KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
|
|
|
Sat, Jun 13: City of Edwardsville Route 66 Festival
Sun, Jun 14: The 5th Annual St. Louis Ice Cream Social Cones (and Cups) for Kids
Fri, Jun 19: Juneteenth Celebration
Sat, Jun 20: Pride St. Charles
Sat, Jun 20: Father's Day Fishing Derby
Sat, Jun 20: St. Louis SERA Rodeo
Sun, Jun 21: Kimmswick Father’s Day Car Show
Sun, Jun 21: Father's Day Skate
Sun, Jun 21: Juneteenth & Father’s Day Kickball Tournament
Fri, Jun 26: Fireflies and Friends Festival
Sat, Jun 27: PrideFest
Sat, Jul 11: Green Living Festival
Fri, Jul 24: Nerf War: On Ice! |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was homeschooling Madison and Ella, one of my favorite sanity-saving tools was the Theme of the Week. If the theme was "Birds," then yes, we'd go on a bird walk. But we'd also read my favorite-ever children's book, talk about the physics of flying and of colors, and probably also do some math and logic involving eggs and
baskets. The theme made ordinary learning feel like an adventure, but more important, it gave us a focusing tool: It helped the girls connect with what they were seeing and doing, and it helped me feel that we weren’t wandering randomly through our days. Summer planning can benefit from that same kind of gentle structure. Last week, I wrote about how summer is not supposed to be a guilt-inducing race to cram in every concert, splash pad, festival, hike,
camp, road trip, library program, ice cream stand, and sunset before the school buses roll again. Trying to grab everything is a good way to miss the point; instead, to plan the summer without overstuffing it, we need to consider the kinds of experiences that make our family feel more awake, connected, and alive. The five summer lenses I keep coming back to are: music, motion, making,
nature, and food. Music helps kids hear the world differently and live what they love. Motion lets bodies teach what words cannot. Making reminds us that we can bring something new into the universe. Nature offers perspective and wonder. And food connects us to place, culture, and each other. Over the next
few weeks, I’ll address these one at a time—not as assignments, but as invitations. Even as the days fly by, a summer seen through some useful lenses can still be lazy, loose, spontaneous, and wonderfully imperfect.
—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. |
Please click through to our 2026 survey to vote for your top 3 places to take kids... it will be used to compile our 2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the St. Louis area. Voting is live through June 20; believe me, winning a place on the Top 20 list matters to the people
who create amazing family-friendly experiences. Take 3 minutes to choose your favorites as your way of saying thank you... and use the list to build your summer bucket list at the same time! You have my personal and fervent thanks for your participation! —Deb |
|
|
|
Spend the day at Suson Park for farm activities with family and friends. Event includes hayrides, fishing, games and more!! Balloon creations by Aunt Amy's Balloon Party. For more information call (314) 615-8822. Day of walk-ups accepted, cash only! Kona Ice not included in Admission Fee.
|
|
|
|
Help us celebrate Juneteenth with a kickback featuring food, yard games, music, and a performance by The Mighty Marching Golden Rams drumline and dancers! A limited number of free vouchers will be provided for the food. All Ages.
|
|
|
|
Experience the thrill and excitement of the Jefferson County Rodeo, where tradition meets adrenaline. This high-energy event showcases skilled riders, powerful livestock, and classic rodeo competitions that bring the community together. It’s a must-see event for families and fans of western heritage, offering an authentic and entertaining atmosphere for all ages.
|
|
|
|
Back for the 4th year in a row!!! Last year's event was our biggest yet, and we are hoping to make it even bigger and better this year! A FREE event with over 20+ community organizations, fun activities, games, and raffle prizes, it's sure to be a great time for families!
|
|
|
|
The caravan of pride-decorated golf carts tours the historic Soulard neighborhood, eventually landing at the Soulard Pride street festival on Menard Street between Russell and Geyer. Celebrate with a drag show, vendors, Soulard Pride merch and specials at participating neighborhood bars.
|
|
|
|
Walk in the march with school groups, family, neighborhood groups, scout troops, church groups, or business groups. There will be a special decorated wheels group (strollers, wheel chairs, wagons - no cars or trucks) and a special veterans section. Flags will be provided for free! Prizes will be awarded to the best patriotically dressed individual, best patriotic group, and best patriotically decorated wheeled vehicle. Red, White, and Blue!
|
|
|
|
A free, family-friendly outdoor concert experience bringing music, culture, and community to the Delmar Corridor. Delmar Main Street proudly presents the Levitt VIBE STL Music Series, a free outdoor concert experience designed to turn public space into a vibrant gathering place for neighbors, visitors, and local businesses.
|
|
|
|
Celebrate the Arts! Enjoy local artists' original work for viewing and purchase, performances by local community ensembles, a creative children's art area, and food & drink.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the St. Louis 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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the St. Louis 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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's almost time for fruit picking! Fruit picking is a great activity to do together as a family. It helps little ones understand where their food actually comes from, and it's a fun tradition to share every year right through the teens.
|
|
|
Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
|
|
