Save the Date
Fri, Aug 30: KIDZ BOP Live 2019 at Sandy Amphitheater
Thu, Sep 5: Timpanogos Storytelling Festival - Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point
Thu, Sep 5: 2019 Utah State Fair
Fri, Sep 6: 2019 Salt Lake Greek Festival
Sat, Sep 7: The Avenues Street Fair 2019
Sun, Sep 8: Sandy Heritage Festival 2019
Sat, Sep 14: 2019 FESTA ITALIANA at The Gateway
Sat, Sep 14: 9th & 9th Street Festival 2019
Sat, Sep 14: UTAH BRAZILIAN FESTIVAL 2019 at University Place - Orem , UT
Sat, Sep 21: Mini Maker Faire at Thanksgiving Point
Sat, Sep 21: 2019 Hispanic Heritage Parade & Street Festival
Sat, Sep 21: Smithsonian Museum Day
Sat, Sep 21: Urban Arts Festival 2019
Sat, Sep 21: 2019 SoJo Superhero 5k & 1 Mile Kids Run at The City of South Jordan - Utah
Sat, Sep 28: Wild Kratt's Live-Salt Lake City at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City
Dear KidsOutAndAbout.com readers:
We interrupt this regularly-scheduled publisher's column to bring you a public service announcement. If a) Your kids are currently growing up watching Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer (and they are at least 7 years old)... or b) Your kids are teenagers and grew up with Dora the Explorer... or c) You yourself grew up with Indiana Jones and have as a parent or grandparent watched Dora alongside your kids...then don't miss seeing the live-action movie currently out in theaters, Dora and the Lost City of Gold. The film features the terrific teenage actress Isabela Moner, who is playing a 16-year-old version of a 6-year-old cartoon character, who is herself playing a less-cautious and more positive version of Indiana Jones. Other reviewers have said the movie targets mainly kids age 7-12, but I disagree: While preteens who liked the Dora cartoon will definitely be enthusiastic about the movie, this film is one of those many-layered experiences that has adults and kids laughing at different times for different reasons. My entire family loved it, and my kids are far beyond the Dora cartoon age.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold is especially good if you love a clever inside joke: This movie delivers them in spades, especially if you've seen both the Dora cartoon and the Indiana Jones movies as many times as my family has. The film asks the questions out loud that almost, but never quite, rise to the surface when you watch the Dora cartoon (Why does Swiper the Fox wear a mask? Isn't just being a plain fox anonymous enough? And... Does Boots the monkey actually talk to Dora?). It also answers the question that every kid has asked at least once when watching an action movie: Doesn't anyone ever need to go to the bathroom? (Yes.) Also, Dora quizzes the audience in this movie just as she does in the cartoon ("Can you say 'delicioso'? Can you say 'neurotoxicity'?") while her confused parents (played by Eva Longoria and the hilarious Michael Peña) hope that she'll outgrow the habit of breaking that mysterious fourth wall.
The movie rapidly fires inside jokes without lingering, winking and nodding happily to both the original Dora cartoon and to Indiana Jones. Each time one of them hits home, the viewer gets that lovely little zing of pleasure, that click of recognition that is the payoff for having paid attention in the past. Couple the cultural literacy of the film with a heroine who is relentlessly positive, the message that you should think for—and be—yourself no matter what other people might say, and a dance number during the credits as good as the one at the end of Slumdog Millionaire, and you have a true winner in late-summer entertainment. Enjoy. You're welcome.
—Debra Ross, publisher
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.
Click here for our printable bucket list of Top 20 favorites.
Matilda - The Ziegfeld Theater
REVOLTING CHILDREN! Inspired by the genius of beloved children's book author, Roald Dahl, this Tony Award-winning musical is a captivating masterpiece that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life.
Click here for more information.
Made in Utah Festival is a free to public, pet and family friendly event that offers out of Utah experience. Watch your children play in the water fountain or dance to music of some of the best Utah musicians while sipping a locally crafted cocktail, beer or wine.
Click here for more information.
Karaoke Sundays at Dave & Buster's
Join us every Sunday from 7:30 pm - 11:30 pm for an All Ages Karaoke Night. Cover Charge is $5 per person, pay at the door Nacho Bar will be available. Full Dining and Bar Menu available. Must be 21+ to consume alcoholic beverages. Sunday Funday just took on a whole new meaning. Bring your friends and...come out and play!!!
Click here for more information.
Traveling? Let Local KOAA Readers Recommend Where To Visit
From Connecticut to California and up into Canada, KidsOutAndAbout.com can help you plan the best vacation ever! Visiting family or heading out on a epic summer vacation road trip? We've got you covered! Check out each local area's choices for the Top 20 Places To Take Kids, places with FREE admission, and our world-famous events calendar! Want to dive even deeper? No problem! Search the site for kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, amusement/waterparks, nature centers, and MORE.
Get Organized for Back to School
The new school year can be exhausting! Getting ready in the morning, completing all of that "grown-up homework" of paperwork and emergency cards, remembering the daily activities in school as well as after school. It can start to feel pretty overwhelming. How can you get organized and transition into a whole new year with as little stress as possible? Well, start with these organizing tips. With our help, you'll conquer the school year.
Read Back to School: Get Organized!
Back to School Means Packing Lunches
Packing lunches can feel like an awful chore as a parent, and finding ideas for balancing good nutrition and delicious tastiness can be a challenge. We're constantly looking for recipes and tools to make lunchtime easier. Here are some articles to give you some ideas
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 informatio
