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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Searching for the ultimate last-minute Spring Break solution? Spring into adventure with Bricks4Kidz® Spring Camp, happening Monday, March 9 through Friday, March 13 in Cool Springs, Franklin! Designed for kids ages 5–12, our camp combines hands-on STEM
learning with creative play, letting your child build, explore, and problem-solve in a fun, safe environment, and will dive into a world of motorized LEGO® builds. We offer premium flexibility to fit your family's schedule, with full-day and half-day options available, and half-day sessions starting at just $50. This isn’t just daycare; it’s a confidence-boosting journey where science and technology come to life through play. Spots are vanishing quickly for our Cool Springs location—secure your
child’s seat today and trade screen time for STEM time!
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School of Nashville Ballet Summer Camp registration is now open! Designed to foster creative development through engaging physical activity, our half-day camps offer the perfect opportunity for your child to explore, imagine, and play. Each camp includes
dance technique taught by a member of our exceptional faculty, arts and crafts, original choreography, and a performance for family and friends as the grand finale. With weekly camps for ages 3-9 from June 1-July 17, this year’s themes include Animal Adventures, Once Upon a Time, Broadway Stars, Dance Through the Eras, and more! Save $50 when you add a second camp to your enrollment!
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Open Play is $12 per child. Members and non-members are welcome! No reservation required. Save money by paying with cash ($10 per child cash) or inquire about our savings punch card! Open Plays are held throughout the school year. We do not host Open Play
during school break closings due to camp. Check our calendar for available Open Play dates!
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Bow a fiddle, pluck a banjo, and strum a ukulele! The Musical Instrument Petting Zoo offers budding musicians a chance to try new and familiar instruments. Instructors will offer guidance as you try your hand at all the instruments at the zoo. All ages.
Taylor Swift Education Center. Included with Museum admission. Free to Museum members. Tennessee children ages 18 and under from Cheatham, Davidson, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson counties receive free Museum admission. Plus, up to two accompanying adults receive 25 percent off admission. Proof of residency required.
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Step into a whimsical world where music and imagination run wild! Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals brings a magical menagerie to life, with each movement playfully capturing the personality of a different animal—from the majestic lion to the graceful
swan, and even a curious kangaroo! Perfect for audiences of all ages, this delightful performance combines humor, charm, and Saint-Saëns’ brilliant score for an unforgettable journey through the animal kingdom. This concert also features All About Keyboards, a fun exploration of the piano, organ, harpsichord and celeste!
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Straight from Hollywood, See Dancing with the Stars, Live! See the glitz, glam and breathtaking performances of America’s favorite dance show in a city near you with this ALL-NEW SHOW starring your favorite pros Alan Bersten, Brandon Armstrong, Britt
Stewart, Daniella Karagach, Emma Slater, Ezra Sosa, Jenna Johnson, Pasha Pashkov, Val Chmerkovskiy, Hailey Bills and special guests to be announced! Experience the excitement, athleticism, and the artistry of the ballroom, live, up-close and personal…for an unforgettable night that you won’t want to miss!
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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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- Little Red's Most Unusual Day (Sensory-Friendly Opera Performance) - Adventure Science Center, 800 Fort Negley Blvd, Nashville, TN 37203, Friday, March 6, 2026, 3 - 4 p.m.
- Kidsville Storybook Walk - 2500 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203, Friday, March 6, 2026 to Sunday, March 8, 2026, Park hours, 6 AM - 8 PM
- 1st Saturday Family Fun - Nashville Public Library (Thompson Lane Branch) - 380 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37211, Saturday, March 7, 2026, See website for details
- Caturday! Free Stories, Crafts, Face Painting at Crossroads Café - Crossroads Café, Buchanan Street, Nashville, TN,
Saturday, March 7, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Storytime in the Children's Gallery - Tennessee State Museum - Tennessee State Museum, Rosa L Parks Boulevard, Nashville, TN, Saturday, March 7, 2026, 10:30 a.m.
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Nashville 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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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Nashville 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 the Nashville area? 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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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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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Nashville 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 best things to do with kids in the Nashville area for 2025 as voted by KidsOutAndAbout.com's local readers. Our Top 20 results page includes a list of our readers' annual 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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