KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
For 25 years, one of my core missions with KidsOutAndAbout has been to make invisible things visible, to celebrate what local communities offer families. Everyone is busy, and local treasures are easy to miss. Our job is to point, spotlight, nudge, and say Look here. Try this. Bring the kids. But there’s another kind of invisibility worth fixing:
The people who create these experiences rarely get to see their full impact. They track tickets sold and kids enrolled, but may never hear that your child talked about their field trip for six months, found courage on their stage, or simply felt welcome exactly when they needed it. That’s why our annual Top 20 Places to Take Kids survey matters. Each summer, we ask readers to vote for their favorite local places to take kids.
The results help families see what other families love. The ranking and comments help local organizations see that their work matters. So your three minutes becomes both a recommendation and a thank-you. The survey is simple: Click on your three favorite local destinations. Then also, optionally, nominate favorites in special categories—like arts, sports, and STEM education—and leave comments that we’ll pass along to the people who make these experiences
happen. So please click here to vote in the 2026 edition of the survey. Help families find the places they’ll love, and help the people behind those places know they’re making a difference. The survey will be open until June 20.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
P.S. If you're interested, check out the 2025 list
here to see who won last year. |
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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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Realms of Inquiry is a cooperative learning community for grades 6–12 in Taylorsville dedicated to nurturing bright, creative, independent thinkers. With small class sizes, mentor‐guided learning, and opportunities for project-based, outdoor, and international programs, students help design a learning path that fits their interests and learning style. Realms offers accredited academics as well as real-world experiences—whether that’s exploring nature, leading in community projects, or discovering new cultures abroad. If you want an education where your student is seen, supported, and challenged, we invite you to visit us and learn more. Contact us at [email protected] or 801-467-5911. Click on the image for more information. |
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The first annual Salt Lake Art Show takes root at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy May 14-17, 2026. The fine art and design fair presents 50+ galleries and over 100 artists showing a wide array of works from 2D fine art, sculpture and jewelry to custom furniture, lighting and Indigenous arts. The event comes to life with live music, dance, theater and cultural performances, film screenings and a special line up of dance classes and crafts for children and attendees of all ages. See all the details at https://www.saltlakeartshow.com.
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Dinosaurs and fossils, astronomy and aeronautics, chemistry, engineering and robotics, entomology and annelids, biology, forensics… Wherever your scientist’s interests fall, we offer a camp that is the right fit for them! In addition to themed activities, each camp includes chemical reactions, stretchy polymers, molecular model building and more. * New Middle Beakers Camp themes are available for campers ages 9+. Our morning and afternoon 5-day camp themes are available during Spring Break and Summer. Locations in Sandy and Orem! Visit our website to learn more and reserve your spot! Sandy website: https://sandy.littlebeakers.com/camps-workshops Orem website: https://orem.littlebeakers.com/camps-workshops
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Alpengirl Camp offers unforgettable outdoor adventures for girls ages 10–17 and mother-daughter pairs across the American West, Pacific Northwest, East Coast, and Europe. Based out of Seattle, our Pacific Northwest trips highlight the breathtaking beauty of North Cascades and Olympic National Parks through backpacking, kayaking, rafting, horseback riding, climbing, and more. With small groups, experienced female guides, and a supportive community, girls build confidence, leadership, resilience, and lifelong friendships while exploring alpine lakes, rugged peaks, old-growth forests, and wild coastlines. Alpengirl creates meaningful summer experiences that inspire girls to challenge themselves, connect with nature, and grow through adventure.
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Produced by the Salt Lake City Arts Council in partnership with the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, the Living Traditions Festival is a three-day multicultural festival. The Festival supports the preservation of culturally diverse traditions, perspectives, and communities through the presentation of traditional music, dance, crafts, food, and more. We aim to facilitate understanding and belonging amongst communities through varied Utah-based programming and partnerships.
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Discover Davis, Utah's Amusement Capital, is pleased to once again welcome you to the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival in beautiful northern Utah. Experience immersive field trips, engaging workshops, and captivating featured events that showcase the region’s diverse bird life and natural beauty. Celebrate with fellow bird enthusiasts and discover why our festival is one of the nation’s premier nature events.
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Calling fans of Utah’s great outdoors! Utah's Hogle Zoo, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and the Berryman Institute at Utah State University have teamed up for Wild Aware Utah Day on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 10AM-2 PM. Discover how to identify wildlife, get resources for preventing human/wildlife conflicts, and learn how to recreate safely in Utah’s great outdoors. Experience a day filled with activities, animal enrichment, and keeper chats celebrating Utah wildlife.
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- Kids Café | Café para niños 2026 at Ruth Vine Tyler Library - Ruth Vine Tyler Library, Wood Street, Midvale, UT, Friday, May 15, 2026 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, See website for
details
- Tinker Time - Utah STEM Action Center, 3848 SW Temple Suite 105, South Salt Lake City, Utah 84115, Friday, May 15, 2026, 12 - 8 PM
- Playtime at Glendale Branch - Glendale Branch, Concord Street, Salt Lake City, UT, Friday, May 15, 2026, 11 am - 11:30 am
- May Film Screenings: Can You Dig It? Movies - Orem Public Library - Orem Public Library, 58 North State
Street, Orem, UT 84057, Friday, May 15, 2026, 6 pm
- Leap Into Reading - Springville Library - Springville Library, 45 South Main Street, Springville, UT, Friday, May 15, 2026, 10:30 am
- Tiny Tot Tales - Springville Library - Springville Library, 45 South Main Street, Springville, UT, Friday, May 15, 2026, 11:30 am
- Living Traditions
Festival 2026 - Downtown, Salt Lake City, UT, Friday, May 15, 2026 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, See website for details
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - Salt Lake City area - Salt Lake City area, Saturday, May 16, 2026 to Sunday, May 17, 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, May 16, 2026, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
- 12 Minutes Max at the Main Library - Salt Lake City Public Library, East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT, Sunday, May 17, 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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