KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, May 22: Kids summer Camp Greatest Gifts Daycare Center!
Sat, May 23: Summer Family Movie Night at Schertz Family YMCA
Sat, May 30: Pride River Parades & Celebration
Fri, Jun 5: Blanco Lavender Festival
Fri, Jun 5: FREE Camping Weekend at Helton
Sat, Jun 13: Jurassic
Jamboree
Fri, Jun 19: Juneteenth San Antonio 2026
Sun, Jun 21: Father's Day Car Show
Sat, Jun 27: Freedom on the Frontier
Sun, Jun 28: Sesame Street Live |
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. This year, we are excited to partner with Texas Lifestyle Magazine and DFW Motherhood on the survey... We'll all be shouting about the winners for 2026, so please make your voice heard all over Texas! 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. You can 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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Summer is coming fast. Secure your child’s spot before schedules fill up at Painting with a Twist. Our themed art camps keep kids ages 6+ engaged with guided painting, creative projects and energetic instructors who make every day fun. Sign up for the full week or an individual day. Click to view the full camp calendar and reserve your spot today.
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Soccer Pups Summer Camps are the perfect way for kids ages 3–9 to stay active, build confidence, and have fun this summer—while staying out of the Texas heat! We offer both half-day and full-day indoor camp options designed for every age and skill level. Younger campers will enjoy exciting games and activities that keep them moving, laughing, and engaged, while older campers participate in more skill-focused sessions that help develop soccer technique, decision-making, speed, agility, and overall fitness. Campers will enjoy soccer skills training, arts and crafts, scrimmages, and plenty of fun throughout the week in our safe, air-conditioned indoor facility. Whether your child is new to soccer or already loves the game, there’s something for everyone!
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Give your kids an unforgettable summer experience at Buck & Doe’s Mercantile Summer Base Camp! Designed for ages 8–15, this 3-day camp teaches firearm and archery safety and beginner shooting skills to grow your child's confidence in a fun, supervised environment. Through our partnership with Project ChildSafe and the NSSF, campers will learn essential safety rules, hands-on range skills, situational awareness, and do fun crafts. Each day includes classroom instruction, live range activities, friendly competitions, snacks, drinks, and a camp shirt for every participant. Whether your child is new to shooting sports or eager to learn more, Summer Base Camp is the perfect adventure!
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Join us for our 35th year of coaching and introducing San Antonio kids to the great sport of tennis! Generations of San Antonians have grown up learning tennis at the summer camp at UIW, and we are excited for another summer of skills, drills, popsicle breaks, Around the World competitions and Friday Tournaments. This summer Tennis Camp is run by NCAA Division 1 Coaches. https://www.johnnewmantenniscamp.com/ https://www.jotform.com/form/250504355273149
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Get ready to shake the foundation! Join us for our Forged In Feedback Concert Celebration, a 2-day rock explosion at the San Antonio Shrine Auditorium Outdoor Pavilion this May 16–17. This event is free and all-ages, making it the perfect family-friendly weekend to experience the power of live music. We’re bringing together incredible talent for two days of catchy choruses and high-energy performances that will have kids and adults alike dancing along. Whether you're a lifelong music lover or introducing your kids to the excitement of a rock 'n roll concert, this is the place to be. Mark your calendars—let’s make some noise!
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Party in Your Park takes place four times each year from 5-8 PM. We bring the party to you by visiting various neighborhood parks. Each free event features family-friendly fun, including yard games, music, refreshments and more!
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Get ready for a spectacular celebration of music and Texas tradition with our 44th Annual Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio! We're bringing the community together to enjoy the very best in Conjunto music, with a fantastic line-up of 20+ Conjunto bands that will have you dancing all weekend long.
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Spring is here, and so are the little caterpillars. This week we will create our own little friends that won't be morphing into butterflies. Can't wait to see you here in the Wondershop.
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iscover. Capture. Share the Beauty of the River Basin. From flowing creeks and rivers to native plants, wildlife, and outdoor adventures, the San Antonio River Basin is full of photo-worthy moments. Show us your unique perspective in the 9th Annual River Clicks Photo Contest!
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Get ready for a musical adventure where Broadway meets Hollywood! From toe-tapping rhythms to soaring melodies, this joyful concert celebrates the magic of musicals—and the excitement of performing together. Featuring the talented singers of CCSA, it’s a feel-good afternoon for the whole family.
