19:
The word “FunikiJam” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue – it’s a mash-up of Japanese and Indonesian words meaning “musical atmosphere” and “time” – but the NYC-based children’s entertainment group will be teaching kids all sorts of new words from world cultures during the Summer Fun Thursday event at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano.
Take the kids to Grand Court at 1pm for singing, rhyming and chanting with the group led by Brian Barrentine, founder of FunikiJam’s award-winning entertainment and education programs.
For some pre-FunikiJam entertainment, join The Energizers at noon for games and prizes. The first 500 kids who register will get a Sonic voucher for a free hot dog.
Sign up to receive our Weekend Guide newsletters each Thursday to your inbox, and for more family-friendly events every day, visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/calendar.
18:
LEGO lovers, DUPLO darlings, take note. Today Klyde Warren Park is unveiling a new type of playground equipment that will blow other toy blocks out of the water. Imagination Playground is made up of large, blue foam blocks, mats and tubes that young builders can stack and connect to form little cars, bridges, forts – whatever they can think to create.
The company that created the soft, lightweight and nontoxic blocks is based in New York City, where the first Imagination Playground Park opened in July 2010. Now the playground sets are popping up across the globe.
Klyde Warren Park is debuting its own Imagination Playground in a Cart during a public play session this morning from 10am–noon, and the equipment will be rolled out for open play each Tuesday from 9am–noon.
Sign up to receive our Weekend Guide newsletters each Thursday to your inbox, and for more family-friendly events every day, visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/calendar.
13:
In honor of Stephanie Mauldin, who was diagnosed with autism when she was just 2 years olds, everyone is coming out to NorthPark Center on Saturday for Stephanie’s Day, and we mean everyone, including the Mavs ManiAACs, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clowns Kelly and Becky, and the part-superhero/part-Elvis/whole-chicken David Chicken as well as the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Dallas Mavericks Dancers and personalities from CBS 11 and TXA 21.
Bring the family out to the free, ninth annual event from 10am–2pm to watch the children’s performances, and you can stop by the vendor booths to meet with representatives from therapy services, camps, advocacy groups and healthcare providers for information on local resources available for children with special needs.
For more family-friendly events, check out our summer issue of Thrive magazine, or visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/calendar and select Special Needs Friendly.
13:
This weekend Barbie is coming to DFW and is bringing her Dreamhouse with her. She put up her pink Malibu mansion for sale in February, and with a pink motorcade in tow (Chevy Corvette, Volkswagen Beetle, Fiat 500 and moving truck) she recently set off on a national tour to “find a new dream home.” (Mattel just opened the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience in Florida).
Bring the Barbie doll fans in your household to play dress-up and walk the runway in a glam fashion show, build your own Mega Bloks Barbie room to take home and create your own Barbie fashions. You’ll find Barbie on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am–3pm at these locations:
June 14: North East Mall, 1101 Melbourne Rd., Hurst, 76053
June 15: Walmart, 521 N. Cockrell Hill Rd., Dallas, 75211
June 16: Firewheel Town Center, 245 Cedar Sage Dr. Garland, 75040
Get a goody bag and sign up online for a chance to win your own bedroom makeover by a Barbie designer for your own personal version of Barbie’s Dreamhouse.
Sign up to receive our Weekend Guide newsletters each Thursday to your inbox, and for more family-friendly events every day, visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/calendar.
posted by
Elizabeth on 2013.06.12, under
Around Town: Dallas,
Around Town: Fort Worth,
Around Town: North Texas,
Cool Stuff,
Family Fun,
Food,
Kid Fun,
Learning and Growing,
Marketing and Events,
What to do today!12:
Flag Day Celebration
Join Boy Scout troops at the National Scouting Museum in Irving for a celebration in honor of the 50 stars, 13 stripes and all they represent from 10am–2pm. Call 972/580-2476 to register for spot in the flag etiquette workshop from noon–1pm (cost is $6 per person). You can also watch a flag retirement ceremony, and join the free party with live music, food trucks, educational activities, crafts, face painting and giveaways.
Summer Pancake Party
Want to win free pancakes for a year? That alone is enough to make up and smell the coffee (or kid’s size orange juice). The Original Pancake House in Plano is hosting a pancake party to celebrate the restaurant’s recent remodel. Get a complimentary breakfast buffet and coffee (with a $5 suggested donation benefiting Texas ProStart) for the 9:15am ribbon cutting, and from 10am–2:30pm, kids and adults can join the pancake eating contest, and have fun with balloon twisting, face painting and snapping photos in the photo booth.
The NeverEnding Story at Palace Theatre
If you don’t remember the rock eaters or snail racers, then surely you remember the white dragon with the itch behind the ears from this fantasy film that spawned two sequels. Share a bit of your taste in ‘80s cinema with your kids at a 7:30pm screening inside Grapevine’s restored 1940s movie theater. Planning another stop in Grapevine on Friday? Bring in a receipt from any restaurant in town and get free popcorn.
Nasher XChange Day at the Trinity
The Nasher Sculpture Center is going to make a big announcement – complete with a release of homing pigeons – on Friday at the Trinity River Audubon Center, and to make sure they’ve got your attention, families are invited for free all-day admission, guided birding hikes, crafts, food trucks and photos with a live owl from noon–2pm. The museum is celebrating 10 years with Nasher XChange, an art exhibition of 10 newly-commissioned and contemporary sculptures that will be placed at sites throughout Dallas starting in October.
Sign up to receive our Weekend Guide newsletters each Thursday to your inbox, and for more family-friendly events every day, visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/showcalendar.asp.
11:
Looking for fun things to do with your family this summer? Check out our map of family-friendly destinations around Dallas-Fort Worth, from museums to water parks to deluxe movie theaters. Click on a pin near you for details and directions, or scroll down to browse the full list of attractions.
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The word “FunikiJam” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue – it’s a mash-up of Japanese and Indonesian words meaning “musical atmosphere” and “time” – but the NYC-based children’s entertainment group will be teaching kids all sorts of new words from world cultures during the Summer Fun Thursday event at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano.
