Save the Date
Fri, Jun 22: Herriman Children's Entrepreneur Market - Herriman City at W & M Butterfield Park
Sat, Jun 23: World Refugee Day at Fairmont Park
Tue, Jun 26: Autism Afternoon at Discovery Gateway Children's Museum
Sat, Jun 30: World Connections Children's Festival at Discovery Gateway Children's Museum
Wed, Jul 4: 4th of July Fireworks in Jordan Park - Salt Lake City at Jordan Park
Wed, Jul 4: INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION AT CHERRY DAYS FESTIVAL - North Ogden City
Tue, Jul 24: Pioneer Day Fireworks Show - Salt Lake City
*Some events may have additional dates. Click through to see more information.
Dear KidsOutAndAbout.com readers:
Last Friday evening, my husband David was riding his bike along a local nature trail when he came upon a medium-sized black-and-white dog wandering without an attached human. She was clearly well cared for; she was neither hungry nor thirsty, and she was wearing the appropriate town tags. But it was after business hours just before a summer weekend, so no one answered at the town office. David realized it was us or no one. So I drove to the trail and opened the car door, and in our new friend hopped, tail wagging.
For the next 20 hours, normal life stopped in the Ross house as we figured out what to do. We found the web sites for our town's animal control department. I went to work on social media, posting to neighborhood lists. We introduced our guest to our goldendoodles* and realized quickly that she was a people-loving dog, not a dog-loving dog. So I brought her to my office to bunk down for the night. (Never would I have imagined when I started KidsOutAndAbout.com that a perk of being a CEO would be that I could decide to sleep on my office floor near a strange dog, and no one could fire me for it.) I couldn't sleep very well, though; I kept imagining how worried the owner must be.
But by Saturday afternoon, the system had worked exactly as it should. My posts had been shared hundreds of times. We discovered that our new friend was named Molly, and that Molly had slipped through her invisible fence Friday afternoon for a little extracurricular adventure. The animal control officer coordinated the dropoff and pickup at a local animal hospital, where the staff reassured my husband that all would be well, and that they would pass along his phone number to the owner.
Here's what I love: the fact that we live in a time and place that is so materially and emotionally wealthy that people can afford to stop everything to help a dog. And that smart people created technology that could unite a large network of strangers in this effort, even though that wasn't what they imagined when they created the software. And that regular people cared enough to share.
Molly went home, and hundreds cheered. The next time I feel cynical, I'll look at her picture and remember that this is where we live.
—Debra Ross, publisher
*That's me with my dog Zoe to the right. We think some of her ancestors might have been brown chenille rugs.
Last chance to vote in KidsOutAndAbout's 2018 survey of the Top 20 places to take kids in our area!
You only have 'til Saturday to support your favorite local places in our annual survey of the Top 20 places to take kids, plus voting in 9 other categories. 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!
Current leaders for Favorite Farm are:
Check here for the latest updates.
Make YOUR voice heard. Click here to vote!
Father's Day is Sunday, June 17
How are you celebrating Dad this year? Whether you're looking for crafty gift ideas or just something fun for the whole family to do, we've got you covered with our list of Father's Day Events in and around Salt Lake City.
Give that special guy plenty of love, but just because it's his day doesn't mean you can't all enjoy it together!
The County Library is the place to be this summer!
The County Library is the place to be this summer for hundreds of FREE, fun and interactive programs, activities, and events for kids of all ages and abilities. Plus, we’ve got loads of books, movies, music, apps, and eLearning tablets available for FREE checkout with your County Library card. Our Summer Reading Challenge runs June 1-July 31 and finishers earn FREE admission to Library Days at Natural History Museum of Utah in August. Find FREE events near you, learn more about Summer Reading, and check out all of our offerings by stopping by one of our branches and visiting slcolibrary.org.
Summer@SLARTS 2018! Salt Lake Arts Academy still has a few spots available for many of our week-long day camps! Whether you are interested in Gardening, Mixed Media Arts, Making Film Shorts, Chess, Photography and much more, we have over 30 offerings this summer! Find your creative side, make new friends, and discover new interests! Visit our website -- www.slarts.org and look for the SUMMER@SLARTS tab! Join in the FUN! Questions? contact: kathleen@slarts.org
Places to Pick Strawberries, Cherries, Berries, and Other Summer Fruit in Salt Lake City area
Fruit picking is a great activity to do together as a family. It helps little ones understand where their food actually comes from, and it's a fun tradition to share every year right through the teens. Here's where you can go for strawberry picking, cherry picking, blueberry picking, raspberry picking, peach picking, and other pick-your-own opportunities all around Salt Lake City.
Bring your tots and enjoy a fun morning of exploring music and movement at the Museum of Natural Curiosity and Farm Country. Led by our education staff, Melody Makers is the perfect opportunity for little kids to dance and move in a fun and friendly environment. Included with regular venue admission.
Click here for more information.
Cirque Italia-A PERFORMANCE OF EUROPEAN STYLE
Cirque Italia presents “Aquatic Spectacular.” The name reflects a unique attribute under the tent, as the show features a custom designed water stage that travels from city to city. The stage holds 35,000 gallons of water that performers dazzle over while thrilling the audience with every move. With this “unique feature” under the tent, guests will be surprised, for it’s a show of its own! Cirque Italia brings talented artists from across the world under the big top with performances that will really have you wanting more. They bring unique aerial acts, hand balancing, contortionists, and many more surprise performances that are breathtaking. They have created a show that is magical, modern, breathtaking, and most importantly –unforgettable!
Click here for more information.
In 2007 while attending the inauguration of the Heritage Park trains, Jon Huntsman got so excited about what was happening at the Park he offered to provide a free day each year including free ice cream. For ten years HUNTSMAN DAY has been a cherished tradition - over 50,000 people have enjoyed the Park for free. Come join us when Jon and Karen provide a FREE day, FREE ice cream, and unlimited FUN!
Click here for more information.
Utah Foster Care Chalk Art Festival
Artists of all ages get down and dirty at Utah Foster Care's Annual Chalk Art Festival at The Gateway. Experience a gallery of spectacular sidewalk murals, music, kids' activities, food trucks. It's all free and benefits Utah kids in foster care. Full schedule of events at https://utahfostercare.org/chalkartfestival/.
Click here for more information.
Bring the family or your 3 best friends and come have some fun in an exciting and healthy way! Get a full hour of park admission for any group from 4-6 people on Mondays for just $35.00 (Does not include grip socks). If you have a little one under the age of 2, they can now play for free in the Kids Airena with any of your paid admissions!
Click here for more information.
A wonderful way to connect with your kids AND with the great outdoors is camping. June is a great time to get started with the Great American Campout. Our Albany editor, Katie Beltramo, is a camping enthusiast, and her article about how to have a great experience camping in your backyard with your kids is extremely useful. I wish you a dry backyard, perfectly toasted marshmallows, and few mosquitoes. Have at it!
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!
