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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Get ready to race at this exclusive LEGO® F1® -themed ‘Build the Thrill Event’ only at LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Bay Area now through May 25th! Grab your pit pass and drivers briefing and choose your team. Get hands-on with LEGO® bricks to create a minifigure driver and build an ultimate race car, before putting them through their paces! Will you take pole position? Then take on build challenges to beat the clock, before taking part in an awesome race! Plus, visit LEGO® F1® in MINILAND, what scenes will you spot? Rev those engines and join in the LEGO® F1® fun now!
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Looking for the perfect free Saturday plan? Join us at History Park San Jose (635 Phelan Ave) on Saturday, May 9th, from 10 am – 4 pm for the Family Adventure Festival: Scout-O-Rama! Northern California’s largest Scouting event open to the public features 100+ hands-on activities, including water rockets, obstacle courses, archery, knot tying, and the Pinewood Derby. Enjoy crafts, games, and interactive challenges for all ages. This year’s “World of Scouting” theme includes live entertainment like Taiko drumming, the Vietnamese Lion Dance, and School of Rock. Meet local mascots and enjoy food trucks or bring a picnic for a fun-filled family day!
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San Jose Dance Theatre is a premier ballet training academy and performance company serving the community since 1969, and the proud home of the longest-running Nutcracker ballet in San Jose. This summer, SJDT offers exciting opportunities for young dancers ages 3–8 to explore ballet and creative movement in a fun, welcoming environment. Families can choose from themed 3-day summer dance camps for ages 5–8, filled with dancing, crafts, and imagination, or Pre-Ballet Saturday workshops designed especially for ages 3–5 as a joyful introduction to movement. For more dedicated students, SJDT also offers a Summer Ballet Intensive program for older dancers seeking focused training. Whether your child is brand new to dance or ready to grow their skills, SJDT is the perfect place to move, learn, and shine this summer.
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The seasonal Dublin Farmers' Market will run each Thursday, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m., from April through September 2025, rain or shine, at Emerald Glen Park. Come out to find your farmers' market favorites, such as locally grown fresh produce, baked goods, honey, nuts, pasta, and more. Pick up some delicious hot foods from vendors for dinner each week. In addition to the market, the City of Dublin is excited to bring back the Summer Concert Series, which will run for eight weeks in June, July, and early August at the Emerald Glen Park Amphitheater.
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Bay FC is a San Francisco Bay Area-based professional women’s soccer team competing in the NWSL since 2024, playing home matches at PayPal Park in San Jose.
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Held at West Valley Community College, the Saratoga Certified Farmers’ Market offers seasonal fruits and vegetables from Santa Clara County year-round in the parking lot. With over 50 local farmers and food producers, the market features Asian vegetables, honey, mushrooms, eggs, fresh roasted herbed-crusted chicken and more.
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Get ready to be transported to a world of wonder at the 42nd Annual Butter & Egg Days Parade in Petaluma! This year’s theme “Petaluma’s Wonderland" - Where Imagination Blooms, invites participants and spectators to celebrate the magic and charm of our historic town. We are a curious community full of imagination and creativity. Watch as colorful floats, costumed participants, and lively performances bring this year's theme to life, celebrating Petaluma’s rich history and agricultural heritage with a playful twist. Head to Downtown Petaluma and celebrate with our community on this day of fun, fantasy, and local pride! Parade participants incorporate the theme “Petaluma's Wonderland: Where Imagination Blooms” into their entry design. The theme gives nonprofits, businesses, organizations, and individuals lots of options for showing off their creativity in their designs. All parade entries will be judged on how well their entry portrays this year's theme - winners announced on the…
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Saturday 9am-1pm. Open weekly, Year' Round, Rain or Shine. See Market Schedule for All Closure Dates
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Celebrate the Lunar New Year with dragons, dancing, entertainment and food. The event will conclude with an exciting round of firecrackers.
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Join us at The Foster Museum for a 30-minute exploration led by Anna! Our young guests will have a 10-minute warm-up with our arts and crafts activity or imaginative play before we gather to discuss museum rules. Next, we'll get our "wiggles" out with some movement and song before embarking on an adventure through the museum galleries. Along the way, we'll find a cozy spot to sit and enjoy a specially selected short story about nature and our environment. After storytime, all are welcome to participate in a scavenger hunt and spend some time at our art tables for a wonderful respite in our "oasis in a hectic world."
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Get ready to race at this exclusive LEGO® F1® - themed ‘Build the Thrill Event’ only at LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Bay Area from April 16 – May 25!
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On Sundays, a 3.8-mile segment of Cañada Road along Crystal Springs Regional Trail is closed between the Filoli entrance and Highway 92 allowing for non-motorized activities including jogging, bicycling, hiking, roller-skating, and walking (Strollers are welcome, but no ball/frisbee activity allowed). Cañada Road between Edgewood Road to the Filoli entrance will remain open to vehicles. Restrooms are available at nearby Edgewood Park & Preserve, approximately 1.2 miles away, as well at the Pulgas Water Temple. Bring your own water to the event. Parking for Bicycle Sunday is located on Edgewood & Canada roads and north at Highway 92. (See map below.) Do not use the parking lot and restroom services at Filoli Historic House and Gardens. An event permit is needed for large, organized groups of bicyclists, skateboarders, roller bladers or walkers. For more information please call the parks reservation desk at (650) 363-4021 or the Supervising Ranger at (650) 851-1210.
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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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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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