KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: This Sunday marks the Winter Solstice—Robert Frost’s “darkest evening of the year.” It’s when we in the Northern Hemisphere most appreciate human inventiveness: We flip a switch, and light floods the room. It feels like magic, but it’s not. It’s the result of generations of curious, determined humans trying to make life better, brighter,
safer. That’s why my family celebrates Lightbulb Day every December 21. It’s our homegrown holiday honoring the inventors and problem-solvers whose insights fuel our lives. We toast our favorite technologies, learn some history, imagine the future. Past years’ MVPs include contact lenses,
antibiotics, the internet, veterinary science, and the Covid vaccine. This year’s front-runner: artificial intelligence. Last weekend, I had breakfast with a friend and her 13-year-old daughter, Lily. Lily said she loves math and science but struggles with how her teachers approach the humanities, especially writing. When I showed her how AI can help her learn in the way she learns best, her face lit up. So I went home and wrote a how-to article for Lily, her mom, and any of
you with kids in middle school or older: How Students Can Use AI to Learn to Write (Without Giving Away their Brains). AI isn’t here to think for us. It’s here to help us think more effectively with our own minds. That’s a message worth repeating, especially to our kids.
In this new AI age, the real danger isn’t the technology itself, it’s the temptation to hand our brains over to it and say, “Here, you do all the work.” So this Lightbulb Day, I’m raising an Erlenmeyer flask, not just to the great inventors of the past, but to Lily, and to every young person learning to think with tools rather than letting tools do the thinking. Because the real magic isn’t flipping the switch; it’s understanding where the current comes from, and
imagining what we’ll power with it in the future.
—Debra Ross, publisher
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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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I'm thrilled to announce that my new book The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities (co-authored with Jamie Carter) is now published and shipping across North America! It’s packed with inspiring, true stories of everyday leaders who stepped up during the 2024 eclipse to bring people together, spark change, and strengthen their communities. Told with warmth and insight, this book makes a perfect holiday gift for the visionary, organizer, or community-builder in your life. Click the graphic to order from Amazon on print or Kindle; for other ordering options (including educator and bulk orders), or to see an annotated table of contents and the introduction, head to https://theeclipseeffect.com.
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Curious how your AI know-how compares to other parents? We surveyed over 300 of you, and the results are in! The big takeaway? You aren't alone in feeling overwhelmed. While most parents have a basic grasp of the technology, over 52% feel unequipped to actually guide their kids through it. The number one thing you requested help with was "Digital Defense"—specifically, how to spot misinformation and fake news. You can read the full, fascinating report at kidsoutandabout.com/research. Ready for round two? Help us dive deeper by taking our new, quick 13-question survey here: https://forms.gle/1nTsaG384SW8cUpL7.
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Give the gift of joyful learning this year with a membership to the Purple Museum, where kids lead the way! More than 150 hands-on exhibits and programs in the sciences, humanities, arts, nature, and health spark curiosity and ignite family fun where children build life skills in creative and critical thinking, problem solving, and confidence. A membership to the Purple Museum gets you free admission for one year and pays for itself in just a few visits. If you're feeling generous this giving season, there are also so many ways to support the Museum! Learn more at cdm.org.
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Don't miss out! The Physics Show only has a few weekends remaining for this school year. Tickets are only $6. The show is wildly popular and typically sells out. The Show explains everyday phenomenon through a series of fun, memorable demonstrations. The show is recommended for ages 5 and up. Although we target elementary and middle school age kids and their families, there is something for everyone. Typically, the adults look like they are having as much fun as the kids! The Physics Show at Foothill College is in its 19th year! Over 25,000 people will come to Foothill College to see the show this year. Don't miss out! www.ThePhysicsShow.com
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Dec 31 at 4pm: Bring the whole family to celebrate New Year’s Eve at Gilroy Gardens! Enjoy the park’s exciting rides, North Pole Nights holiday fun, and a DJ Dance Party with specialty appetizers and drinks. Then join the countdown to midnight and our big fireworks show over Coyote Lake!
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Experience the enchanting Garden of D'Lights, a self-guided holiday light display that transforms the renowned nonprofit Ruth Bancroft Garden into a magical nighttime wonderland. Perfect for families and pets, create lasting memories while supporting a cherished local community resource!
