KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sat, Apr 25: Earth Day Mansfield at Chris W. Burkett Service
Center
Sat, Apr 25: Blooms & Butterflies Spring Family Dance
Sat, May 2: Highland Village Art Festival at The Shops at Highland Village
Fri, May 8: “Gracias Mamá” A Mother’s Day Concert at Arlington Music Hall
Sat, May 9: Super Safety Saturday at Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Burleson
Sun, May 10: Mother’s Day Brunch at Taste
Fri, May 15: 42nd Annual Main Street Fest
Mon, May 25: Memorial Day Ceremony at Veterans Memorial in Grand Prairie
Thu, Jun 4: The Addams Family Musical at The Troupe Theatre
Fri, Jun 5: Puppy Pals Live at Arlington Music Hall
Sat, Jun 13: Champion’s Day Celebration at Hawaiian Falls |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When my kids were little, one of our favorite nature activities was also one of the simplest: We’d head out onto a trail, stop among the trees, and play the Listening Game. The rules were easy: Close your eyes. The first time you hear a sound, any sound at all, put up one finger. Then add another for each new sound you notice. After a minute or two, someone says, “Open your
eyes,” and everyone compares fingers and talks about what they heard. It’s a small exercise in attention, but it changes how kids experience the world. The invisible becomes visible... not to the eyes, exactly, but to the mind. Things that were just out of range suddenly move onto our radar. Nature is full of motion and music, and this game helps us tune ourselves to it. The free Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology takes that magic one step further: Tap Sound ID, and suddenly the songs around you appear on your screen as a voiceprint and a bird name and an image that shows you what to look for. And what a moment ago was only background atmosphere becomes a Carolina Wren, or an Eastern Whip-poor-will, or the Common Yellowthroat pictured above,
singing his heart out for a girl with a camera. That’s one of the great tasks of childhood, and of the adults who love children: to help hidden things come into view. Before we know something, it is almost as if it isn’t there. But once it is named, we have a new way to see. There are suddenly new dimensions to our universe, helping us transform even more mysteries into things that are ours. And we never really experience the woods—or the field, or the river, or
the ocean, or the city, or our backyard—the same way 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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Celebrating 74 Years of Ennis Bluebonnet Trails: Ennis was designated by the 1997 State Legislature as the home of the Official Texas Bluebonnet Trail and was designated the Official Bluebonnet City of Texas. From April 1-30, Ennis showcases over 40 miles of mapped driving Bluebonnet Trails sponsored by the Ennis Garden Club. These trails are the oldest such trails known in the state, and tens of thousands of visitors make the short trek to Ennis to view this wonderful wildflower show.
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Prepare for Adventure and Step Back in Time for the Time of Your Life into the 16th century world of the iconic Scarborough Renaissance Festival filled with lively entertainment, amazing artisanship, and interactive fun for everyone!
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Grab your friends and join us at the City Hall Plaza for some FREE concerts! In 2026, we will be focusing on all tribute bands! All concerts are BYOB- no glass.
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Don’t miss the opportunity to see the largest exhibit of live, exotic butterflies in North Central Texas. Exhibit visitors will have the chance to see a diverse collection of butterflies from various parts of the world, including Central, North and South America, Africa, and Asia. The Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides), known for its striking beauty, is one of the most popular butterflies on display. Additionally, local favorites will also be showcased.
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Celebrating iconic musical moments from favorite films released over the last decade, this melodic journey explores Disney Animation’s latest stories through unforgettable film clips and scores performed live by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. This thrilling performance includes music from Moana (2016), Academy Award®-winning Zootopia (2016), Academy Award-winning Big Hero 6 (2014), Frozen (2013), Tangled (2010), Princess and the Frog (2009), and more.
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Explore booths to learn about native plants, sustainable gardening, animals, water conservation, recycling, and more along with activities for children from community partners and City of Carrollton staff.
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Bring the whole family to see what makes our Town awesome! Meet all our departments, check out programs and amenities, and don’t miss the touch-a-truck, climb in, honk the horn, and explore big vehicles up close! Parking will be limited in The Rec and Cove concrete lots. Additional parking is available behind the building in the grass lots, as well as throughout The Lakefront District™.
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Join us for hands-on experiments ans activities that will ROCK your Earth Day! Discover animal and plant life cylces, learn about weather and water, and even explore how new technologies are helping to make our planet a greener and healthier place for us to live!
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Our popular Movies in the Park series offers an unforgettable experience for families and film enthusiasts alike. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and loved ones to enjoy a diverse selection of movies under the night sky on the lawn outside the Quakertown Civic Center. Each event will feature games, trivia, food trucks, and refreshments.
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Children have a blast at My Gym (3 action-packed hours My Gym fun) while parents enjoy an evening out! Perfect for children ages 2.5 - 10 years old.
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Balloon Museum presents Let’s Fly in Dallas — the third stop of its Texas tour. A one-of-a-kind experience set in the iconic space of the South Side Studios, featuring monumental inflatable artworks by renowned international artists. The exhibition explores air not only as a physical element, but as a metaphor for movement, lightness, and boundless travel.
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Join us after school for Lego Club! Use your imagination and let's see what you can build!
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- Free Spring Mini Photo Session with Shoott - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA - Friday, April 17, 2026 to Sunday, April 19, 2026, See link for times
- Carrollton's Earth Day Celebration - City of Carrollton, Carrollton Public Library at Josey Ranch Lake, Keller Springs Road, Carrollton, TX - Saturday, April 18, 2026, 11 am- 3 pm
- DeSoto Public Library Everything Teen Expo 2026 - DeSoto Public Library, DeSoto Town Center, E Pleasant Run Rd, DeSoto, TX - Saturday, April 18, 2026, 10 am- 3 pm
- Town Expo and Touch-a-Truck - Town of Little Elm, The Rec at The
Lakefront - Little Elm Recreation Center, Main Street, Little Elm, TX - Saturday, April 18, 2026, 10 am- 1 pm
- Trash Bash - City of Burleson, Warren Park, Southwest Johnson Avenue, Burleson, TX - Saturday, April 18, 2026, 8 am- 12 pm
- Earthfest - City of Coppell, Andrew Brown Park East, Parkway Boulevard, Coppell, TX - Saturday, April 18, 2026, 9-11 am
- Movies in the Park - City of Denton, Quakertown Park,
Oakland Street, Denton, TX - Friday, April 17, 2026, 6 pm
- Concert in the Plaza Series - City of Colleyville, Main Street, Colleyville, TX - Sunday, April 19, 2026, 4:30-6 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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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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