KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Thu, Jul 2: Red, White & BOOM Celebration with the Memphis Redbirds!
Fri, Jul 3: All-American Weekend at Graceland! Sat, Jul 18: Totally Rad Vintage Fest at Renasant Convention Center
Sat, Jul 25: Memphis Reptile Expo (Show Me Reptile Shows)
Tue, Jul 28: Celebrating All Things TENNESSEE at CMOM!
Sat, Aug 1: 2025 Ruby Bridges Reading Festival
Sat, Aug 8: Elvis Week 2026
Thu, Aug 13: 2026 Wilson County Fair - TN State Fair Sat, Aug 15: 1970s Community Night (All Ages)
Sat, Aug 15: Bluey's Big Play
Fri, Aug 21: Mean Girls The Musical - OPENING WEEKEND
Wed, Aug 26: National Mountain Lion Day - Memphis Zoo |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
The summer I was 5, my parents took our family to Cape Cod for a week. In Provincetown, we bought a kite, then headed to the dunes in North Truro, where my sister and I spent hours running full-tilt up and down the bare white hills. We’d scramble to the top, turn, and launch ourselves downward, legs windmilling, hair flying, lungs full of salt air and triumph. Invariably, we’d
fall, slap into the soft, sun-warmed sand, pop back up, and do it again. Tumbling down the dunes was gravity. Sand was friction. The kite tugging on our arms was air on the move. We didn't have words to describe these phenomena—we were little kids, not tiny physicists with notebooks. A decade later, my calculus teacher would give me the words and symbols to process motion conceptually, but experiences like this had already taught my body that I was an actor in the physics of
the world. My body understood. Summer is the perfect time for kids to learn motion from the inside out. Motion is in amusement park rides, in waves bobbing ducks and inner tubes up and down at the lake, in trains pulling you forward in one dimension and airplanes moving you through three. It’s in bikes and swings and Frisbees and trampolines and slip-and-slides, in tumbling through the days without realizing that learning is happening. As tour guides to our
kids’ universe, we can point gently: Feel how the swing slows at the top? Notice how the wave lifts you before it lets you down? See how leaning changes the bike’s path? But the point is not to turn summer into physics class. The point is to help kids notice how the world feels as they move through it. The equations can come later; now is the time for motion, and for the emotion that accompanies it. Summer’s gift is the body’s memory: wind, water, speed, balance, falling, landing, and getting up
to run again.
—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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At St. Agnes, our curriculum is both balanced and academically challenging, blending the skills of creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration so that each girl’s elementary experience is a time of growth and joy. Rare and limited availability in grades PK-1st. "I appreciate the nurturing educators teaching our children great values and setting them up to be leaders in the future. They are being taught how to respect one another and work through conflict. The focus on development of students as people-as good humans-has shaped much of who my daughter is." Come tour with us! Contact [email protected]. |
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We have activities and fun for all ages from exhilarating coasters and family-friendly rides to our expansive water park and concert amphitheater. Don’t miss our signature events like the summer concert series and Magic Screams. Located in the natural beauty of Hot Springs, Arkansas, a short drive from Little Rock.
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Let’s roll, Memphis! The 2x award-winning Sunset Skate returns to the riverfront for another unforgettable season of community fun. Join Memphis River Parks Partnership on the last Thursday of the month, May through July, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. under the Sunset Canopy in Tom Lee Park. Each night features free 30-minute skate rentals provided by Cordova Skating Center (first come, first served), high-energy DJ sets from the Voice of MSCS (88.5FM), and skate dance lessons with Step & Skate Movement. Plus, enjoy funky themed skate nights all season long.
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The countdown is on for Arlington's Star Spangled Spectacular - and this year we're also celebrating America's 250th anniversary! Mark your calendars for Friday, June 26, and get ready for live music, local food vendors, family fun, and a fireworks show to cap off the evening. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and patriotic spirit to the Arlington Sports Complex. We can't wait to celebrate with you!
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The Memphis Farmers Market is a lively Saturday market in the heart of downtown Memphis in historic South Main, open April–October. Shop fresh produce, local meats, and artisan goods while enjoying live music and connecting with the community.
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Your next family adventure starts here! We're to help you and your mini-builder learn, play and grow together with hands on workshops, family fun and exclusive experiences - all free for members. Join MyLowe’s Rewards™ Kids Club today! Every visit is a new adventure. Check out our website to register for an upcoming, fun-filled workshops you and your kids don't want to miss! Workshop sold out? Visit your store at 1pm on the day of the workshop to see if any unclaimed kits are available.
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Get ready for a race that’s sweet from the very first step to the last bite at the finish line. You’ll score great swag with a designer race shirt you’ll actually want to wear, a shiny custom medal as your well-earned reward, and chip timing with live results and exciting awards. Free photos will capture your best “trot for treats” moments, and of course, the finish line is stocked with delicious snacks—because every runner deserves a little something sweet! Grab your friends and family and come enjoy this fun-filled, sugar-sprinkled event you definitely won’t want to miss!
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Tennessee residents will enjoy free Zoo admission every Tuesday, year-round, from 9 a.m. until gates close. Reservations are free, limited weekly, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are valid only for the date reserved and will be released each Wednesday for the following Tuesday and must be reserved online through our website.
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You are invited to join us for a Star-Spangled Fireworks Extravaganza in celebration of our Nation’s 250 Birthday. Plan to start the night with live musical entertainment featuring the Bartlett Community Concert Band and another band TBA, a Classic Car "Show & Shine" and concessions/food trucks. When the sun goes down the night sky will light up with a spectacular fireworks show! All activities will take place on the lawn of the Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center and Appling Middle School.
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Join Memphis River Parks every Thursday night in June for Sunsets at Beale Street Landing, a golden-hour social featuring live music, local food and drink for purchase, and a front-row seat to the sunset. Come as you are and take in the vibes and the view as the sun sets over the river.
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Food Truck Fridays at the Dixon run from April 3 through June 26, 2026, every Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Garrott Court. Enjoy a rotating lineup of food trucks, including Halinka’s Polish Eatery (April 3, 17), Flipside Asia (April 10, 24), Yippie Trippie & The Porkstars (May 1), Smoke & Toast (May 8), Pok Cha’s (May 15), Green Beetle (May 22), El Mero Taco (May 29), Mr. Casas Japanese Grill and Mexican Food Truck (June 5), Rice Burner (June 12), Say Cheese (June 19), and Taco Titlan Grill (June 26). The Dixon celebrates creativity, beauty, and discovery through art, gardens, exhibitions, and educational experiences that bring people together.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Memphis 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 Memphis 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 Memphis Area's Pick-Your-Own Fruit Listed below are farms in and near Memphis 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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