FREE App for KidsOutAndAbout
Ski Utah! List of Resorts
Places to Ice Skate
Restaurants Where Kids Eat FREE
Master Guide to After-School & Saturday Classes
Top 20 Places to Take Kids
101 Family Day Trips from Salt Lake City
Add your organization and events to our calendar (It's all FREE!)
Save the Date!
Friday & Saturday, February 2-3: Winter Palooza at Mountain America
Expo Center (formerly South Towne Expo Center).
Monday, February 5: The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Hale Centre Theatre, Sandy.
Friday, February 9: Cinderella at Capitol Theatre.
Friday, February 9: All Star Monster Truck Tour at Maverik Center.
Saturday, February 10: Pregnancy and Beyond Expo 2018 at Utah State Fairpark.
Friday, February 16: The LIttle Mermaid at Hale Center Theater Orem.
Saturday, February 24: Boy Scouts of America Night with the Jazz at Utah Jazz.
Tuesday, February 27: The Sound of Music at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City.
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
It's good to be bad.
From age 8 to age 14, I endured 6 years of cello lessons. "Endured" is actually not the right word for it, because I think my parents probably had to have more fortitude than I did: As a result, by high school I had become... a truly mediocre cellist. I was never going to be a soloist, but, I still got to play in my school orchestra and pit orchestras for local community theater.
It's probably better to be excellent than it is to be bad. But when it came to my own kids' musical educations, as soon as it became clear that neither of them was a musical prodigy, I deliberately encouraged them to dabble rather than specialize: Between them over the years, they have acquired a passing familiarity with lots of instruments: piano, guitar, voice, sax, French horn, viola, violin, flute, fife, snare drum... and yes, there were even some cello lessons scattered in here and there.
Why did I do it this way instead of going all Tiger Mom on Madison and Ella and making them practice with discipline on a single instrument until they were as good as they can get? There are some good points to doing it that way, sure, and if they'd been so inclined I'd have let them have at it. But my goal with the girls is broader than, say, a viola scholarship for college: What I want instead is for music to be a lifelong benefit.
The fact is, even as unskilled as I am on the cello, I am far happier as an adult for the simple fact that my lessons let me understand music: I hear and appreciate it with way different ears than I would have, had I not studied it as a kid. In fact, I respond to all art differently than I would had I not studied music. It adds an unexpectedly rich dimension to life, and for that reason alone I am endlessly grateful for those years spent with a bow in my hand.
So this year, think about introducing your kids to music in various ways. Especially when they're young, orchestras and music education centers often sponsor events with "instrument petting zoos" that allow kids to try a variety of instruments in a supportive setting. Think about attending a music school that encourages intro lessons on several instruments. And, of course, take advantage of whatever your schools offer. Even doing it just one or two years changes things for the good, forever. Here is a list of local music programs to get you started.
Trust me: A child who takes music into her own hands will take it into her own heart for the rest of her life.
—Debra Ross, publisher
As You Wish Pottery
Station Park- Farmington, UT
Kids will enjoy expressing their creativity and painting either pottery or canvas in As You Wish's bright, festive studio! Each two-hour party includes invitations, a special party plate for the birthday child, and a dedicated party host to guide your guests through their artistic adventure! Enjoy the option of adding bouquets of balloons and goody bags for a small additional fee.
Utah Kids Club Winter Palooza PRESALE Tickets Now Available!
Mark your calendars for Friday Feb 2 and Saturday Feb 3.
There's a ton to do, and all included in your ticket:
Ropes Course, Rock Wall, Bungee Trampolines, Bounce Houses, Bubble Balls, 2 Laser Tag Arenas, Dartside Nerf Arena, Bazooka Blasters, Glitter Tattoos, Human Wrecking Ball, Mini-golf, Face Painting, Strider Bike Course, Princess Castle with ALL Your Favorite Princesses, Super Heroes and Star Wars Characters
AND New This Year: Zorb Balls, Planetarium, The Eliminator, Sumo Wrestling Suits and More!
Use coupon code "outandabout" to get PRESALE $9.00 ALL-inclusive tickets!
www.WinterPaloozaUtah.com
Did You Hear About Our New App?
The brand-new KidsOutAndAbout's just-released FREE APP makes it even easier to be the person in your circle of friends who knows all of your area's hidden secrets. As soon as you open the app, it jumps you right into a local map where you can see what's open right now ( ), today's events that are FREE ( ) and today's events that are paid ( ). The app is available for iPhone and iPad at present; an Android version will follow soon.
The app also lets you "favorite" what interests you so you can easily make upcoming plans, and it's easy to read the latest newsletter with a single tap. You'll still have full access to all of our resource lists on KidsOutAndAbout's full mobile site, and you can search them as usual.
Watch the graphic to the right to get a 10-second lesson in how to use the app, download it from iTunes, register, and select your city from our list of dozens in the U.S. and Canada. Then enable location services when it prompts you, and you're good to go!
We'd love to hear what you think. Please email feedback to our publisher, Debra Ross, at debraross@kidsoutandabout.com, with the subject line "App feedback."
All 5th and 6th Graders Ski Free in Utah
In state, out-of state--even internationally--all 5th graders can ski each of Utah's 15 resorts 3 times, and all 6th graders can ski each resort 1 time. There is a $35 processing fee. To see KidsOutAndAbout's list of Utah's ski resorts, click here. Learn more about this program at skiutah.com.
