KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When my kids were little, one of our favorite nature activities was also one of the simplest: We’d head out onto a trail, stop among the trees, and play the Listening Game. The rules were easy: Close your eyes. The first time you hear a sound, any sound at all, put up one finger. Then add another for each new sound you notice. After a minute or two, someone says,
“Open your eyes,” and everyone compares fingers and talks about what they heard. It’s a small exercise in attention, but it changes how kids experience the world. The invisible becomes visible... not to the eyes, exactly, but to the mind. Things that were just out of range suddenly move onto our radar. Nature is full of motion and music, and this game helps us tune ourselves to it. The free Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology takes that magic one step further: Tap Sound ID, and suddenly the songs around you appear on your screen as a voiceprint and a bird name and an image that shows you what to look for. And what a moment ago was only background atmosphere becomes a Carolina Wren, or an Eastern Whip-poor-will, or the Common Yellowthroat pictured above,
singing his heart out for a girl with a camera. That’s one of the great tasks of childhood, and of the adults who love children: to help hidden things come into view. Before we know something, it is almost as if it isn’t there. But once it is named, we have a new way to see. There are suddenly new dimensions to our universe, helping us transform even more mysteries into things that are ours. And we never really experience the woods—or the field, or the river, or
the ocean, or the city, or our backyard—the same way again.
—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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Spots are going fast! Clark Planetarium's Summer Space Academy is your child's launchpad to an unforgettable summer. These full- and half-day camps run from June through August and are packed with hands-on experiments, interactive lessons, and out-of-this-world fun. Whether your child dreams of being an astronaut, a scientist, or just loves to explore, our camps keep kids curious, active, and learning all summer long. From space missions to science challenges, every day is a new adventure. Our programs are designed to be both educational and affordable, making it easier than ever to spark a lifelong love of STEM in a fun, supportive environment. Sign up today and blast off into a summer they'll never forget!
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Celebrate the beauty of spring at Thanksgiving Point’s Tulip Festival. Over six weeks, more than 1 million flowers transform the 50-acre Ashton Gardens into a breathtaking display of color, fragrance, and design. Featuring vibrant tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, poppies, and more, the festival blends art and nature through thoughtfully curated garden beds, bold floral décor, and new whimsical topiary displays. Guests can enjoy live entertainment, interactive classes, garden tours, photo opportunities, and family-friendly activities throughout the gardens. Recognized as one of the largest and most popular spring flower festivals in the nation, the Tulip Festival offers a full-sensory spring tradition that celebrates creativity, renewal, and connection. Discover why it has been voted Utah’s Best Festival for ten years and experience where spring is in bloom.
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Join us for a fun and eco-friendly day of crafting in celebration of Earth and Arbor Days! Families will explore sustainability through hands-on science and art activities—build unique sculptures from recycled and household materials, discover how plants drink with capillary action experiments, and make seed bombs to take home and plant. It’s a fantastic way to honor the planet, spark creativity, and learn through nature!
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Come and visit the newest members of our family, the baby animals! We have a front row seat waiting just for you, with all the furry, fuzzy and cuddly farm animals. Watch them play, eat and learn more about them from their caretakers. Visit the babies at the Livery and Petting Corral and while you’re there take a photo and tag us or share on social media. Use the hash tag #thisistheplaceheritagepark. This fun filled weekend has a barnyard full of additional activities including story telling with Bo Peep and Pioneer Dancing on Main Street.
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In this fun and interactive fair, families can meet local nonprofits and find volunteer/service opportunities they can do together! Families can try activities, visit interactive booths, and have conversations with nonprofits about volunteer roles that fit your interests, ages, and schedules.
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- Tinker Time - Utah STEM Action Center, 3848 SW Temple Suite 105, South Salt Lake City, Utah 84115, Friday, April 17, 2026, 12 - 8 PM
- Playtime at Glendale Branch - Glendale Branch, Concord Street, Salt Lake City, UT, Friday, April 17, 2026, 11 am - 11:30 am
- Community Art Hour
at the Day-Riverside Branch Library - Day-Riverside Branch, West 1000 North, Salt Lake City, UT, Friday, April 17, 2026, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Kids Café | Café para niños 2026 at Ruth Vine Tyler Library - Ruth Vine Tyler Library, Wood Street,
Midvale, UT, Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19, 2026, See website for details
- Bouncing Babies - Orem Public Library - Orem Public Library, 58 North State Street, Orem, UT 84057, Friday, April 17, 2026, 10 am
- April Film Screenings: Literary Movies - Orem Public Library - Orem Public Library, 58 North State Street, Orem, UT 84057, Friday, April 17, 2026, 6 pm
- Leap Into Reading - Springville Library - 45 South Main Street, Springville, UT, Friday, April 17, 2026, 10:30 am
- Tiny Tot Tales - Springville Library - 45 South Main Street, Springville, UT, Friday, April 17, 2026, 11:30
am
- 3rd Annual Transgender Celebration Show - The Main Library - Salt Lake City Public Library, 210 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19, 2026, See website for details
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Salt Lake City area - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, Saturday, April 18, 2026, See link for times
- Creative Lab Club: Board Game Club at the Main Library - Salt Lake City Public Library, East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT, Saturday, April 18, 2026, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
- Last Chance Beach Bash - Solitude Mountain
Resort - Solitude Mountain Resort, 12000 Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, Solitude, UT 84121, Saturday, April 18, 2026, 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- UNA "Show Up Saturday" Community Service Fair at The Main Library - Salt Lake City Public Library, 210 East 400 South, Salt
Lake City, UT 84111, Saturday, April 18, 2026, 10:30 am - 1 pm
- Northern Utah Military, Veteran & Family Wellness Fair - Hill Aerospace Museum, Cottonwood Street, Hill Air Force Base, Hill AFB, UT 84056, Saturday, April 18, 2026, 10 am - 2 pm
- Playtime at the Main Library - Salt Lake City Public Library, East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT, Sunday, April 19, 2026, 2 pm - 3 pm
- 12
Minutes Max at the Main Library - Salt Lake City Public Library, East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT, Sunday, April 19, 2026, 2 pm - 3 pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City 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…
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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