KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Tue, Mar 17: Kids Cookie Workshop - Swirly Shamrocks! at Mix
Cooking School
Tue, Mar 17: Saint Patrick's Day Glow Skate at Skateland Mesa
Fri, Mar 20: Family Friendly -
Clover the Bee at Painting with a Twist
Sat, Mar 21: Kids Markets- Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival
Sat, Mar 21: Hoot 'n' Hustle 5K Fun Run at City of Avondale
Sat, Mar 21: Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival at Tumbleweed Park
Sat, Mar 28: Annual Doggie Street Festival at Chaparral Dog Park
Sat, Mar 28: 2026 Dark Sky Festival at Fountain Hills Community Center
Sat, Mar 28: Dino Days: Dino Crew Entertainment at Children's Museum of Phoenix
Thu, Apr 2: Eggstravaganza at Donnie Hale Park |
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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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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A volcano awakens. A city disappears. Step into history with nearly 150 artifacts from Pompeii, frozen in time by Mount Vesuvius. POMPEII: THE EXHIBITION finishes its North American tour at the Arizona Science Center, located in Phoenix, AZ. The exhibition
examines the lives of residents of Pompeii before and after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24th, 79 A.D.
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This March, spread your wings and take flight into the realm of imagination when you attend Bumblebee Ball! Show off your best dance moves as you bumble around the music room, work together with your hive friends to create dazzling works of art or stop to
smell the roses in our sensory play area. You and your little one will explore through sensory play, music, movement and themed art projects ideal for kids ages 6 months to 5 years. Get hands-on as you use a variety of materials to learn and create together at Free Art Friday!
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March 7-8, 2026: Immerse yourself in an exciting world of art, food, drinks, live entertainment, and so much more at the Heard Museum Guild's 68th Annual Indian Fair & Market!
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Spring Spectacular: Free Family Event
Enjoy crafts, outdoor activities, music, dancing, giveaways, and family fun for no cost! Kids can bring a basket for goodies.
Saturday, March 7 | 9am to 1pm | Chandler, AZ
Open to all; no registration required.
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- Yoga Storytime | Century Library - Century Library, 1750 E Highland Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Friday, March 6, 2026, 10:15 am
- Brick Builders | Juniper Library - Juniper Library, 1825 W Union Hills Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85027, Friday, March 6, 2026, 3:30 pm
- Free Art Friday: Bumblebee Ball - Tempe City
Arts - Tempe City Arts, South Rural Road, Tempe, AZ, Friday, March 6, 2026, See website
- MakersBase |
Ironwood Library - Ironwood Library, 4333 E Chandler Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85048, Saturday, March 7, 2026, 3 pm - 4 pm
- Spring Spectacular Event - 1645 East Roosevelt Street, Phoenix, AZ, Saturday, March 7, 2026, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
- FREE Movie in the Park, St Patty's Party, Food Trucks & More @ Peoria 1st Saturdays - Mar 7th - Peoria 1st Saturdays, West Greenway Road, Peoria, AZ, Saturday, March 7, 2026, 5pm
- Teen Council | Cholla Library - Cholla Library, 10050 North Metro Parkway East, Phoenix, AZ 85051, Saturday, March 7, 2026, 1 pm - 3 pm
- Tools for School | Cholla Library - Cholla Library, 10050 North Metro Parkway East, Phoenix, AZ 85051, Saturday, March 7, 2026, 10 am
- Open House Sunday Series - At The Outlet, Inc.,
3004 North 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ, Sunday, March 8, 2026, 3 - 5 pm
- POWER IN MOTION: SUNDAY
OPEN HOUSES POP UP SESSIONS - At The Outlet, Inc., 3004 North 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016, Sunday, March 8, 2026, 3-5 pm
- AZ Rattlers Halftime Show Performance Opportunity - At The Outlet, Inc., 3004 North 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ
85016, Sunday, March 8, 2026, 3 - 5 pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Phoenix 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 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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