Save the Date
Mon, Jun 10: Monday Family Nights at Red Butte: Divya School of Dance
Mon, Jun 10: Orem Summerfest 2019
Thu, Jun 13: Westfest 2019 at Centennial Park - West Valley City, UT
Fri, Jun 14: 2019 Park City Kids Adventure Games at Canyons Village at Park City - Utah
Thu, Jun 20: The 2019 Utah Arts Festival at Library Square - Salt Lake City, Utah
Thu, Jun 20: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert at Abravanel Hall
Sat, Jun 22: Superhero 5k and Fun Run
*Some events may have additional dates. Click through to see more information.
Dear KidsOutAndAbout.com readers:
Throughout my kids' childhood, I have tried to give each summer a theme, whether the kids knew it or not. One year I declared our house a No-Zone-Out Zone... so that instead of relying on technology to entertain my kids, we would find low-tech play. I organized their most active imagination toys into about 10 different bins, and then opened one per day. Each day was a surprise, and toys that hadn't been used in a long time got played with afresh. (This was also the year I wrote my classic 50 Ways to Love Your Summer... without technology) article.
Another year, we had the Summer of Connection: We had all been running our separate ways during the school year, and had sort of forgotten how to play together in sync as a family. So we used the video camera to record interviews with each other and family members. We organized photo albums on Shutterfly and printed them for people as gifts.
One summer was the Summer of Good Taste, where we tried lots of new foods. We had joined a local CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture), and so we received lots of veggies in our weekly share that many of us had never tried (like kohlrabi, escarole, and ground cherries). We looked through a lot of recipe books, picked together, cooked together, and discovered what we liked and what we didn't.
The Summer of Outdoor Adventure eventually got renamed the Summer of the Adirondacks Camping Debacle, which we tried to forget as quickly as possible. I hope it has left no lasting psychological scars on the children.
If you're looking for themes, tips, tricks, and resources as you search for your theme, our other timeless article It's Their Vacation and You're the Tour Guide: How to Organize Camp Mom provides tons of ideas for things to do and how to structure the long summer days.
But remember: A little boredom goes a long way in the life of a young person. Forcing your kids to come up with their own plans teaches them creativity, and having a theme in advance helps them focus it. As long as "creativity" doesn't mean creative destruction of your living space, of course. No one wants 2019 to be the Summer of Unexpected Remodeling Expenses.
—Debra Ross, publisher
P.S. If your summer has a theme, email it to me at ross@kidsoutandabout.com with the subject 2019 summer theme by Monday night, June 10. Include your name and address, and you'll be in the running to win a $50 gift card from Amazon.
KidsOutAndAbout's 2019 survey of the Top 20 places to take kids in our area is hopping!
Support your favorite local places in our annual survey of the Top 20 places to take kids. We do this each year from mid-May to mid-June as a way BOTH of kicking off the summer AND to celebrate the best our region has to offer. It takes just 3 minutes to vote, and by doing so you'll be able to see dozens and dozens of great places to take kids nearby, all in one place. It's the perfect way to create your summer bucket list!
The Top 5 slots are currently occupied by:
South Davis Recreation Center is currently leading the physical/sports education category, and CenterPoint Academy is in front in arts education. There are other categories, and rankings change by the hour. Anything can happen between now and June 16!
Monday Family Night in the Red Butte Garden Courtyard//Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City 6.6.2019
Explore the beauty of summer in Red Butte Garden and the diversity in our community at Monday Family Night. Bring a picnic, create a nature-themed craft, and enjoy live entertainment from three local performance groups including Divya School of Dance on June 10, School of Rock on July 8, and Island Traditions on August 12.
You're never too young to be an entrepreneur! / SLC
The ABCs of Business is an ABC book unlike all others. Starting with “I is for Idea,” you’ll take an alphabetical adventure through each letter of the alphabet to explore 26 business concepts promoting that there are zero limits to what we (and our ideas) can become. Readers will finish the book feeling empowered and ready to impact the world in their own unique ways! Whether your child is working on letter recognition or launching a first business, this book will make a great addition to the family bookshelf, and it makes great summer reading!
Click here to order yours from Amazon today!
You shore-ly won't want to miss World Oceans Week, June 3-9! Wave to the sharks, learn how coral reefs directly impact the health of the sea, and find new ways that you can help our oceans right from Utah. Plus, dive into our scavenger hunt for a chance to win an ocean themed gift basket.
Click here for more information.
KIDZ DAYZ ($5) - McCoard's Gardens - Provo, Utah
Kidz Dayz is the perfect opportunity for the whole family to instill the fun and rewards of gardening into the next generation. Our expert assistants will teach your children, with your help, how to create a beautiful container planting from an array of colorful pots and annuals. We provide everything for the entry fee; you provide the Kids accompanied by mom or dad, or both. Bring the whole family for a growing experience!
Click here for more information.
Fairy Crafts will delight any little pixie! Whether it's creating a beautiful floral fairy crown, an enchanting floral fairy wand, or enjoying one of our FREE fairy coloring pages, Posh Paperie's patio activities will add the extra something special to their visit to the Gardner Village Woodland Fairy Festival.
Click here for more information.
Simple Gardening with Children
Gardening is a wonderful activity with little kids. It is a fun, messy process with wonderful rewards at harvest time. Along the way it offers all sorts of lessons, whether it's labeling your plants, plotting out the garden, or just learning to be patient and wait for seeds to become plants.
Our strategic content editor Katie Beltramo shares inspiration and tips on how to get started for the brand-new gardener in her article Simple Gardening with Children.
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.
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