KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, Mar 2: Glow and Flow Creative Maker Pop Up Sessions at ATO Academy
Fri, Mar
6: Free Art Friday: Bumblebee Ball at Edna Vihel Arts Center - Tempe
Sat, Mar 7: Family Workshop: Desert Masonry Concrete Creations at The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation - Taliesin West
Sat, Mar 7: 68th Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market
Sat, Mar 7: Spring Spectacular Event at Maricopa County WIC program
Sat, Mar 7: Tools for School at Cholla Library
Sat, Mar 7: Kids Growth Mindset Workshop at Healthy Endeavors
Mon, Mar 9: CAMP INNOVATION Spring Break: Outbreak Alert! Survival Science at Arizona Science Center
Wed, Mar 11: Kids Markets- Fountain Hills Farmers Market
Thu, Mar 12: Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Auditions at MTA!
Fri, Mar 13:
Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival at Tumbleweed Park
Fri, Mar 13: Dino Days: Dino Crew Entertainment at Children's Museum of Phoenix |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: February is Children’s Dental Health Month, which means it's the perfect time to talk about LYING. The first lie my daughter Madison ever attempted was when she was about 3. "Did you brush your teeth?” I asked as she was getting ready for bed. She nodded earnestly, but I had my doubts; a check of the toothbrush revealed it was dry as the Sahara.
"Looks like we need a do-over," I said. "Try again." In a 2025 Delta Dental study of 1000 parents of kids age 12 and under, 67% of respondents reported difficulty in getting their kids to brush their teeth. And in a related but thoroughly unscientific
survey, 100% of the friends I asked told me that their own kids have lied about tooth brushing at least once. See, young children don’t experience truth as adults do; their developing minds blur the line between reality and hope, between what happened and what they would prefer had happened. Brushing is tedious, being done is better. Add a desire to please Mom, and those wires can cross. In those early years, our job is to help kids gradually separate fact from wishful
thinking. You might think that prosecuting dishonesty harshly might scare kids into telling the truth, but that often just scares them into hiding more cleverly. Our goal as parents isn't just to have kids who brush their teeth and do their own homework and someday file tax returns without creative interpretations of “business mileage,” although we do want all those things. But overall, we want kids who are brave enough to be, rather than seem to be. If
they see early that mistakes can be brought into the light and fixed with a do-over, they’re far less likely to build a life around pretending they didn't happen. So my best recommendation for Children's Dental Health Month is to model both scrupulous honesty and scrupulous teeth-brushing yourself. In case you need an immediate solution, though, I hunted down a list of kids' best tooth-brushing songs thoughtfully supplied by the American Dental Association. Grit your teeth and hum along.
—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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Join us on February 21st from 4 to 7 PM at Chaparral Park for an action-packed evening of family fun and everything sports! This FREE all-ages event features hands-on sports activities, a sports expo with local clubs and businesses, a DJ, and food trucks.
It’s the perfect chance to show off your skills, learn something new, and discover local sports opportunities. Don’t miss this exciting event—see you there!
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Community Fun Day (CFD) is a free, inclusive golf experience for kids, adults, and families of all skill levels — from first-time players to seasoned golfers. Led by experienced instructors, participants can build fundamentals, sharpen skills, and enjoy a
relaxed, community-focused day on the course together.
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BUBBLE FEST is a FREE one-of-a-kind, multi-layered, highly interactive family event based around a bubble theme. Millions of bubbles fill the air while guests enjoy live bubble entertainment and a variety of hands-on stations where they can learn about the
science of bubbles, create a take-home project and more. This event is free and open to the public. Bubble stations are available on a first come, first serve basis.
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The 9th Annual Lunar New Year Festival returns to The District Stage on Saturday, February 21 in celebration of the Year of the Fire Horse. Desert Ridge Marketplace continues its partnership with 9 Dragons Kung Fu to host an incredible morning filled with
cultural performances, dramatic dances, tai chi demonstrations, art, and more. Performances will be located at The District Stage between Dave & Buster’s and H&M.
*This event is free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first come, first serve basis.
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- Hidden Figures - Movie Showing | Ironwood Library - Ironwood Library, 4333 E Chandler Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85048, Friday, February 20, 2 pm
- Yoga Storytime | Century Library - Century Library, 1750 E Highland Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Friday, February 20, 10:15 am
- Kids Market- Casa Grande
Farmers Market - Phoenix, AZ 85001, Saturday, February 21, 8am-12pm
- MakersBase | Ironwood Library - Ironwood Library, 4333 E Chandler Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85048, Saturday, February 21, 3 pm - 4 pm
- Free Community Golf Fun
Day - GPS Learning Center 9433 N 107th Ave. Sun City, AZ 85351, Saturday, February 21, 9:00 AM - 11:00AM
- Free Bubble Fest at Arizona Boardwalk - Arizona Boardwalk, 9500 East Vía de Ventura, Scottsdale, AZ 85256, Saturday, February 21, 12 pm - 3 pm
- Lunar New Year Festival - Desert Ridge Marketplace - Desert Ridge Marketplace, 21001 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix, AZ
85050, Saturday, February 21, 11 am - 1:30 pm
- NOAH Fest Carnival and Health Fair - NOAH Cholla Health Center, East McDowell Road, Scottsdale, AZ, Saturday, February 21, 10:00AM-2:00PM
- Open House Sunday Series - At The Outlet, Inc., 3004 North 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ, Sunday, February 22, 3 - 5 pm
- POWER IN MOTION: SUNDAY OPEN HOUSES POP UP SESSIONS - At
The Outlet, Inc., 3004 North 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Sunday, February 22, 3-5 pm
- AZ Rattlers Halftime Show Performance Opportunity - At The Outlet, Inc., 3004 North 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Sunday, February 22, 3 - 5 pm
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Phoenix 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 Phoenix 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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There are lots of places to have a birthday party in the Phoenix area! If there is an attraction that we have missed, please email us to let us know, and we'll add it promptly. Thank you! And you can
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2025's winners in KidsOutAndAbout's survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Phoenix 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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