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Join us for a beautiful day in the park on May 16th from 9am to 2pm at Helton Nature Park! Come stroll, shop, and enjoy all things local with an amazing lineup of farmers, makers, bakers, and crafters bringing their best.
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The City of San Antonio World Heritage Office presents the annual Outdoor Family Film Series at Mission Marquee Plaza! FREE movies under the night sky at Mission Marquee Plaza! Venue opens at 7 p.m. May – September, and at 6 p.m. October – November. Bring your friends and family for an unforgettable outdoor experience. Blankets, lawn chairs, snacks, and picnics are welcome, or visit our on-site food trucks to purchase snacks, as well. Admission is Free! Pet-friendly! Parking on-site! All movie screenings begin 15 minutes after sunset.nge.
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Get outside on the weekend to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and enjoy free entry all day at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. Take home native plant educational material to learn what plants would work best in your space to benefit birds on their migration journey.
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Join us for our annual Dirt Dauber Festival! Over 50 clay artists will be vending their amazing work in this fun-filled weekend. There will be free refreshments, demos, contests of skill, and music all weekend long! Make sure to bring a friend and carpool as parking is limited.
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This event features live music, working artists and food booths, making it the ultimate destination for family fun and local flavor. Don't miss the party. Come join the fun!
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River Rodeo is a community-wide fishing challenge hosted by the San Antonio River Authority and the San Antonio River Foundation in partnership with Angler’s Atlas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Fin Addict Angler Foundation, and the Brackenridge Park Conservancy. From April 4 through May 31, 2026, anglers of all experience levels are invited to fish the San Antonio River — from the Headwaters to the Mission Reach — and log their catches using the MyCatch app.
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Come on out to Wolff Stadium and cheer on the Missions. We are San Antonio's only professional baseball team - the San Antonio Missions, Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
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The Best Start for Your Preschooler! Looking for a loving, inclusive space where your little one can thrive? The Rise School offers exceptional early childhood education paired with speech, occupational, physical & music therapy to ensure your little one meets all of their milestones and beyond—all through the power of play. Small classrooms and 1:4 teacher-to-student ratios mean your child will get all the individual attention they deserve. We are now enrolling for August and have limited spots in our 2, 3, and 4 year old classrooms! To schedule your free play date, please check out our website and sign up on our enrollment interest form. Let’s play, grow, and have an incredible school year together! riseschoolsa.org/admissions
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Janel Nansenn, MA, is an educational therapist and the founder of Read-A-Rific®, a reading comprehension program and Texas PDSES vendor. Nansenn's work has transformed the lives of struggling readers. Over the course of her career, she has helped thousands
of struggling learners achieve success both academically and personally.
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- Dirt Dauber Festival - Eye of the Dog Art Center, 405 Valley View West Rd, San Marcos, TX 78666, Saturday, May 16, 2026 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, Saturday 10 am-6 pm, Sunday 12-5 pm
- Forged in Feedback Concert Celebration - School of Rock, Gallery Circle, San Antonio, TX, Saturday, May 16, 2026 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, 11:00am - 7:00pm
- Free spring mini photo session with Shoott! - San Antonio area - San Antonio area, Saturday, May 16, 2026 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, See link for times
- Jumanji: Picnic and a Movie in the Eastside Cemeteries - 550 Paso
Hondo St, San Antonio, TX 78203, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 8 pm
- Mission Marquee Outdoor Family Film Series - Mission Marquee Plaza, 3100 Roosevelt Ave, San Antonio, TX 78214, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 6-10 pm
- Market Square Weekends: Live Performances, Local Eats & Art in Action - Historic Market Square, West Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX, Saturday, May 16, 2026 to Sunday, May 17, 2026, 10 am- 6 pm
- FREE Entry Day – Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day! - Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, 10750 Pleasanton Rd, San Antonio, TX 78221, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 8:00am - 4:00pm
- 3rd Saturday Litter Bug Clean-Up - Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, 10750 Pleasanton Rd, San Antonio, TX 78221, Saturday, May 16, 2026, 8:00 – 10:00am
- Free Family Swim - San Antonio Natatorium, West Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard, San Antonio, TX,
Saturday, May 16, 2026, during normal pool hours
- Memorial May – San Antonio, TX - VFW Post 76 ATM, 10 10th St, San Antonio, TX 78215, Sunday, May 17, 2026, 9 am
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the San Antonio 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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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the San Antonio? 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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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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