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KidsOutAndAbout

Thursday, September 12, 2019 - 11:30am

Save the Date
 

Thu, Sep 12: Forest Preschool - Enrolling Bountiful and Salt Lake City at The Child's Element
Sat, Sep 21: Mini Maker Faire at Thanksgiving Point
Sat, Sep 21: 2019 Hispanic Heritage Parade & Street Festival 
Sat, Sep 21: Smithsonian Museum Day 
Sat, Sep 21: Urban Arts Festival 2019 
Sat, Sep 21: 2019 SoJo Superhero 5k & 1 Mile Kids Run at The City of South Jordan - Utah
Sat, Sep 28: Wild Kratt's Live-Salt Lake City at Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City

 

Dear KidsOutAndAbout.com readers:

I was in Mrs. Holtzman's second-grade classroom in Bloomingdale Avenue School in Cranford, NJ, and it was September 9th. I remember this specifically because she was explaining to the class that it was 9-9, or 9-slash-9... the ninth day of the ninth month of the year. I already knew what that was about, as I happened to have been born on May 5th, and two years earlier much had been made of me turning 5 on 5/5. This isn't new to me, I remember thinking as I carefully drew 9  /  9 at the top of my worksheet, but pretty much everything else is. I looked around the room: New arrangement of desks, new books, new teacher, new stuff to learn, a new smell of fall in the air. It was exciting and uncomfortable and borderline scary. 

That hyper-awareness of newness marked each of the beginnings of my childhood and college, which is probably why I remember it so vividly. It receded as the routines of work life and early marriage took over my twenties, and then resurfaced during the thoroughgoing unfamiliarity of parenting a newborn. "All of this is new to us," I remarked to my husband. "But way more important, everything is new to her. She's never been in the world before. Every single thing that happens is a first. So of course it's going to be hard."

Keeping in mind this particular fact—that everything is new to a kid even if they have technically seen some version of it before—turned out to be one of the most important factors in helping me become the rock-sold patient mom I set out to be when I started this whole parenting enterprise. Those newborns turned into 2-year-olds who said NO and 4-year-olds (and 9-year-olds and teenagers) who could make big mistakes and nevertheless argue about them. The first (and second and third and ninth) time a kid encounters something, it's still new and awkward, and even if a part of your grown-up brain thinks they should know better, well, they clearly don't know better yet. As their tour guide to the world, you have the opportunity to make them feel understood by acknowledging the newness and awkwardness that characterizes pretty much everything about their experience. As a now-veteran parent, I'm here to tell you that keeping this in mind works: It made each of those moments easier on everyone, and it has paid off big-time in the strength of my connection to the girls as they're starting to grow into adults.

So the next time you ask your kids what's new in their world, you already know the answer, because every day is Grade 2. But it's good to ask anyway.

Debra Ross, publisher

The 7th Annual Fairytale Festival at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre

“This is the strength of fairy tales. They are filled with promise. The weak can be strong; evil can be turned to good; the ugly can become beautiful; Cinderella can become a princess, the frog a prince. Every human being can rise to his true stature. Even the smallest child can realize this and rejoice at future victories.”

Join us in the enchanting world of fairytales. Hop “Into the Book” at our Great Storytelling Tent sponsored by, KSL Read Today. Come and meet your favorite Fairytale Characters and enjoy fantastic foods from around Utah. Take a ride on the Story Train or trade a book at the “Bibbidi-Bobbidi Book station! You won’t want to miss the Mermaid Lagoon in Neverland or the “Participlay” where you can be a star in your own play.  Admittance to the festival is FREE as are many of the activities!We invite you to come and join the magic!

For more information, please visit us at:   https://centerpointtheatre.org/fairytale-festival/  

2019 Festa Italiana

A celebration of the culture, entertainment, and culinary diversity of Italy. Admission is FREE. The fifth Annual Festa Italiana presented by the Italian-American Civic League is sponsored by Alfa Romeo of Salt Lake City.

Click here for more information.

Adams Family Reunion - A Series of FUNfortunate Events

Desert Star's latest parody takes on the famous, freaky Addams Family, with a Utah cultural twist. This zany parody opens August 29th and it’s a hilarious musical melodrama for the whole family you don’t want to miss!

Click here for more information.

Ballet West Nutcracker Children's Auditions

Pre-register today for children's auditions for Ballet West's 75th Anniversary of The Nutcracker on September 14, 2019! More Info: https://balletwest.org/news/nutcracker-registration-2019

Click here for more information.

Family Yoga at Natural History Museum of Utah

Join us for our Family Yoga program with Kidding Around Yoga instructor Sarah Bly, Sundays September 15 though May 17, 2020. KAY utilizes original music, games and sensory play with meditation, breathing techniques and deep relaxation—helping children focus their minds and stretch their bodies while having loads of fun.

Click here for more information.

Museum Day Live

Did you know that Saturday, September 21, is Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day Live? They call it "an annual celebration of boundless curiosity." It's a day when you can visit a local museum or cultural institution for FREE. We know it can be tough to pay admission to a new museum when you're not sure how your kids will react to what's inside. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to try someplace new for absolutely FREE. So go! We've collected some of our local favorites here. Or, you can use the link to look up the museums participating in your area. Then be sure to register and download your tickets.

Ten Ways to Enjoy Autumn Outside

As the days get cooler, do you find that your children spend more time indoors? Kids need to get outside every day!

We've got some creative ideas for making the most of the beautiful outdoors even as the days get cooler in our article Ten Ways for Kids and Families to Enjoy Autumn Outside.

Visit a Corn Maze!

Where can you combine the great outdoors, exercise, problem-solving skills, and family bonding? Why, at a corn maze, of course! Autumn means corn maze season: head outside and get lost!

Re-visit an old Favorite or Check Out a New Place with Our List of Local Corn Mazes.

Looking for some Corn Maze Tips? We've got them for you.

It's time to choose enrichment classes and programs for the 2019-2020 school year!

There are so many opportunities for extracurricular programs in all kinds of subjects in our area!

Kids can choose from academic enrichment and tutoring to technology, sports, exercise, dance, music, performing arts, and fine arts. There are classes for preschoolers, elementary age, 'tweens, and teens. Check out the options from KidsOutAndAbout's recent extracurricular newsletter and our master list of after school and Saturday classes.