KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When they were handing out high school yearbook awards, some of my classmates unofficially, though cheerfully, voted me Least Likely to Become a Professional Cheerleader. I couldn’t really disagree: After all, I was a nerd before being a nerd came into fashion, much more comfortable in a library than at a pep rally. So much for teenage
predictions! Yesterday, my daughter Ella turned 25, which means KidsOutAndAbout turns 25, too. When Ella was imminent, and her sister Madison was one-and-a-half, I was realizing just how many incredible experiences for kids and families were all around us in Rochester, NY. Back then, before web calendars were a thing, finding out about stuff happening meant you had to know where to look. So during maternity leave from my old technology consulting firm, I
decided to build a place to make invisible opportunities visible, to celebrate the people who create them, and to build audiences for these great things. We’ve grown to a dedicated team of 20 people doing work that matters, serving 52 regions with 15 million readers per year and 750,000 weekly newsletter subscribers. So yes, I’m a professional cheerleader, and I love it. I love this. I love that my job is to help build an audience for the remarkable experiences
people are bringing to life. I love that our mission is to shine a light on the concerts, camps, classes, festivals, trails, museums, libraries, theaters, and local treasures large and small that become family stories and memories. Far from slowing down, we’re heading into hyper-drive for our Silver Anniversary, so stay tuned! Thank you for being part of the journey, and for giving us so much to cheer about.
—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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Creator Camp is bringing its Shark Tank-featured magic back to Orange County for Summer 2026! We specialize in transforming passive screen time into active, creative learning. Our OC camps offer intensive, fun-filled weeks of filmmaking, game design, YouTube production, and coding. Using industry-standard tools, our campers learn to produce high-quality content in a supportive, team-based environment. It’s the perfect summer opportunity for kids to develop technical skills and unleash their inner artists. Join the Creator Camp family in Orange County this year and let’s start creating something amazing together!
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Project Freeplay is a multi-sport summer camp designed for boys and girls ages 5–14 to stay active, engaged, and growing. Campers are introduced to a variety of sports while building confidence, teamwork, and a love for movement. Through guided coaching and fun, inclusive activities, participants of all skill levels feel supported and encouraged to try new things. Sessions run August 3–7 and August 10–14 at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex. Project Freeplay creates a positive environment where kids make friends, stay active, and build lifelong healthy habits. Register now to secure your spot!
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Welcome to Utopia: Where Fairy Tales Come Alive. Step into your “happily ever after” at Lakewood Center and enter a magical world filled with mythical creatures, storybook characters, and over five million lights illuminating a glowing landscape. Immerse yourself in our activity spaces, dazzling infinity mirror rooms that play with your senses, and photo boxes, perfect for capturing memories that will last a lifetime.
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Create fun, sometimes messy, art with your little one and guide their imagination by making a project together, or let them steal the show with their own personal artistic style!
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Spanning nearly three acres, the indoor-outdoor storybook world is filled with illuminated pathways, larger-than-life art installations and over five million lights designed to ignite the senses. This year’s event goes far beyond a traditional walk-through experience. It’s been reimagined as a fully immersive, interactive environment where guests are encouraged to explore, play, and discover at every turn with hands-on crafts, games and activities woven throughout the experience.
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Create fun, sometimes messy, art with your little one and guide their imagination by making a project together, or let them steal the show with their own personal artistic style!
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Spend an hour relaxing your mind, body, and spirit! This light-hearted yoga class is designed for all levels and will be led by Sarah Brown and her four-legged baby goat assistants! The baby goats are provided and cared for by our Barnyard and volunteers from the Togg N Tails herd. This class is a fundraiser for our Helping Farms Feed Families (501c3) and 100% of the proceeds go directly to HFFF. This class is limited to those participants 9 years and older. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You must bring your own yoga mat that you won't mind getting dirty. It is a farm, after all!
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This is where the magic started 63 years ago, right here at the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire and the site of LA's largest costume party! For seven glorious weekends, visitors embark on a rollicking romp through Elizabethan England, complete with a spectacular cast of engaging, memorable characters who lead you on an adventure through a beautiful 20-acre site with open-air stages just 15 minutes east of Pasadena at the Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area, Irwindale. Hundreds of costumed performers await you as you enter the gates into the Faire’s magical village replete with pubs, shops, demonstrations, games, and fantastic food for vegans, vegetarians, and foodies alike. Play along and join us as your alter ego be it King, Queen, pirate, sorcerer, or anything you want to be for the day. Or don’t come in costume at all. It’s your day. Enjoy it your way.
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A half-hour tour of current exhibitions inviting conversation, questions, and new ideas about art. Meet in the Atrium at 1:00 PM.
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- FREE spring mini photo session at Shoott! - Irvine & Orange County - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, 05/01/2026 to 05/03/2026, See link for times
- Little Artists - Newton T. Bass Apple Valley Branch Library - Newton T. Bass Apple Valley Branch Library, 14901 Dale Evans Pkwy, Apple Valley, CA 92307, United States, 05/01/2026, 11:00am - 12:00pm PST
- Little Seedlings Story Time - Sherman Library and Gardens - Sherman Library & Gardens, East Coast Highway, Corona Del Mar, CA, USA, 05/01/2026, 10 am - 10:30 am
- KIDDOS Mega Resale Event (5-DAYS ONLY - Thousands of Discount Kid Items) - 27620 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, United States, 05/01/2026 to 05/02/2026, 10am-6pm
- Storytime in the Nature Garden - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 05/02/2026 to 05/03/2026, 10:30 am
- Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day - The Music Center - The Music Center, 135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States, 05/02/2026, 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in The OC 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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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Orange County? 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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