KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, Feb 20: Jurassic Quest x Brick Fest Live @ The Cabaruss Arena and Convention Center
Wed, Feb 25: Winter Dance Concert - Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University's Pittsburgh Playhouse
Fri, Feb 27: Curiosity Kids: Size and Scale of the Solar System at State Museum of Pennsylvania
Sat, Mar 7: Presidents' Day Deal at Mines and Meadows
Sun, Mar 8: Kids of STEEL Youngest MOVERS Play Day with KidStrong North Hills
Sat, Mar 14: BSA Robotics (New!) at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
Sat, Mar 28: Spring Kids' Vendor Show at Live, Laugh, Play, & Learn LLC |
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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We are Jurassic Quest, the largest & most realistic traveling dinosaur experience in North America!
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Celebrate and learn about the Lunar New Year! This annual celebration organized by the Asian community of the Fox Chapel area features a wide variety of different festival activities. This year's presentations are still being finalized, but previous year's
have included: traditional Chinese instruments by Jin Se Chinese Zither Ensemble, taekwondo performed by the Young Brothers Taekwondo School students, a dragon parade, storytelling, crafts, as well as treats and gifts.
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Fall in love with endless beauty as new displays highlight Phipps' incredible orchid collection and classically trained bonsai. The beautiful gardens of Phipps provide the perfect warm escape from Pittsburgh's winter chill! You’ll be captivated by romantic
displays in this year’s Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Blooming with Love. Gorgeous displays featuring an array of beautiful orchids and fascinating bonsai fill the glasshouse. Join us to celebrate love while immersing yourself in ephemeral and entrancing nature. You’re sure to leave with your heart feeling warm!
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Create a Pop style painting of Pop style people in a seriously snowy scenario.
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Celebrate the year of the horse at Phipps Conservatory!Empty heading
On Sat., Feb. 21, Phipps Conservatory and The CASTP Organization are proud to present the 29th Lunar New Year celebration, all under Phipps' historic glasshouse! This event will host a variety of food and craft vendors, unique performances and educational resources to learn more about this beloved Chinese celebration. Plus, guests can also experience the lovely Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Blooming with Love during the celebration
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Visit The Factory, our all-ages hands-on art studio. Experiment with a changing array of activities inspired by our collection and special exhibitions, from painting to collage to sculpture. Visitors can work with experienced artist educators to create
handmade silkscreen printed artworks and souvenirs. Printing on paper is free, and other materials like tote bags, t-shirts, bandanas and notebooks are available for purchase with cash or credit card. The Factory is located on the underground level of the museum and included with museum admission.
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Story Saturday is a monthly story time that takes place in Extraordinary Ordinary Things, our decorative arts and design collection galleries. Each month, assistant curator Alyssa Velazquez will read a different children’s book. After the story, Jena
Schieb, manager of youth programs, will lead an art-making activity designed for children ages 12 and under.
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Join us for Storytime at the Museum! Hear nature and science stories read by our Natural History Interpreters and get a chance to touch museum specimens. Stop by for one page, one book, or stay for the whole time. Meets at the bench in the entrance of the
Kamin Hall of Dinosaurs. Registration is not required.
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Family Friendly Bingo for all ages with great prizes! No entrance fee. Join us for family-friendly BINGO! Sunday, February 22 from 3pm - 5pm. NO ENTRANCE FEE! You buy your own bingo cards which are affordably priced at $2.00 for one card, and
$5.00 for three cards. As for the prizes? We've got that covered! Pens hockey tickets, family board games, gift cards ....we even have prizes for your littles so EVERYONE can feel included. There will concessions for sale and a 50/50 raffle to add to the fun.
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- Kids Winter Reading 2026 at Andrew Bayne Memorial Library - 34 North Balph Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202, Friday, February 20, 2026, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Sensory Playtime
at Pleasant Hills Public Library - Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA, Friday, February 20, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 am
- Drop-In Beading - Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA, Friday, February 20, 2026, 2:30 - 3:30 PM
- Carnegie Lab at Carnegie Museum of Art - 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, Friday, February 20, 2026, 10 am - 1 pm
- Lunar New Year Celebration at Cooper-Siegel Community Library - 403 Fox Chapel Road,
Pittsburgh, PA 15238, Friday, February 20, 2026, 5 - 7:30 pm
- Little Bookworms at Baldwin Library - Wolfe Drive, Pleasant Hills, PA, Friday, February 20, 2026, 10:30 - 11:30 am
- Playdate at the Library - Carnegie Library of Allegheny - 1230 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, PA, Monday, February 22, 2026, 10:30 - 11 am
- Family-Friendly Bingo - Bradford Woods Community Church - 4836 Wexford Run Road, Bradford Woods, PA, Monday, February 22, 2026, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
- Auditions for Beauty and the Beast Ballet - 500 Chestnut Street, Carnegie, PA 15106, Saturday, February 21, 2026, 3:00pm
- Open House - Fox Hill Preschool - West Chapel Ridge Road, Pittsburgh, PA, Saturday, February 21, 2026, 10 am - 12 pm
- Children's Studio: Pop! Snow People - The Westmoreland Museum of American Art - 221 North Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601, Saturday, February 21, 2026, 10 am- 12 pm
- Story Saturdays at Carnegie Museum of Art - 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, Saturday, February 21, 2026, 10 am - 5 pm
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh? 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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2025's best places to take kids in and around Pittsburgh, based on KidsOutAndAbout's annual reader survey. Plus there is LOTS more to do in and around Pittsburgh beyond the Top 20: Get great ideas here at KidsOutAndAbout.com!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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