Save the Date
Mon, Dec 10: Forest Preschool - HALF OFF TUITION for January and February for new enrollments! at Neff's Canyon
Mon, Dec 10: Candy Cane Hunt 2018 at Draper City Park, Utah
Wed, Dec 19: Christmas with the Celts at Egyptian Theatre Historic Park City, Utah
Sat, Dec 22: Darci Lynne & Friends Live! at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City
Wed, Dec 26: Roblox Create Holiday Hack-a-thon at Code Ninjas Sandy
Sat, Dec 29: A Magical Cirque Christmas at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City
Sat, Jan 12: Doktor Kaboom at Kingsbury Hall
*Some events may have additional dates. Click through to see more information.
Dear KidsOutAndAbout.com readers:
I take a karate fitness class for businesspeople early in the morning on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Some of the participants also do the dojo's adult karate program, and work hard for years to attain Black Belt status. Last week, Sensei Matt asked those in that program to give the rest of us a demonstration of a kata (a karate routine) that they're perfecting.
"Remember, if you make a mistake, we don't want to know it," he said. "Don't stop, don't say 'Oops,' don't twitch a muscle in your face. Just pretend it didn't happen and move on with confidence." It's the Sensei Matt version of Fake It Till You Make It, and I get it: We don't want our mistakes to get in the way of finishing something with grace and class.
There's a certain lesson in there for parents, too, the art of putting on a good face: If kids sense that their parents don't know what they're doing, they can find themselves destabilized. On the other hand, it's also important to show our kids that when we make mistakes, we fix them. Putting on too much of a plastic Perfect Parent face can be inauthentic and alienating. Plus, part of what it means to raise successful humans is to teach them that everyone makes mistakes, that we can't let them trip us up too much, and that we try to fix them without too much fuss.
So how do we balance the need to be seen as ultra-competent (a good thing) with the need to show kids everyone makes and gets past mistakes? Or that even grownups might work hard at something without getting it right, and that's frustrating? In other words, when do we put on a Sensei Matt face, and when do we let them see us sweat? I think the key is to be selective about which mistakes we show kids we've made, and then to demonstrate that we're relieved, even cheerful, when we get to fix them. It's one of the first and best life lessons my husband taught me soon after we met: As soon as you realize you're wrong, you're right.
Sure, it's never fun to be wrong, but we can put on a happy face about an opportunity to fix a mistake, especially if this helps our kids learn to move past their own errors with grace and class. Happy sweat: It's the Ross version of Fake It Till You Make It.
--Debra Ross, Publisher
Start the New Year off on a high note at CENTERPOINT LEGACY THEATRE
Our 2019 Season starts off on a high note and leaves you with tunes you’ll whistle night and noon. As you hitch a ride on a magical flying car and make a bee line for Putnam County you’ll be drawn into the sites and sounds of the majestic Notre Dame. Later you’ll find sanctuary back at CenterPoint for a heartwarming Christmas celebration. Whether it’s on the Barlow Main Stage or the Leishman Performance Hall, the CenterPoint Legacy Theater’s 2019 Season promises theater at its finest that you are not going to want to miss! Season tickets are now available and can be purchased by calling their box office at (801) 298-1302, by going online to or click on the link:https://bit.ly/2P5ddJz
Winter Zoo Camps at Utah's Hogle Zoo!
Escape the cold Utah winter weather - and explore regions throughout the world that stay warm during the winter. Discover tropical rainforests, dry savannas, and hot deserts. Campers will learn how the adaptations of animals differ in warm and cold climates, and how some animals travel long distances to escape the cold. The day will consist of hands-on activities, fun games, crafts, and animal encounters! For more information or to sign-up, visit hoglezoo.org.
