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KidsOutAndAbout

Saturday, July 13, 2019 - 4:00pm

Save the Date

Fri, Jul 19: Bountiful Handcart Days 2019 at City of Bountiful, UT
Sat, Jul 20: 2019 Pioneer Festival at American West Heritage Center
Sat, Jul 20: Jigglefest  at Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point
Wed, Jul 24: DAYS OF '47 PARADE
Wed, Jul 24: 25th ANNUAL NATIVE AMERICAN CELEBRATION IN PARK POWWOW & FESTIVAL at Liberty Park - Salt Lake City, Utah
Fri, Jul 26: 2019 MEGA PERUVIAN FESTIVAL at The Main Library, Salt Lake City Public Library
Sat, Jul 27: The African Festival at Liberty Park - Salt Lake City, Utah
Fri, Aug 2: 2019 Park City Kimball Art Center Festival
Sat, Aug 3: Antelope Island Spider Fest 2019
Sat, Aug 3: 3rd Annual SLC Tacofest 2019
Thu, Aug 8: 2019 Salt Lake County Fair Family FarmFest
Sat, Aug 10: Indian Food Fair 2019 at Liberty Park - Salt Lake City, Utah
Fri, Aug 23: Utah Renaissance Faire 2019 at Utah Renaissance Faire
Fri, Aug 23: Drive a Supercar  at Utah Motorsports Campus
Sat, Aug 24: International Folk Festival - FREE - City of Sandy, Utah at Sandy Amphitheater
Fri, Aug 30: KIDZ BOP Live 2019 - Sandy, UT at Sandy Amphitheater

 

 

Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:

A genie offers you a magic telescope to see 10 seconds of your child's life 50 years in the future. Do you take it, or not? I personally waver back and forth on my answer, but I think I'd look through the telescope. As parents, we try hard to point our kids into a future in which they're as healthy, productive, and happy as possible... but, to be honest, I sometimes find the uncertainty about it all to be overwhelming. I'd like to know for sure if my kids are on the path that's right for them, so that I could help correct the course if not.

Fifty years ago this month, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were in the very first lunar lander on their way down to the surface of the Moon when the computer's onboard alarm indicated that things weren't going quite as planned: Armstrong needed to assume manual control of the craft and carefully pilot the lunar lander around the boulders in their way. The Eagle landed successfully on July 20, 1969. The world sighed in relief, and then cheered.

This summer, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this most extraordinary of human achievements. My friend Janet Ivey, the producer of the PBS show Janet's Planet, has provided a set of day-by-day astronaut-themed summer fun activities for our readers that you can use next week (or, heck, any time you're in the mood for a little science). From Launch to Landing: Kids Activities for July 16-20, 2019 will help you and your kids connect with what happened during that wonderful week in 1969. They'll eat like an astronaut, read books about astronauts, create their own lunar lander, and more. Janet hopes it will inspire your kids to use the occasion as the launchpad to their own extraordinary futures.

The future is, in fact, certain not to go as planned for your kids, no matter how carefully we try to chart the course. And that's what I remind myself when I wish for that magic telescope: The future hasn't happened yet—it's still just an infinite number of options—so there's nothing yet to see. The best we can do right now is help our kids acquire two things: The imagination to dream of possibilities that we ourselves haven't even conceived, and the thinking skills to do the right thing when their time comes to be in control. It's their future, after all. They're the ones who need to fly, and land.

Debra Ross, Publisher

And here's another easy and fun way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing next week: #GlobalLaunch!

Be part of something explosive this summer! The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is inviting you to participate in #GlobalLaunch, a COMPLETELY FREE event that will join individuals, communities, and nations this coming Tuesday, July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the launch. The goal is simple: Launch rockets! Lots of them, all on the same day. Any kind of rocket will do. Museums, businesses, and even families and individuals can participate in any way they choose.

Important: Register as an individual, family, or group (it's free!) at www.rocketcenter.com/globallaunch. And then sometime on or before Tuesday, build or buy the rocket you'll be launching. (The registration link has directions for rockets you can build, like straw rockets, stomp rockets, and water rockets.) Make sure to register right away to help #GlobalLaunch make their world record!

This Year's KidsOutAndAbout Top 20 Winners

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 as well as winners in special categories like favorite sports education and favorite arts education! Check out your fellow readers' favorites, and enjoy exploring the best of the region! 

Click here for our Top 20 list.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing at Clark Planetarium!

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in a special five day series of events at Clark Planetarium called “Launch to Landing.”  These events range from a public rocket launch on July 16th at 10 am at Veteran’s Memorial Park in West Jordan to science workshops with NASA engineer Jessica Voss on July 17th-18th at Clark Planetarium at 2pm.  There will be a moon art gallery stroll at Clark Planetarium at 6 pm on July 19th.  The culminating event is a Summer Lecture with NASA engineer Jessica Voss on July 20th at 7pm at Clark Planetarium.  All of these events are free and family friendly.

Join KUED Kids on July 20th For a Full Day of FREE Family-Friendly Moon Landing Activities at Clark Planetarium!

Join KUED Kids on July 20th for a full day of family-friendly activities, celebrating the Apollo 11 moon landing anniversary at Clark Planetarium! Families and space enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy moon-themed activities, try on a pair of virtual reality goggles to experience moon gravity, and more! The celebration starts with a free screening of Ready Jet Go! One Small Step at 11AM in the IMAX Theatre. Be sure to stop by the KUED Kids table to get a free children's book on space to take home and other fun swag. This celebration is FREE and open to the public!

LCCA Attends National Train Show

The Lionel Collector Club of America invites you to join the Kids Creek Railroad (KCRR) and its LCCA Members at the 2019 National Train Show, in Salt Lake City. Showcasing a 14'x36' kid-friendly and interactive LCCA FasTrack Modular Railroad (FMRR), the KCRR is helping to build the next generation of toy train enthusiasts.

Click here for more information.

Mary Poppins at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City

Life is in disarray for the Banks family who live in London on Cherry Lane. The kids are in desperate need of a new nanny and when a mysterious woman appears at their doorstep, they find she’s the answer to their prayers…but in the most peculiar way.

Click here for more information.

Strider Bike Racein- Draper City, Utah

This event is designed to build confidence by allowing children to explore the world on two wheels and participate in a safe, friendly, and slightly competitive race. Children race within their own age group, all skill levels are welcome.

Click here for more information.

Hooray for Summer

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!

101 Family Day Trips

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 here.

Click here for more information.

A Week-by-Week Guide to Summer Camps Near You

Looking for a summer camp for your child? Look no further! Dozens of summer camps post: day camps, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, preschool, & more!

Summer 2019 camps are organized by week, by age, or by topic so you can find the perfect camps for your family!

 

 

Click here for more information.