How to Choose a Preschool That's Right for Your Family
Did you know that most preschools and nursery schools are registering students in January and February for the new academic year in the fall? Preschools vary widely in their educational philosophy and day-to-day routines, and the school that's a perfect fit for your neighbor or friend might not be just right for you. But how can you navigate through the preschool search process to find a place that will be best for you and your child? KidsOutAndAbout offers a list of specific factors to ponder and ask about as you attend open houses and school visits. Click here for advice on How to Choose a Preschool That's Right for Your Family.
From Your SLC Editor
Be sure to visit our full calendar at KidsOutAndAbout.com.
Friday
Friday, January 26: Beginning Technique: Home Is Wherever I'm With You Platter at As You Wish Pottery Painting Place. This class is packed with techniques! Learn masking, one coat, splatter, detailing, and so much more while creating this darling platter perfect in time for Valentines Day!
Friday, January 26: Preschool Discovery Days: Mammals in Winter at Ogden Nature Center at Ogden Nature Center. Discover who is hiding under the snow as you learn natures secrets to who, what, when, where and how animals move around in winter. Explore, play and learn through stories, games and crafts.
Friday, January 26: COOKIE COLLEGE at Naborhood Bakery at Gardner Village at Gardner Village. Calling all wannabe cookie connoisseurs, the school bell is ringing at Naborhood Bakery. Another year of Cookie College is underway. Enroll your kids in Cookie College! 2018 enrollment is now open for children ages 4 thru 12. Despite what you may have heard, this is no piece-of-cake college experience. Our 2-hour course will include a class in cutting cookie dough, an advanced course in snacking (while the cookies bake), and conclude with Cookie Art 101 (supplies, icing, sprinkles and candy included). This course is also ideal for birthday parties. Help your child earn their Bakers of Fine Arts degree this January, February and March at Naborhood Bakery University. Fridays from 4pm-6pm. $20+tax; includes a free kid's meal. Pre-registration required, call 801.566.8808. Parents must remain with their children.
Friday, January 26: Richard Scarry's Busytown, the Musical at Utah Children's Theatre. Busytown is always buzzing with activity. But what do people do all day? That's where Huckle Cat comes in he'll take us on a tour of his great neighborhood. And there is so much to see and do, so many wonderful friends to visit. Huckle shows us how Farmer Pig and Grocer Cat work together to bring food to the town. Construction Worker and his crew build new houses, and Firechief and the gang keep them safe. Isn't it wonderful how everyone works together to keep Busytown busy?
Friday, January 26: Jordan World Circus at Golden Spike Event Center. A premier traveling circus! Presented in the Golden Spike Arena in the traditional 3 ring style.
Saturday
Saturday, January 27: Lakeshore Learning: FREE Crafts for Kids. Every Saturday, join us for FREE Crafts for Kids!
Saturday, January 27: Utah STEM Expo at Mountain America Expo Center. On Saturday, January 27th, 2018 (12:00 pm - 3:15 pm) Beehive Science and Technology (BSTA) will host the 5th Utah STEM Expo, which will offer a venue for middle/high school students to showcase original projects and demos, professionals to show how STEM is used to better our communities, and spectators to participate in hands-on experiments.
Saturday, January 27: Superhero Saturday at Thanksgiving Point. Superheroes come in all shapes and sizes and we need YOU for Thanksgiving Points popular Superhero Saturday! Get out of the winter cold and into the Show Barn on Saturday, January 27 from 10 am to 4 pm for this family-fun event.
Saturday, January 27: 12th Annual Storytelling Festival at Clearfield Community Arts Center . Clearfield Community Art Center would like to invite the community to a FREE family event on January 27, 2018. This will be our 12th Annual Storytelling Festival, hosted by Laurie Allen. Performing will be Northern Utah's finest professional and local novice storytellers.
Sunday
Sunday, January 28: Tubing at Soldier Hollow. NEW this season, Soldier Hollow has upgraded their lift to a magic carpet lift system meaning faster lifts and shorter lines. Soldier Hollow boasts the longest tubing lanes in Utah. With 1,200-foot sliding lanes and the new lift, tubing is the perfect way to take advantage of Utah's beautiful winters. Tubing is available in 2-hour sessions.
Sunday, January 28: Sundance Film Festival at Park City. The 10-day festival brings more than 40,000 people to Park City, Utah each January to celebrate the work of independent storytellers in film. Thousands of films are screened in 13 venues throughout town. In addition there are a number of music cafe's and presentations during the festival.
Sunday, January 28: Swaner's Craft Sunday at Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter. Bring your crafty kids to Swaner's Craft Sunday! Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter will offer a nature-themed craft every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All ages are welcome!
Have a wonderful weekend! Until next Thursday . . .
Kerry Smith, Editor
Now, it's your turn! Create YOUR newsletter!
Use the form below to select the events YOU want to see for the next four days:
The Smart family loves brainy stuff. Click here to see what they're doing this weekend!
The Bravo family loves the arts. Click here to see what they're doing this weekend!
The Walker family loves to do stuff that is active or focused on health. Click here to see what they're doing this weekend!
The Woods family loves nature activities. Click here to see what they're doing this weekend!
Are you a member of an organization that offers events, camps, or classes?
Organizations that offer family and kid-friendly activities in the Fairfield area can receive a FREE listing on KidsOutAndAbout.com, manage it easily, and post events to our extensive online calendars at no cost.
For more information about listing your organization, click here.
Boost your visibility to our readers with low-cost paragraphs in our newsletter or ads on our site; contact Robin, your Fairfield customer care representative, at robin@kidsoutandabout.com, for suggestions.
And REMEMBER... Don't keep us a secret! We're sure you can think of other folks who would enjoy finding out what's up for kids and families every week, so please, think of a few friends and forward it along! Here is the direct link they can use to sign up, themselves.