Candy Cane Hunt 2018 - Draper City, Utah
This is a fun FREE event sponsored by the Draper Parks & Recreation Department for boys and girls who are currently 3 to 6 years old. Thousands of candy canes will be scattered around the park and hidden in bushes, trees, etc. Candy canes for all! Several of the canes will be specially marked and can be redeemed for a new holiday toy. Lots of candy, toys, music, and friends! Who: Boys and girls who are currently 3 to 6 years old. When: Monday, December 10, 2018, hunt will begin at 4 pm sharp. Where: Draper Historic Park (12625 S. 900 E.) Santa & Mrs. Claus will arrive on a fire truck to greet each child and listen to any last holiday wishes. You are welcome to take your own photos free with Santa under the Christmas lit gazebo.
Click here for more information.
North Pole Express - Heber Valley Historic Railroad
Join us on this fun and traditional train ride to the North Pole! A family favorite, this 90 minute round trip to the North Pole includes hot cocoa and Mrs. Claus' famous chocolate chip cookies. You'll sing along to new and traditional Christmas favorites on the way and be entertained by our hosts, elves and cocoa chefs. When we reach the North Pole Santa will join us for the return trip and greet each child and present them with a special gift.
Click here for more information.
Happy Hand Prints – Finger Print Ornaments - As You Wish Pottery Painting Place (Station Park Studio)
This class comes with 2 ornaments and is the perfect project for an adult and child to create a special holiday memory together. Handmade ornaments are such a special keepsake and make wonderful heartfelt gifts. Kids will be so proud to see their artwork on the tree year after year!
Click here for more information.
Pinkalicious the Musical - Salt Lake Acting Company
It’s not easy being pink. Just ask Pinkalicious Pinkerton after she eats too many pink cupcakes and turns pink from head to toe! With dancing doctors, Broadway-style ballads, and a blues-singing little brother, audiences of all ages will be tickled PINK!
Click here for more information.
Spread Holiday Cheer With Kids: Go Caroling in Your Neighborhood
Holidays can seem like an endless barrage of consumption. But you can make the season more meaningful by reclaiming the 500-year-old tradition of Christmas caroling. A not-particularly-musical mom who went caroling for the first time was surprised to find that she loved it: "everyone was happy to see us." Try it, and you’ll find that singing with your family, friends, and neighbors outside is the perfect antidote to modern overindulgence, and a great way to spread community with your neighbors. Get started with your celebration by finding our tips here.
December 21, is the Winter Solstice. Every year on the Winter Solstice, our publisher Debra Ross and her family celebrate a quintessentially modern new tradition: Lightbulb Day. On the "darkest evening of the year," the day we symbolically most need technology, they celebrate the countless generations of humans whose ingenuity made possible the ease and comfort we take for granted today.
Want to celebrate human ingenuity and the quest for knowledge with your family? Read more about Deb's Lightbulb Day traditions in her article.
10 Tips to Help Special Needs Families Survive and Thrive During the Holiday Season
It’s that time of year again: holiday time with parties, overeating, and staying up late. The holidays can be overwhelming for anyone. When you have a child with special needs who is more sensitive to changes in routine, this stimulation is amplified. Writer, blogger, and mother to a son with autism, Joanne Giacomini, offers her top 10 tips for surviving and thriving during the holidays when you have a child with special needs. Read the full article here.
Chances are, many of you are thinking about your holiday gift list about now. Phew, it can be overwhelming. But you know what else is overwhelming? The amount of stuff that our kids accumulate for a big holiday.
For a change of pace, consider a gift of an annual membership to your favorite local museum or attraction. Memberships are often a great deal all year round. If there's a museum, park, or play place that you like to visit two or three times a year, chances are that a membership will be a better deal for your family than purchasing admission with each visit. Often these memberships include great perks and reciprocal programs that make it an even better deal. Gifting a membership to someone (instead of "stuff") fights clutter, provides fun for the recipient, and helps support local non-profits and businesses. It's a win-win-win.
Check out our list of Annual Memberships and Season Passes at Salt Lake City Attractions. Do it, don't dust it!
Have you seen our fabulous list jam-packed with 101 local holiday activities? Santa sightings, theater, tree lightings, Chanukah events, New Year's Eve events, and much more await you! Get out there and get merry!
101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in the Salt Lake City Area
