KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, Apr 3: Cheeky Monkey’s Eggstravaganza at Cheeky Monkeys
Highland Village
Sat, Apr 11: Touch-A-Truck at Commons at Agora
Sat, Apr 18: Earth Day 2026 Celebration at Sci-Tech Discovery Center
Fri, Apr 24: Arbor Day Celebration at Mistletoe Hill Park
Sat, Apr 25: Earth Day Mansfield at Chris W. Burkett Service Center
Sat, May 2: Highland Village Art Festival
Sat, May 2: Up, Up & Away: Festival of Flight at Prestwick STEM Academy
Sat, May 2: Music Alley Festival at Downtown Mansfield
Fri, May 15: 42nd Annual Main Street Fest |
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
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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 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.
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Waste to Wonder explores how creativity and innovation can transform discarded materials into something new. Made in collaboration with the Tarrant County Education Foundation, the exhibit examines how long common items take to decompose, what materials people used before plastics, and how artists and companies are rethinking waste today. Interactive stations invite visitors to sort materials, test recycling knowledge, and explore how many bottles, cans, or plastic bags it takes to make familiar products. Designed using repurposed materials where possible, Waste to Wonder acknowledges that sustainability is an ongoing effort and that imperfect can still be impactful.
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Join us in 2026 for Mainstay Farm’s Spring Festival in Cleburne, TX, just outside Dallas & Fort Worth! Enjoy two Easter themed weekends with egg hunts and Easter Bunny visits, followed by two weekends celebrating baby animals and strawberry themed treats, plus picture-perfect photo ops and 30+ family-friendly attractions. Experience one of the top spring events in North Texas!
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Strike a pose, the Easter Bunny is here for photos! Reserve your visit now and make it an Easter Family Tradition! Bunny arrives on Friday, February 27 and will be here through April 4th. Book early to ensure your spot to see the Bunny.
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Stop by the Sensory Cart in the galleries to explore art through the multiple senses. Visitors are invited to touch different textures, smell distinctive scents, and listen to sounds that bring a featured work of art to life. The cart will feature a new work of art every other month.
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Celebrate spring with the Special Needs Spring Bash on Saturday, March 28 from 11 am-2 pm at Crosby Recreation Center (1610 E. Crosby Rd)! Open to kiddos of ALL abilities, the Spring Bash invites you to a day of exciting games, food, and photo ops for the whole family.
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Celebrate spring at The Backyard in Bloom! Join us for a free, family-friendly festival bursting with seasonal fun. Dance to live music, strike a pose at our vintage photo bus, and let the kids enjoy yard games, spring-themed crafts, face painting, bubbles galore, and more! Plus, check out pop-ups with exciting giveaways and shop beautiful bouquets from Lulu’s of Argyle. This event will take place in The Backyard, across Barton Creek from AMC Theatres.
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Ready… Set… HUNT! Our annual Community Easter Egg Hunt is back...and it’s going to be BIG! Join us on March 28 from 3–5 PM for an afternoon of nonstop fun for the whole family. This is a FREE event designed for our entire community. Invite your friends, bring a basket, and get ready for an egg-cellent afternoon!
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Bring the whole family for a morning filled with fun, treats, and smiles! Special Guest: The Easter Bunny is Visiting! Fun Activities: Easter Egg Hunt, Bounce House, Petting Zoo, Fire Truck Visit, Special Treats and so much more! We can’t wait to show you the endless possibilities at Kiddie Academy®. Discover how our teachers, well-rounded curriculum and safe, nurturing environment prepare your child for school and for life. Check it all out at our open house. Enroll during the event and receive EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL OFFERS — available that day only! Don’t miss out on this egg-stra special celebration!
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There’s nothing more special than sharing Disney magic with loved ones. Whether it’s the first time you watched Toy Story, sang along to "Let It Go," or cheered for your favorite Disney Princess, Disney On Ice is the perfect place to revisit cherished memories and create new ones together. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy will take you on a journey through these unforgettable moments, powered by a Magical MousePad. Discover thrilling adventures from Zootopia, Inside Out 2, and the all-new Moana 2. Relive the timeless tales of Toy Story, Frozen, and Encanto, and the dazzling Disney Princesses. And hold on tight as Stitch grabs the Magical MousePad and shakes things up! Feel the excitement in an enchanted celebration close to home, only at Disney On Ice!
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Come join us for Cinema Nights Sit back, relax and enjoy the show brought to you by the Parks & Recreation Department. Bring the whole family to enjoy a kid-friendly movie.
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Catch a flick on the big screen in the PGA District! Friday movies will begin at 7:00 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn blanket to sit on. PGA District restaurants will be open to serve your favorite foods before and after each show; concession beverages will also be available for purchase from our roaming beverage carts. As a reminder, outside food and drinks are not permitted, nor are lawn chairs. Pets are welcome but must be kept on a leash at all times.
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Little Farmer Fridays are interactive programs designed for preschoolers and their grown-ups. Most appropriate for children ages 2 to 5 years old, our programs offer families the opportunity to hear a story, make a craft, meet the animals, enjoy a wagon ride, and have fun on our 4.5-acre farm. Gates open at 10am. Stations are open during our two-hour, come-and-go style program and close at 12 pm. After the program is over, guests are welcome to enjoy time on their own until we close at 2 pm. You are welcome to bring a picnic lunch, snack, and/or drinks.
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- Free Spring Mini Photo Session with Shoott! - Shoott - Broadway, New York, NY, Friday, March 27, 2026 to Sunday, March 29, 2026, See link for times
- Special Needs Spring Bash - Crosby Recreation Center, East Crosby Road, Carrollton, TX, Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11 am- 2 pm
- Easter Egg Hunt - Unity Park,
Briarhill Boulevard, Highland Village, TX, Saturday, March 28, 2026, 10 am
- Eggtastic Easter at Little Elm Park - Little Elm Park, West Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm, TX, Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11 am- 1 pm
- Bunny Daze Burleson - Chisenhall Fields, Chisenhall Park Lane, Burleson, TX, Saturday, March 28, 2026, 9 am- 12 pm Egg Hunts start at 1:00 p.m.
- FWADA
Spring Gallery Night Open Studios Night - SiNaCa Studios, 1013 West Magnolia Avenue, Fort Worth, TX, Saturday, March 28, 2026, 3:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.
- Spring Social Backyard Bloom - The Shops at Highland Village, 1701 Shoal Creek, Highland Village, TX, Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11 am- 1
pm
- Sensory Saturday - Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, 1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, TX, Saturday, March 28, 2026, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
- Easter Egg Hunt - Moslah Temple Shrine, 1100 Henderson St, Fort Worth, TX, Sunday, March 29, 2026, 1-3 pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Mid-Cities 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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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Midcities 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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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in theMid-Cities? 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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2025's Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Mid-Cities Area, as voted by thousands of parents! Our Top 20 results page includes a list of your top picks, including winners in special categories like Top Arts Educator, Top Sports Educator, and Top STEM
Educator!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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