Save the Date
Tue, Jul 24: 24th ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN CELEBRATION IN PARK POWWOW & FESTIVAL at Liberty Park - Salt Lake City, Utah
Tue, Jul 24: Pioneer Day Fireworks Show - Salt Lake City at Herman Franks Park - Salt Lake City, UT
Sat, Jul 28: The African Festival 2018 - Salt Lake City
Tue, Jul 31: Sensory Inclusive Afternoon at Discovery Gateway Children's Museum
Fri, Aug 10: SOJO SUPER HERO 5K & KIDS 1 MILER 2018 - The City of South Jordan at Heritage Park - The City of South Jordan
Sat, Aug 11: Kids Obstacle Challenge - Salt Lake City at Soldier Hollow
Sat, Aug 11: Tacofest 2018 Supporting Meals On Wheels!
*Some events may have additional dates. Click through to see more information.
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
My lifelong friend Anne realized a long time ago that there are two types of mothers: The kind who freaks out at the sudden emergence of a suspiciously-baseball-shaped hole in her bathroom window, and the kind who seizes on such an event as a real-life example of physics in action. Anne chose Door Number Two. It's a good thing, too, because she married a former college ball player and now has 10- and 11-year-old boys who are fanatical baseball players. But they have a small yard, and it takes a lot of practice to learn to play baseball well, so their house bears witness to Anne's choice and the boys' determination.
Raising kids successfully to adulthood can be a messy business, with lots of broken windows along the way, and it was useful that Anne got a grip on this even before she had Wyatt and Duncan. So what might be a disaster to someone with less-realistic expectations is just a smile, a shrug, and a story to Anne, and a publisher's note to me.
If you let kids mess around in the backyard on their own, you're taking a risk. Along the way, something's sure to end up dirty, or missing, or broken... whether it's a pair of pants, or eyeglasses, or a window... or an ankle. I'm here to affirm that's definitely gonna happen at some point. In fact, it actually DID happen the last time I was at Anne's: Duncan twisted his ankle and spent the evening on the couch moaning—a little about the pain, but mostly about the potential forfeit of the next day's game.
So, yeah, letting kids mess around without an adult hovering means you're probably going to spend some evenings in the urgent care center. But alongside the inconvenience of fixing what's been broken, you're going to discover the magic of seeing what's been built. This summer, it might be a fort, a fairy house, or a slip-and-slide. And what else are kids building along the way? Competence, confidence, and independence. So I ask you: Which scenario poses the real risk? Inside under your watchful eyes and the spell of the screen, or outside wrestling a little with real life?
Whatever choice you make this summer, I wish you intact windows and ankles alongside your tales of risk and adventure.
—Debra Ross, publisher
Pioneer Day Celebrations in the Greater Salt Lake Area
Stomp your feet! Clap your hands! Get ready for some old-fashioned pioneer fun. Rodeos, parades, fireworks, western food, concerts--there are so many fun things for you and your family to enjoy.
Click here for more information.
Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Salt Lake City, UT
Once again, our readers have spoken! Thousands of parents voted in the KidsOutAndAbout survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids. Our Top 20 results page includes a list of your top picks, including winners in special categories like favorite spot for indoor play, favorite nature center, favorite museum, and much more! Check out your fellow readers' favorites, and enjoy exploring the best of the region!
Click here for more information.
Broadway at the Eccles presents Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera at Salt Lake City’s new Eccles Theater July 11 – July 22, 2018. ArtTix is the official ticketing source for the Eccles Theater and the Zions Bank Broadway at the Eccles series.
Click here for more information.
Some eight decades of years of rodeo in Ogden is being celebrated with events and activities throughout the summer. Festivities range from parades to five nights of rip-roaring PRCA rodeo action to the Miss Rodeo Utah pageant, seen exclusively at Ogden Pioneer Days. Take a look at our calendar and you are bound to find something of interest for you and your family. Please plan to join us at Utah's biggest and best statehood celebration.
Click here for more information.
101 Family Day Trips from Salt Lake City
Looking for a new place to explore that's still close to home? Kids Out And About has tons of ideas for family travel, with places to explore, learn, and have fun! Find free activities and splurges that are worth it. We've collected the coolest stuff for a staycation in town and road trips for less than a tank of gas from Salt Lake City.
Click here for more information.
A Week-by-Week Guide to Summer Camps around Salt Lake City
Looking for a summer camp for your child in the Salt Lake City area? Look no further! Dozens of summer camps post: day camps, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, preschool, & more! They are presented week by week through summer 2018.
Click here for more information.
Long, hot days. Time outside. Exploring and playing. No school. You and your kids will love all that summer has to offer. And to make sure that you don't miss out on any fun, be sure to check out our Master Guide to Local Summer Fun.
Worried the kids will spend the day watching Netflix and playing video games? We have plenty of ideas for good, old-fashioned summer fun in our article 50 Ways to Love Your Summer.
If you're interested in your kids having a summer camp experience without sending them to day or overnight camp, check out our timeless article It's Their Vacation and You're the Tour Guide: How to Organize Camp Mom. That piece provides almost endless ideas for things to do and how to structure your day. But remember: a little boredom is good for kids, too!
