Save the Date
Tue, Feb 18: Matilda at Hale Center Theater Orem - Utah
Tue, Feb 25: Shen Yun at The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater
Thu, Mar 5: Disney On Ice presents Mickey's Search Party at Vivint Smart Home Arena
Fri, Mar 27: Nickelodeon's JoJo Siwa DREAM The Tour at Vivint Smart Home Arena
Sat, Mar 28: Festival of Colors at Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple - Spanish Fork, UT
Wed, Apr 15: How to Train Your Dragon in Concert at Abravanel Hall
Sat, May 2: Supercross at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Fri, May 15: 2020 Living Traditions Festival at Liberty Square
Sat, May 30: PAW Patrol Live!: Race to the Rescue at Vivint Smart Home Arena
*Some events may have additional dates. Click through to see more information.
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
One hundred and two years ago, my great-grandfather, Sylvester Nowakowski, died in the Flu Epidemic of 1918, leaving my great-grandmother Karolina with six young children and one on the way.
Last week, my daughter Ella came down with Influenza B, and in the middle of fighting it, she contracted a secondary bacterial infection that was even worse. After about a week of being sicker than I've ever seen her, she's on the mend.
The Rosses have access to so much the Nowakowskis did not: clean, modern, urgent-care facilities; antivirals; antibiotics; steroids; lung X-rays; IV fluids; analgesics; drugs that alleviate congestion; anti-nausea medicine. And of course we now also have vaccinations to prevent us from getting the flu in the first place. I got my flu shot in November, which meant I could care for Ella without fear.
Without fear. I think that's a key difference between 1918 and 2020. It was awful to watch Ella suffer last week, but at least I could hover nearby with my arsenal of modern medicine and the security of having a hospital 15 minutes away. But in 1918, every time someone in Sylvester's family got a sore throat, no one knew whether it meant the end. Science has gifted us not just with weapons to fight disease but, for most, with the peace of mind that comes from not needing to worry whether death is hiding around every corner.
Nevertheless, I felt that "my-baby-is-suffering" panic that you've probably experienced at some point too. Then I imagined how paralyzing it must have been for Karolina as Sylvester got sicker. It snapped my experience into perspective, so that instead of getting overwhelmed imagining the worst for Ella, I could focus on what needed to be done.
Most imagination is the good kind, though. Right now I'm imagining a world... let's say in 2122... in which science has eradicated not just most of our fear but most of disease itself. And hey, maybe a Nowakowski descendant will help us get there.
—Debra Ross, publisher
P.S. Public service announcement: It is NOT too late! Get the flu shot! Please!
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour
The hilarious Peabody Award-winning hit TV comedy is coming to Salt Lake City with an all-new Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour! Join creator and original host, Joel Hodgson, in his final tour and the world’s greatest – and only – movie-riffing robots, Tom Servo, Crow, and Gypsy, as they take you on an exhilarating roller coaster ride through some of the cheesiest films ever made.
Click here for more information.
To skate or not to skate, that is the question! What do YouTubers, skateboarders, and Shakespeare have in common? Find out with Young Company’s vibrant adaptation of Hamlet — the context is modern, but the dialogue is just as the Bard wrote it. As Hamlet, Ophelia, and their friends hit the streets, they ask the soul-searching questions we all face.
Click here for more information.
Night at the Museums at Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum
BYU’s 7th annual Night at the Museums event is coming soon, Friday, February 07, 2020! This FREE event showcases all five campus museums as venues for music, refreshments, activities, and more!
Click here for more information.
Go with the Flow: Acrylic Paint Pouring (Ages 9+) at The Paint Mixer
What is acrylic paint pouring? It's a form of abstract painting using fluid acrylic paints. Instead of using lots of details and paint brushes, we pour the paint on the canvas. It's an absolute blast and an amazing form of color therapy February 9 and March 8, 2020!
Click here for more information.
How to Keep Young Athletes Excited About Playing
Children who play youth sports have higher grades and greater involvement in volunteer work than those who don't. They have greater confidence, self-esteem, and build stronger relationships with their peers. Young athletes also have greater family attachment, more frequent interactions with parents, and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. So how do we encourage kids to love sports? Veteran soccer coach Chris McConnell offers parents some ideas.
McConnell learned that the key to great coach is great listening. He explains in his article "In Youth Sports, Let Kids Do the Talking."
Did you know that over 70% of youth athletes drop out of sports before they enter high school? McConnell offer tips on how to keep kids in the game in "How to Cure the Drop Out Rate in Youth Sports."
Choose Great Taste and Good Health and Join a CSA This Year
It's CSA sign-up season! If you haven't ever participated in a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture), you're missing out on a terrific opportunity to support your local community, connect with your neighbors, get great deals on fresh produce, and expand your culinary horizons.
Families purchase shares of produce that they receive each week during the growing season. Depending on the CSA, fruits, dairy, meat, or other natural products may be available. Some farms encourage pick-your-own activities or offer events when everyone can help out on the farm. What a great field-to-table lesson for the whole family!
Here's our local list of CSAs - Locally Community-Supported Agriculture.
