KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: The first time I can remember having to take a public stand on anything was in eighth grade English. We were assigned an essay on a controversial topic and told we’d present our arguments to the class. When he handed back our papers, Mr. Schmidt added a twist: no reading. We’d speak from notes. I was horrified. After school, I tried to negotiate my way out
of it. “This makes me really uncomfortable,” I told him, hoping for mercy. He looked at me over his glasses. “That’s the whole point,” he said. “To get stuff done, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Don’t worry, you’ll live.” Mr. Schmidt was right. I didn’t die. And more important, I learned something that stuck: Discomfort isn’t a stop sign, it’s just part of the road, and all roads are bumpy. That lesson shaped how I've raised my kids, too.
Karate helped Madison and Ella distinguish between effort and injury. Long car rides taught them to rely on their own imaginations. Theater nudged them to stand however close to the spotlight they could manage, even when they’d rather disappear. And summer camps—those muddy, unpredictable, gloriously imperfect experiences—gave them countless chances to try something new and realize I can do this without the stigma that can accompany failing in other contexts. Growth
rarely happens inside the comfort zone, which is why I’m such a believer in giving kids opportunities to stretch beyond what feels easy. Summer programs are perfect for this, so that's why during "summer camp search season" we focus on showcasing the wide variety of camps and programs available in each area we serve. Here's the link to the portal page. These days, as we approach the 25th anniversary of KidsOutAndAbout.com in June, I see that same principle playing out: The technology has changed, the business climate has changed, but the equation hasn’t. Discomfort still shows up right before something meaningful. And I still hear Mr. Schmidt’s voice in my head: Don’t worry, you’ll live.
—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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The all-new 2026 Camp Invention® program, Spark, is coming to curious kids in your community this summer! Rising K-6 campers will collaborate with friends to tackle hands-on, open-ended challenges. They’ll team up with robotic capybaras, ride the waves of entrepreneurship, uncover the power of protecting their ideas and build a DIY space rocket! Each experience is designed to spark confidence, build persistence and create unforgettable summer memories. Visit invent.org/save/camp to secure your spot! Register using CIFUN25 by 3/31 to save $25 or CIFUN20 by 4/28 to save $20 when you register. Interest-free payment plans are available, making camp affordable for all families.
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Give your child an academic and spiritual foundation for life! Offering Infant Care & Preschool through 8th Grade, SJCS prepares students to thrive in their high school of choice and beyond. Your child will be individually known and loved within a safe
and loving Christian environment with an outstanding staff that loves God and loves kids. Give your child consistency and support at home and at school with an intentional family-school partnership and regular communication home. Schedule a tour on our website to get started! (408) 371-7741 | [email protected] |
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The Bay Area's Premiere Cooking School for kids and teens! From after-school programs to private sessions to birthday parties, we do it all! Bon Appetit! We offer camps perfect for kids who love to create and explore in the kitchen. Each day features
hands-on culinary projects like baking cupcakes, crafting homemade gummy bears, and making apple nachos, paired with exciting activities such as a fruit scavenger hunt, candy graphing, and designing chef hats. Campers will also dive into food science with a fizzy lemonade experiment and taste bud testing. It’s a deliciously engaging experience for every young foodie!
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From the earliest hand-drawn cartoons to today’s blockbuster CGI films, all animation begins with an artist and an idea. The Cartoon Art Museum’s new exhibition, A Treasury of Animation, showcases original production art following the evolution of
animation from the 1920s onward.
The first major exhibition drawn from the Cartoon Art Museum’s vast permanent collection since its reopening in Fisherman’s Wharf, A Treasury of Animation features historic never-before-seen work. “Our permanent collection houses thousands of animation cels and concept drawings,” says CAM Curator Andrew Farago, “but only a small portion of that artwork can be shown at any given time. This exhibition is an opportunity for us to show off the best of
the best from the museum’s archives.”
Highlights include background paintings, cels and production art from beloved films like Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Fantasia and theatrical shorts starring icons like Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry and Popeye.…
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Fly into Neverland with Wendy, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell in this new original, multimedia adaptation! In their adventures, with the Lost Boys and Captain Hook, Wendy learns that a brain filled with fear has little space for dreams. Using popular songs from
the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, stunning digital scenery, life sized puppets and live performers, children receive a valuable message, and adults enjoy a wonderfully entertaining show for audiences of all ages!
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Join us for a special storytime in the Wonder Cabinet Forest.
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Join us for a fun-filled day of farm activities. Want to enhance your experience? Add on camping for an additional fee and sleep under the stars!
Slide Ranch's Family Farm Day is an exciting 3.5-hour program, 9:30am-1:00pm, featuring goat milking. Other activities may include visiting our chickens and ducks, harvesting herbs and veggies in our garden, hiking spectacular coastal trails, tidepooling, and more. Discover Slide Ranch's feathered, furry, and wooly friends with your whole family.
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Learn about California's own Coastal Redwood Forest, aboard a 100 year old steam train. Along the journey, hear fascinating information about the coastal redwoods and their ecosystems from docent specialists.
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Have you ever wondered what makes the Moon so special? Apart from the Sun, the Moon is one of the brightest objects in the sky and it’s the second place, other than the Earth, that humans have set foot. Come and learn about the Moon’s phases, craters and
other characteristics that make the Moon a very special place. Family Audience - Children 5 and older.
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Our enthusiastic staff will organize games, relays, crafts & supervised free play. Pizza is provided. Let us entertain your kids while you enjoy an evening out!
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Enjoy the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies” in turn-of-the-century New York City. When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense, Jack rallies newsies from across the
city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what’s right!
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the San Jose 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 San Jose 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 San Jose area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues, unlock secrets,
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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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