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Get in the holiday spirit – Celebrate the season at the beach! Now BIGGER and BRIGHTER than ever. Enjoy rides, games, arcades, festive decorations, free nightly light shows, photos with Santa, holiday treats, fire pits and more!
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Continue the merriment with family and friends with Boardwalk arcades and attractions using your MyBoardwalk card, included with your fare. Happy holidays! Vintage excursion cars, adorned with thousands of colorful lights, roll through Santa Cruz streets. Passengers lend their voices to holiday carols and sip spiced cider while Santa visits with the little ones and the young at heart!
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Experience the magic of Christmas in the Park like never before! Since 2020, our Drive-Thru Light Show in History Park San Jose has been bringing holiday joy to the community. Cruise through dazzling light tunnels, festive buildings, and giant candy canes all synced to your favorite holiday tunes. Don’t miss out!
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Come see CuriOdyssey’s frisky river otter! Watch him frolic up-close and ask an animal keeper about his story during the daily feeding.
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The holiday magic is back! From November 28 through December 31, immerse yourself in the enchanting world of North Pole Nights at Gilroy Gardens. This extraordinary experience includes jolly characters, fun live shows, ice skating under the stars, festive food and drinks, Santa's Workshop, magical light displays--and much, much more!
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Step into a sparkling world of snowflakes, reindeer, and twinkling lights. This classic winter scene brings the magic of a white Christmas to life — even in sunny California!
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The Zoo has enabled a plan-ahead pricing ticketing system. Plan-ahead pricing allows you to book your zoo visit in advance while keeping your budget and schedule in mind. Please note that ticket prices may vary nightly. The closer you book to the date of your visit, the higher the ticket price may be. To ensure that you get the best ticket price for your visit, we recommend that you book your tickets as far in advance as possible. There are no group discounts on tickets for this event. Parking is complimentary with the purchase of Glowfari tickets.
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The Experiments in Sound series includes regional performers and musicians that invite you to listen, participate and imagine. Lights and music turn on nightly from 5:00 PM to 12 Midnight Sonic Runway is a light-art installation that visualizes the speed of sound created by a team of artists including lead artist Rob Jensen, co-lead Warren Trezevant, and design by Stockhausen. Free and open to the public.
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Congregation B' nai Shalom and Downtown Martinez & Co. present the Annual Hanukkah Community Celebration! Traditional lighting of the menorah will be done every evening at dusk at the Main Street Plaza. Traditional lighting of the menorah will be done every evening at dusk at the Main Street Plaza. Join us on date TBD at 5:15pm to light the menorah and celebrate with music, sufganiyot, and family fun!
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Take out your calendar - you have a lot of scheduling to do to fit in all the incredible Holiday Break camps taking place in and around our area! If we're missing a camp that should be on this list, please email us to let us know.
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EXPERIENCES create memories much more than stuff does. As you're considering gifts for family and friends, consider giving the gift of a family membership to one of our local attractions in and around the San Jose Area. Here are local organizations that
offer memberships.
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Ring in the New Year with a little help from KidsOutAndAbout! Our Big List of family-Friendly celebrations is just what you need to find ball drops, fireworks displays, NOON Year's Eve fun, activities, parties and more! If your favorite isn't on the list be
sure to send us an email and we'll add it pronto.
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- Free mini photo session with Shoott! - Bay Area - Shoott - Shoott, Broadway, New York, NY, USA, 12/17/2025 to 12/19/2025, See link for times
- Sonic Runway - City of San Jose, CA - City of San Jose Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department - 200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA, 12/15/2025 to 12/17/2025, Lights and music turn on nightly from 5:00 PM to 12 Midnight
- San Jose Holiday Lights - San Jose Downtown Association - 28 N First St #1000, San Jose, CA 95113, 12/15/2025 to 12/17/2025, night
- Winter Wonderland - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - 400 Beach Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, 12/15/2025 to 12/17/2025,
12:00 - 5:00pm PST
- Annual Hanukkah Community Celebration - Downtown Martinez & Co. - Downtown Martinez & Co. - Main Street, Martinez, CA 94553, 12/15/2025 to 12/17/2025, Check Website for Time
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the San Jose area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
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2025's Best Places to Take Kids in San Jose survey winners: What are the best places to take kids in the Bay Area? Each summer, thousands of parents vote in the KidsOutAndAbout survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids. Who won the top spot? Click through to
find out!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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