Save the Date
Thu, Mar 7: Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream at Vivint Smart Home Arena
Thu, Mar 14: Peter & the Wolf - Ogden Symphony Ballet Association at Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts
Fri, Mar 15: Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID at SCERA Center for the Arts
Sat, Mar 16: World Cutter & Chariot Racing Championship at Golden Spike Event Center - Ogden, UT
Sat, Mar 23: Pink Park City at Canyons Village at Park City - Utah
Sat, Mar 23: SPRING GRÜV at Park City Mountain Resort, Utah
*Some events may have additional dates. Click through to see more information.
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
Humor can be useful in connecting with your audience and selling an idea. Think about selling haircuts: Beauty salons have more puns-per-unit-business than any other industry. You'll see names like Shear Ego and Pharaoh's Hairum and W'Hair It's At. It makes me smile before I even head in the door.
We're also pretty good at using humor to sell criticism. In grammar, quotation marks have two legitimate uses: To designate something said out loud, and also to indicate sarcasm (scare quotes). But during the past few decades, some people started using quotation marks for emphasis. Take it from a long-time editor: This is a bad, bad, BAD trend! You might mean your quoted words sincerely, but to the rest of us, it looks like you're actually saying something fishy. Use underlining, italics, bold, or CAPITALS... anything but quotation marks... to draw attention to your words.
The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks did a beautiful job of criticizing this trend while making its readers smile and cringe at the same time. (The blog went dormant after its author had a baby, or perhaps a "baby," a couple of years ago.) It posted photos like the one to the right as a perfect example of what not to do. Keep that image in your head as a test the next time you go to use quotation marks for emphasis, and I'll bet you do it correctly.
The "Blog" and I just sold you on the proper use of quotation marks by making you smile, right? Well, we can use humor to sell our kids on the right ways to do things, too. You might say you're not a salesperson, but we're all in the business of selling kids gradually on learning what they need to in order to grow up happy, healthy, and productive. Humor connects people with each other, and good sales technique is all about human connection. It's our job to help our kids outgrow the common mistakes of childhood, and the most effective way to do that is with a light touch. Refusing to take small errors too seriously helps kids put their own mistakes in perspective, and laughing together connects us all.
When we learn, smile, and let go, we grow. "Think" Think about it.
One of the great botanical gardens in the West and a marvelous Daffodil Display each spring is found at Red Butte Garden during the spring months of mid-March, April, and early May. Different bulb varieties peak at different times - so visit the Garden often this spring to see what's blooming.
Click here for more information.
Birthday Month is almost here! Join us for a fun filled month from March 1 - 31 where we celebrate our North American River Otters', Oliver, Oscar, and Otis, ninth birthday, and our female Clouded Leopard, Rhu's, fifth birthday. Plus participate in a scavenger hunt for a chance to win amazing prizes like a birthday party at the Aquarium!
Click here for more information.
Toddler Tales is held every Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Liger’s Den. A 20 minute program for babies, toddlers, and their caregivers with songs, fingerplays, and short stories to introduce our youngest patrons to the world of words.
Click here for more information.
Utah's Animals at the Natural History Museum of Utah
Join us for live animal observations! Get up close and personal with the Great Basin gopher snake, North American bullfrog, Great Basin Spadefoot (toads), Utah salamanders and learn more about the ecosystems of Utah. An introduction to our animals is also a perfect introduction to the biological and ecological concepts they represent.
Click here for more information.
Do The Kids Have Energy To Burn?
Some days you'd just rather be inside, and that's okay! But if you don't want your little monkeys jumping on the bed (or your sofa, or the ottoman), you might want to head to a local indoor play center. Indoor play centers offer a chance to meet up with friends without anyone having to worry about tidying up or the opportunity to make some new friends while exploring a whole new playscape.
Looking for someplace to play? Check out KidsOutAndAbout's list of local indoor play centers.
10 Terrific Tips for When Your Child Is Studying Abroad
Do you have a student looking forward to overseas study? Congratulations! You’ve raised a child who is a global citizen with a sense of adventure and curiosity. But before he or she leaves, read through these ten tips our Beyond the Nest editor, Carol White Llewellyn offers. She just sent two daughters abroad, so she understands what it's like to walk a fine line between encouraging your child's independence and making sure you're there to encourage and support them.
It's the perfect time to plan your child's birthday party!
KidsOutAndAbout is a great resource for finding creative places to host a local birthday party as well as entertainers and services to make your next special occasion even more special.
Looking for some inspiration? Browse through our birthday parties list to find fun ideas, including classic locations that you may have forgotten about, brand-new businesses that are worth exploring, or locals whose passion is to make your party the best. See what's out there whether the birthday's coming up soon of you've got some time. Just think about how efficient you'll feel to have the initial planning done!
Baby, It's Cold Outside!
Whether you're looking for outdoor activities or you need some suggestions on how to entertain yourself while you're cooped up inside, we've got you covered. Skiing, skating, fun with ice and snow, suggestions for kids with special needs: Find it all in our Master Guide to Winter.
