KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sat, Jan 31: Cirque Mechanics: Tilt! at The Performing Arts Center,
Purchase College
Sun, Feb 1: GABBY’S DOLLHOUSE LIVE! at Kings Theatre
Fri, Feb 6: Parent /Child Valentine's Dance at
Greenburgh Parks and Recreation
Sat, Feb 7: Teatown Hudson River EagleFest at Teatown Lake Reservation
Sun, Feb 8: The All-New Wizard of Oz On Ice! at Paramount Hudson Valley
Mon, Feb 16: 2026 Free Entrance Days in the National Parks
Tue, Feb 17: February School's Out Workshop: Maple Sugaring at Rye Nature Center
Tue, Mar 3: World Wildlife Day at Connecticut's Beardsley
Zoo
Wed, Mar 11: Walking Tour: "All-of-a-Kind Family" at Museum at Eldridge Street
Sun, Mar 15: Puppet Festival Mississauga |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
When Madison and Ella were young, I made it a point to stretch their comfort zones in small, manageable ways. They’d order their own food at restaurants, they'd arrange their own homeschool work schedules, they'd try activities where they didn’t know anyone. I did my best not to step in unless invited. Over time, they started trusting their own
ability to navigate the world without me. That, of course, was the point. But the better they got at being independent, the more I started to feel a quiet kind of discomfort. They were moving outward—into the world, into themselves—and I could feel the shift. There’s a concept in astrophysics called red shift. When a star or galaxy moves away from us, the light it emits stretches, shifting toward the red end of the spectrum. The farther away it moves, the
redder the light appears. It’s how we know the universe is expanding. The movement doesn’t mean the light is gone—just that it’s arriving to us in a new form, from farther away. I think about that a lot as my kids are no longer orbiting so closely. I still see their light; it just looks different now. I’m learning to recognize their new wavelengths. The trick, I think, is not to see red shift as loss, but as evidence of motion. The fact that I feel the stretch means the
universe is doing what it’s supposed to do: expanding, evolving, moving outward. I remind myself that this kind of shift is a mark of success. Increased wavelength, decreased frequency... it's all part of the natural order of things. Light travels and stretches, and love does, too.
—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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The Academic Excellence Program (AEP) is a scholarship to recognize and financially support students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and intellectual promise. AEP awards are two-year merit scholarships for high school students in 10th or 11th grade to begin college at Simon’s Rock at Bard College, the nation’s pioneering Early College. Awards will be granted on a competitive basis, by a committee of Simon’s Rock faculty. For fall 2026, the committee will award at least 20 scholarships across the three award levels. There are three scholarship awards levels available: 1. Founder’s Scholarship – $50,000 merit scholarship per year, 2. Provost’s Scholarship – $25,000 merit scholarship per year, and 3. Faculty Scholarship – $10,000 merit scholarship per year. Students may apply for additional need-based financial aid.
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Calling all young creators! Let your child discover the joy of clay at Clay Art Center’s award-winning Clay Summer Day Camp. Weekly themed camps for ages 7-15 include activities like handbuilding, sculpture, and throwing pottery on the wheel. Our expert instructors guide campers through creative, hands-on projects, building confidence and fostering artistic expression in a fun, supportive environment. From mythical creatures to handmade dishes, kids will create lasting memories with their own hands. Camps run July 13–August 28. Early Bird Discount before 2/11! Register today at clayartcenter.org.
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Your kids can say goodbye to cabin fever and instead say “Ahoy!” to being captain for the day at the 2026 Discover Boating New York Boat Show (Jan 21-25). Make core memories with your family as you hop aboard hundreds of boats (luxury yachts included!), and melt away those summer blues while getting the best summer inspiration. Kids can enjoy making their own toy boat and flex their fishing skills in a special ball-pit pond. Plus, parents can kick back with food and drinks while little skippers enjoy the beach games and nusic at the Discover Boating Beach Club.Kids 12 and under always get in FREE when accompanied by a paid adult.
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Families in the ASL community with kids ages 5-12 are invited to explore the colorful sculptures in Anish Kapoor: Early Works through a tour and art making. Voice interpretation will be provided. Due to limited capacity, the space is reserved for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, CODA and family members. If you are interested in observing this tour please reach out to us at access@thejm.org before registering.
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Transform 16mm film into unique wearable art! In this hands-on workshop, weave, braid, and sculpt film strips into one-of-a-kind bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. Designed by Teaching Artist-in-Residence Rachael Guma. Recommended for ages 4+.
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Calling All Parents! Need a break? Take the night off while we take care of the kids! Drop them at Earthplace for an exciting evening focused on a unique nature theme. A light snack will be provided, and children are welcome to bring their own (nut-free) food. Go on a night hike to listen for great-horned owls, who are just beginning to find their mates and choose their sites for laying eggs. Then meet a special guest! Will you guess whooo? Ages 4-13.
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This January celebrate Homeschool Month with an unforgettable, hands-on LEGO® experience —designed especially for homeschool families. Whether your focus is engineering, problem-solving, physics or math, our activities bring your curriculum to life in a fun, creative way your kids will never forget.
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Take the kids on a trip to the literary Lower East Side! Enjoy a tour based on Sydney Taylor’s children’s classic All-of-a-Kind Family. Join us on Sunday, January 25th at 10:30am and follow in the footsteps of Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie, the beloved sisters depicted in Sydney Taylor’s children’s classic All-of-a-Kind Family. Stroll through the story and into the streets to learn about the real-life people and Lower East Side places that inspired Taylor to write All-of-a-Kind Family. These behind-the-scenes details are guaranteed to make you love the book even more! Recommended for children five and up and their adult companions.
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Cloudbound is a whimsical playground in New Rochelle where children ages 0-6 can explore an imaginative world of unstructured play above the clouds. From boarding a hot air balloon that transports them into this realm to discovering treetops, rooftops, and castles in the clouds, each zone offers a unique adventure that sparks curiosity and joy. Cloudbound inspires children to dream at new heights, making every visit a magical journey through the wonders above.
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Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school options - we've got you covered.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in Westchester? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues, unlock secrets, and
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Westchester County 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 winners in KidsOutAndAbout's annual reader survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Westchester. Our Top 20 results page includes a list of your top picks, including winners in special categories! Check out your fellow readers'
favorites, and enjoy exploring the best of the region!
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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