas-sized monster to a child. The trick is to validate the feeling without validating helplessness. We stand beside them and say, Yes, I know, this feels huge. The bugs, even if they're not as large as they
think, are real. They watch us shoo them away and learn gradually to do it for themselves. If I had seen the sign above, my first instinct would have been to flee back to the safety of the car. And Ella said it was not exaggerating, at least not by much: The moment she stepped onto the property, giant mosquitoes descended, and they were hungry; even leggings soaked with OFF Deep Woods did not deter them. She assures me that the photo she got of the Bay-breasted Warbler was
worth all the bites on the backs of her knees. She knew better than to show me the damage. Clearly, the script has flipped.
—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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Take center stage at our free bi-monthly open mic! In addition to provided drinks and snacks, teens are invited to enjoy the show and — if they’re interested — share their own talents on stage. We provide an amp, keyboard, and mic, you provide the stoke. We ask that our performers and audience remain teens only in order to provide a safe space.
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Mark your calendars!! Our 3rd annual Carry Nation Days is coming to Belton Main Street Friday, May 29 - Saturday May 30! Over 80 vendors, live music, food trucks and games and the drone show! You won't want to miss it.
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One of Kansas City’s favorite festivals, Festa Italiana, the unique celebration of Italian traditions and Italian-American culture, will be May 29- May 31 2026. This longtime local ethnic festival draws visitors from across metropolitan Kansas City and beyond. Enjoy an amazing assortment of Italian food favorites, great entertainment on the main stage all weekend, an Italian Motorsports Show, Farfalla Events Pop-up Shopping Market, bounce houses for kids and much more.
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Powell Gardens welcomes Painted Garden as joy and color sweep through the Gardens. This year’s display is a celebration of the enduring spirit of the Midwest called The Prairie Is Our Home. Visitors are invited to wander through gardens alive with the bright colors of spring flowers while enjoying the open skies, rolling prairie, and deep sense of place that has shaped generations.
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- Storytime for Babies - Mid-Continent Public Library - Grain Valley Branch - South Buckner Tarsney Road, Grain Valley, MO, USA, Friday, May 29, 2026, 9:30 AM
- Free Arts & Crafts Day on the Farm | Hometown Olathe Family Farm - Hometown Olathe Family Farm - 11000 S Woodland St, Olathe, KS 66061, United States, Friday, May 29, 2026, 2 pm - 4:30 pm
- Friday Night Sound Bites at Lenexa Public Market - Lenexa Public Market - 8750 Penrose Ln, Lenexa, KS 66219, United States, Friday, May 29, 2026, See website
- Festa
Italiana 2026 - Zona Rosa Town Center - 8640 N Dixson Ave, Kansas City, MO 64153, United States, Friday, May 29, 2026 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, Friday, May 29: 5:00PM – 11:00PM | Saturday, May 30: 11:00AM – 11:00PM | Sunday, May 31: 11:00AM – 5:00PM
- Movie in the Park: Lilo & Stitch at Electric
Park - Electric Park - Lenexa, KS, USA, Friday, May 29, 2026, 9 pm
- Storytime for Families - Mid-Continent Public Library - North Oak Branch - North Oak Trafficway, Kansas City, MO, USA, Friday, May 29, 2026, 9:30am 10:30am
- The Center of Summer Soccer at Crown Center - Crown Center - 2450 Grand Blvd, Crown Center, Kansas City, MO 64108, United States, Saturday, May 30, 2026 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, 10AM - 8PM
- The Imagination Celebration - Imagine Studios - Imagine Studios, KC, English Landing Drive, Parkville, MO, USA, Saturday, May 30, 2026, 10 AM-5 PM
- Lenexa Farmers Market 2026 - Lenexa Farmers Market - West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS, USA, Saturday, May 30, 2026,
Saturdays 8 am - 12 pm | Tuesdays 9 am - 1 pm
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - KC - Shoott - Broadway, New York, NY, USA, Friday, May 29, 2026 to Sunday, May 31, 2026, See link for times
- Outdoor Concert Series: The Joshua Tree at Sar Ko Par Trails Park - Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park - Lackman Road, Lenexa, KS, USA, Sunday, May 31, 2026, 5 pm
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Kansas City 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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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Kansas City 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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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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