KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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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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Sunday, June 14, 2026 (rescheduled from March due to snowstorm): The MINNEAPOLIS screening of the 15th annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! Hosted by James Kennedy (The Order of Odd-Fish and more) In Pohlad Hall of the Minneapolis Central Library (300 Nicollet Mall). 2 pm.Get your FREE tickets at https://90secondnewbery.com/events.
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For over 25 years, the Flint Hills Family Festival has brought communities together through the power of the arts, welcoming over a million students, teachers, and families since its conception in 2001. Join us to kick off each summer with thrilling performances, student matinees, art-making activities, and more. During the Festival, kid-friendly activities spark creativity, exciting outdoor performances are free to attend, and inspiring, low-cost indoor performances are fun for the whole family!
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Come to Choo Choo Bob's Train Store for a Train-Tastic story time! It’s educational & interactive! Come hear stories, songs and jokes about…TRAINS! Chugga, chugga! Choo Choo! See you there, Engineers!
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A beloved coming-of-age drama Jo March desperately wants to be a writer — an unusual dream for a teenage girl in 1860s Massachusetts. With her father away during the Civil War, Jo and sisters Meg, Beth and Amy, at home with their mother Marmee, remain joyful and dutiful despite their modest circumstances. As time passes, the women in the family grow ever closer as they navigate love, loss and new beginnings. Yearning for independence, Jo is emboldened by her sisters to channel her angst into her stories, eventually finding her place in the world as a published author. This new adaptation of the beloved classic celebrates the wonderful and trying transition from girlhood to adulthood.
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Join a band of storytellers in the not-so-distant-future, as they tell the story of Bilbo Baggins in this inventive adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic tale. Our storytellers follow Bilbo on a journey beyond the borders of the familiar, as he is swept into a quest with Gandalf and a band of determined dwarves, facing trolls, goblins, riddles, and a dragon named Smaug—with bravery he never knew he had.
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Enjoy a historic double-header between the Rum River Rovers and the Menomonie Blue Caps.
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WaterFest 2026 is on Saturday, May 30th, 11 am to 4 pm. This free, family festival celebrating our clean lakes provides an opportunity for outdoor hands-on learning about clean water, wildlife, and land and water conservation.
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The 2026 Tater Daze Parade and Community Gathering will be on Saturday, May 30. We are seeking performers, vendors, food trucks, community organizations, businesses, and/or politicians interested in participating.
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Soak up spring at the beautiful Arboretum while shopping from up to 60 local artists and artisans select weekends in May. Enjoy live music and food and beverage for purchase as you check out your favorite makers from past years and discover new ones. Markets will be in the Scarecrow Hill area and will be open rain or shine.
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- Flint Hills Family Festival 2026 - Ordway Center for the Performing Arts - 345 Washington St, Saint Paul, MN 55102, United States, Friday, May 29, 2026, 6-9pm
- Kindergarten Discovery Day - Hope Academy - Hope Academy, Friday, May 29, 2026, Morning: 9:00am - 11:30am (with classroom time!) Afternoon Session: 1:00pm-3:00pm
- Downtown Farmers Market - Minneapolis - Minneapolis Farmers Market - East Lyndale Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Friday, May 29, 2026, 7 am - 1 pm
- Flint Hills Family Festival 2026 - Ordway Center for the Performing Arts - 345 Washington St, Saint Paul, MN
55102, United States, Saturday, May 30, 2026, 9:30-4pm
- Jam Lab at Cadenza Music Shop - Cadenza Music Shop - 149 Snelling Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN, USA, Saturday, May 30, 2026, 2:00PM
- 2026 Brooklyn Park Tater Daze Parade and Community Market - 5200 85th Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN, USA, Saturday, May 30, 2026, 10 - 11 am
- WaterFest
2026 - 555 Cedar St Parking - Cedar Street, Saint Paul, MN, USA, Saturday, May 30, 2026, 11 am - 4 pm
- Downtown Farmers Market - Minneapolis - Minneapolis Farmers Market - East Lyndale Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Saturday, May 30, 2026, 6 am - 1 pm
- Northeast Farmers Market Saturday Market - Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market - Northeast 2nd Street, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Saturday, May 30, 2026, 9 am - 1 pm
- Downtown Farmers Market - Minneapolis - Minneapolis Farmers Market - East Lyndale Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sunday, May 31, 2026, 6 am - 1 pm
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul 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 MSP 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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