KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
|
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
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
This five-time Tony Award-nominated musical tells the story of a small-town girl, a city boy, and a rock ‘n’ roll romance on the Sunset Strip. But when the bar where rock reigns supreme is set to be demolished, it’s up to these wannabe rockers and their band of friends to save the day – and the music. Rock of Ages takes you back to the time of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair! Featuring the hits of bands including Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more!
|
|
|
|
Get ready to race at this exclusive LEGO® F1® - themed ‘Build the Thrill Event’ only at LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Toronto from April 16 - May 25! Grab your 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?
|
|
|
|
After touring over 100 cities in 24 countries and entering CNN's list of “Must-See” exhibitions, Art of the Brick is coming to Toronto. The exhibit immerses the visitor in a cheerful and colorful world. The artist used more than a million bricks, creating over 130+ works of art that can make adults and children smile and reflect.
|
|
|
|
The Assembly is an interactive theatre-meets-board-game experience, where young audiences see their decisions ripple through history.
|
|
|
|
Join Scarborough Museum and Scarborough Environmental Association for a free community event celebrating sustainability, nature, and local environmental action. Repair your bike, swap clothes, or connect with local groups. Take a seed home and learn more about native plants in preparation for the museum's Pollinator Garden, launching later this year. Support sustainable living, learn about local environmental initiatives, and engage with the Scarborough community.
|
|
|
|
Red Sky Performance, a leading company of contemporary Indigenous performance, returns to the TSO with She Holds Up the Stars. Created and directed by Sandra Laronde and based on her award-winning novel, this groundbreaking production blends an original Indigenous story with life-sized puppets, movement, storytelling, theatre, visual design, and Eliot Britton’s orchestral score.
|
|
|
|
Does high school feel like a minefield of unspoken rules? Follow Naz as she navigates the chaotic world of her suburban school where cultures clash, and fitting in can come at a serious price. From award-winning playwright and actor Anita Majumdar, this powerful coming-of-age piece fuses theatre and classical Indian dance as it takes you into the messy realities of privilege, power, and consent. Get ready for raw honesty and a mesmerizing performance – all set to a soundtrack that blends Bollywood bangers and classical Indian music with hip-hop beats. This fearless production will leave you thinking long after the lights go down.
|
|
|
|
Building on a multi-year research project, our newest exhibition will celebrate the lives of 52 women who have shaped Toronto as we know it. Spanning from the 1800s until today, this exhibition shines a spotlight on the change-makers, agitators, and revolutionaries within Toronto’s 52%. While some of these women’s stories are well known, others have gone relatively untold until today. See how many names you are familiar to you — step into their shoes, learn their stories and discover the ways they have transformed Toronto.
|
|
|
|
Celebrate the arrival of spring as the Floral Showhouse bursts into bloom with its beloved Orchid Show. Wander through an uplifting palette of blues, yellows and violets, where over 17,000 Phalaenopsis orchids take centre stage among fresh spring companions including daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, primula, cineraria, pansies and ferns. Let the colours and fragrances of spring wash over you, lifting your spirits and refreshing your energy after winter’s long pause.
|
|
|
|
Mountsberg Raptor Centre returns to High Park Nature Centre to speak about birds of prey found in High Park and Toronto accompanied by the live raptors they care for.
|
|
|
|
Get crafty and creative in preparation for the Turtles on the Move Parade on the land now known as High Park. . Create turtle puppets, masks, and signs with words of encouragement to bring to the parade on April 25, 2026. Materials, inspiration, and a space to get artsy are provided.
|
|
|
|
It’s tea time! Join us on a Sunday afternoon for Tour and Tea at Ireland House Museum. In addition to a guided tour, you can enjoy a scone and some sweet treats with a cup of tea. Space is limited and pre-registration is required, March 22, April 19 or May 31. Member rate available.
|
|
|
|
Have you made your weekend plans yet? We're FREE every Sunday thanks to our sponsor KPMG! Reserve your tickets now!
|
|
|
- The 52: An Exhibition - Museum of Toronto, 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 3A8, Canada, Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19, 12 - 6 pm
- The Sally Stavro Family Series: The Assembly - Tarragon Theatre, Saturday, April 18, 11:30 AM
- Experience Arrowsmith - Open House - 245 St Clair
Ave W, Toronto, ON, Canada, Saturday, April 18, 11am to 1pm
- Eco Day at Scarborough Museum - Scarborough Museum, 1007 Brimley Road, Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1P 3E8, Canada, Saturday, April 18, noon - 3 pm
- Free Sunday at Bata Shoe Museum - Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1W7, Canada, Sunday, April 19, 12 - 5 pm
|
|
|
|
The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Toronto 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!
|
|
|
|
|
Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Toronto 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.
|
|
|
Wishing you and your family health and happiness,
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
|
|
