KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was a teenager, I had a teacher who became a mentor without ever knowing he was one. He was aware I’d been going through some difficult times, and was glad to hear I was almost on the other side. “Some people aren't lucky enough to have dealt with hard things when they're young,” he told me. Then he added the phrase that has echoed in my head for decades: “Remember the
rocks.” Life, he explained, was always going to toss boulders into my path. The trick was to recognize, early, that even if it was painful or scary, I was capable of getting around, or over, or through them. Remembering how I’d managed would help me trust myself more when the next, bigger ones appeared. As a parent, I think about that often, about how the only way to become someone who does hard things is… to do hard things. It’s tempting
to rush in and smooth every unpleasant obstacle our kids encounter. When we email the teacher, mend the friendship, rescue the forgotten homework, eliminate every discomfort, we may feel helpful in the moment, but in fact we’re quietly removing the practice stones they need. Resilience doesn’t come from being told “You’re strong”; it comes from evidence that only they can gather, from working through manageable challenges and thinking, That was hard. And I handled it. We don’t need to
manufacture their challenges—being a kid is difficult enough. And we don’t abandon them to do it all on their own, either. We just learn to pause, to weigh advice against intervention, and to let them see what they can manage. The goal is that later in life, when something truly difficult lands in our children's path, they won’t just hope they can manage it, they’ll know. Now, many years later, when I encounter something daunting, I think back to my mentor and
remember the rocks. "I do hard things," I tell myself. And it works.
—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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Celebrate your child’s big day with hands-on engineering fun at The Works Museum! Families love the easy-to-supervise open floor plan, where guests can build with LEGO-style bricks, design K’NEX racers, look through a giant kaleidoscope, launch paper
creations into the air, and more. Each party can also include a staff-led, guided engineering project that doubles as a one-of-a-kind party favor for every guest.
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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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Dinosaurs take over CTC! This extraordinary experience has wowed kids and adults all over the world. Careful: you never know who (or what!) you’ll run into after the show…
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The world’s most beloved blue engine is rolling into St. Paul! Inspired by the popular children’s series and featuring engines and destinations from Thomas & Friends™, this interactive exhibit engages children and families in foundational skills that
foster STEM literacy through playful learning experiences.
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Bring your family and friends to enjoy a breakfast of pancakes and pure maple syrup! Following your meal, come explore the Minnesota springtime tradition of maple syruping. On a naturalist-led hike, you’ll learn about the process of maple sap collection and
syrup production.
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Join us for a lively taiko performance by Ensō Daiko, one of three resident taiko groups supported by TaikoArts Midwest!
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Join us for our free monthly event for families, kids, and the young at heart. On the second Sunday of every month, the museum is filled with hands-on art activities, storytelling, artist demonstrations, gallery hunts, self-guided tours, and more—all
inspired by Mia’s incredible collection.
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Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is an energetic, colorful place full of sensory stimuli, and we know this environment can be overwhelming for some guests. This is a time designed for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families to explore the zoo
without the crowds. Como strives to provide a positive, welcoming experience for every visitor.
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Show & Tell is an exuberant, hands-on exhibition designed just for kids!
Built around five exploratory zones—Play, Make, Find, Read, and Watch—Show & Tell encourages young people to approach contemporary art with creativity and imagination. Where Cas Holman’s Critter Party (2024) offers a sculpture to touch, climb on, and modify, Caroline Kent’s colorful abstractions inspire kids to create their own collages to project in the gallery. A porthole wall reveals a trove of hidden surprises, from a miniature Spoonbridge and
Cherry to a family of funky creatures. And in the comfy “Watch” zone, a varied selection of short films prompts curiosity and conversation.
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Get ready for a hands-on, multisensory adventure filled with loaders, diggers, and big machines! Kids will explore the sights, sounds, and textures of construction through engaging sensory stations, sparking their passion for big equipment. This fun and
educational experience is perfect for little builders and their caregivers. Come and explore the sensory stations with your child
Children must be accompanied by a caregiver.
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We are Jurassic Quest, the largest & most realistic traveling dinosaur experience in North America!
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Start your weekend with Morning Yoga—open to all levels, with the first Saturday of each month tailored specifically for beginners. This grounding and energizing practice helps set the tone for the day ahead.
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The beloved children's book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, comes to life in Ballet Co.Laboratory's bite-sized ballet for young audiences. Colorful visuals & pre/post-show activities make it the perfect introduction to live performance.
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Mill City Farmers Market is Minneapolis’ trusted source for healthy, local and sustainable groceries, combining a vibrant marketplace with nourishing community connection. Shop local from over 50 farmers, food makers and artists every Saturday rain or
shine! You'll find cooking demos, kid-friendly activities like storytelling and veggie tasting, market yoga, live music, community events and more.
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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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iD Tech: The World's #1 STEM Summer Camp! BattleBots® Camp? You can only get it here. Roblox Camp? We've got that and more in our Summer '26 lineup. Register today at the top-rated tech camp for 25 years and counting! iD Tech is the very best
experience built around your child—their interests, their skill level, their goals for the future. Trusted by 75+ of the world’s top universities and over 1,000,000 parents, iD Tech is where kids and teens learn from the best—coding, game dev, robotics, and more. The future starts at iD Tech!
Click here for more information about your local iD Tech opportunities! Virtual camps are also available!
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- FunLab at George Latimer Central Library - Saint Paul Public Library - George Latimer Central Library, 90 West 4th Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102, Friday, March 6, 2026, 3:30pm-4:30pm
- Mill City Farmers Market - Mill City Farmers Market - 704 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401, Saturday, March 7, 2026, 10am-1pm
- Pancake Breakfast at Dodge Nature
Center - Dodge Nature Center - Garlough Environmental Magnet Elementary School, Charlton Street, Saint Paul, MN, Saturday, March 7, 2026, 8 -10:30 a.m.
- Sundays at Landmark: TaikoArts Midwest’s Enso Daiko - TaikoArts Midwest - Landmark Center, West 5th Street, Saint Paul, MN, Sunday, March
8, 2026, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
- Family Day at Minneapolis Institute of Art - Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 3rd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404, Sunday, March 8, 2026, 10 am - 5 pm
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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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Families purchase shares (or half-shares, or bimonthly shares) of produce that is either picked up or delivered to them, fresh from the farm, each week during the growing season. Some farms encourage pick-your-own, in some you get to help out on the farm.
What a great field-to-table lesson for the whole family!
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Minneapolis - St. Paul 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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Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school options - we've got you covered.
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The Minneapolis / St. Paul area has tons of indoor playgrounds, recreation centers, bounce houses, escape rooms, rock climbing, ropes courses, swimming, roller skating, gyms, and other ways to be active...regardless of the weather! Need some ideas?
KidsOutAndabout has dozens of ideas. Send us an email if you don't see your favorite.
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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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2025's winners in KidsOutAndAbout's survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. 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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