14:
Perfect weather is fleeting in Texas, so are glimpses of native butterflies as they whisk from flower to flower to out of your view. At Collin Creek Mall in Plano, you and the kids will get a guaranteed and prolonged “playtime” with more than 1,000 butterflies that will be enjoying the easy pickings of nectar from flowering plants and feeders inside an indoor conservatory.
(Here’s a tip: wear brightly colored clothing and move slowly or stand still inside the butterfly house. They’ll be more likely to land on you.)
Fly-hard fans can really get into the spirit with butterfly face paintings and butterfly-shaped balloons. Plus, the Greater Plano Kiwanis will be raising money from the 12th annual event for their children’s charities and community scholarships.
The butterflies will be at Center Court through Sunday, May 19. Mall hours are 10am–6pm through Saturday and noon–6pm on Sunday. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for kids. Visit the website for a coupon: $1 off a child’s ticket with the purchase of one adult admission.
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.
13:
How much do you know about relationships? Perhaps, not as much as you think. Find out on Friday, June 21 with the Perot Museum’s Social Science program. Forget flowers and feelings. Instead, explore relationships of the more scientific variety. Guest speakers, interactive demonstrations and lively discussions will explore everything from the relationships between humankind and robots to culture and the stars. Be sure to bring your ID because Social Science is geared for adults 21 and over. Alamo Drafthouse will be at the event offering adult libations in addition to a screening of the 1982 film Tron. Tickets are limited but currently available for pre-order. $10 for members, $15 for non-members. 7pm-11pm.
To purchase your tickets visit perotmuseum.org.
13:
DFW is a thriving metropolis, but alas, no natural beaches or oceans are anywhere in sight. Get to the ocean deep vicariously through a program in Grapevine, and head out even farther (the far reaches of space, that is) from Farmers Branch.
Toddler Tuesdays at SEA LIFE Aquarium
Pay a visit to the sea urchins and horseshoe crabs of SEA LIFE’s touch pool during the Grapevine aquarium’s monthly program for toddlers and their parents. Your little ones can enjoy a playtime in the touch pool area from 11am–2pm and you’ll get free coffee. Get admission for a reduced rate of $14 for an adult and up to two children ages 3–4; $5 per additional child ages 3–12.
(If that whets your family’s appetite for water, consider a trip out to DFW’s two wake parks in Fort Worth and Allen, or go boogie boarding on the new FlowRider at Summer Adventures in Fair Park.)
Star Party
Want to venture even farther than the ocean? Pump up your next stargazing session by joining the Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas at the Farmers Branch Historical Park. From dusk–9pm members will have their high-powered telescopes set up for guests to peer through for a closer look at the planets, star clusters and celestial bodies visible right now. Have your own telescope? Feel free to bring it from home.
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.
10:
Empower and equip your kids for dealing with dangerous situations by signing them up for a free Abduction Prevention Class at Texas Storm Kenpo in North Richland Hills. Taught by Bill Piper, a full-time self-defense trainer for kids and adults, the Abduction Prevention Class will teach children Piper’s “Six Rules to Live By” and other tips and tricks for staying safe and getting away from dangerous situations and strangers. Piper says his practical tips will increase confidence and self esteem in participants.
The free program is geared towards kids ages 7-13 and parents are encouraged to stick around for classes so they can reinforce the material at home. The upcoming program will run from June 8th to July 6th. For details on Texas Storm Kenpo and the Abduction Prevention Class visit the Texas Storm Kenpo website.
Texas Storm Kenpo
North Richland Hills, 817/427-5425
texasstormkenpo.com
10:
DallasChildBaby Fair and Model Search
Have you seen our latest issue of DallasChildBaby? For a chance to see your own baby’s face on our Fall/Winter 2013–2014 or Spring/Summer 2014 issue, enter your baby (ages birth–12 months) in our model search on Saturday. We’ll be at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano from 10am–3pm. Early registration officially closed this morning, but you can register your little darling on the spot for $45.
Want more motivation?
–Judges from Kim Dawson Agency will also be scouting for models.
–You’ll get a souvenir cover mailed to you in about 45 days.
–Meet with experts and service providers at the free baby fair going on at the same time.
For any questions, visit our events page or call 972/447-9188.
Homegrown Music and Arts Festival
Main Street Garden Park in Dallas will be echoing with sounds from 15 Texas bands including indie rockers Divine Fits and The Polyphonic Spree (think pop rock mixed with choral music – and psychedelic choral robes) starting at 11am. Take your little rockers to this family-friendly annual music and arts outdoor festival for the live music as well as live art demonstrations, craft vendors and grub. Admission is $25 at the door and free for kids ages 10 and younger.
Cruisin’ in the Park
Admit it, you’ve always wanted to race in one of those homemade wooden cars but don’t have the time to build one yourself? Now your kids can take part in the free soap box derby at Haggard Park in Plano on Saturday from 9am–3pm. Kids ages 7 and older and less than 125 pounds can register for a derby car upon check-in. Just bring your own helmet for the wild ride.
Highland Park Centennial Anniversary Literary Festival
A roundup of authors who’ve written books on everything from the Dallas Cowboys to the making of Lonesome Dove to pioneer women (that last one by former Texas senator Kay Bailey Hutchison) will each be speaking at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas from 10am–2pm for the annual literary festival. Don’t miss Liz Scanion, children’s book author of Think Big, at 10:30am.
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.
09:
Get your weekend started by joining the grand opening celebration for The Colony’s pioneer-themed playground, tour seven beautiful homes in Dallas’ Swiss Avenue Historic District, and make kids crafts at Watters Creek’s Fine Arts Festival in Allen.
New pioneer playground in The Colony
The Colony is hosting a grand opening for its Kids Colony 2 playground on Friday. The “Bridges Settlement” is a pioneer town-themed play space with a general store, bank, jail, cotton gin and a “little house on the prairie” with native landscaping as well as a sensory garden with musical instruments. Explore the new playground after the ribbon cutting at 6:30pm, and stick around for an outdoor movie screening of Wreck-It Ralph starting at 8:15pm. Call 972/624-3959 or visit kidscolony2.com for more information.
Swiss Avenue Home Tour
Do you ache for architecture? Drool for design? See seven of the most beautiful and eclectic homes in the Swiss Avenue Historic District, called the first historic district in Dallas, during this 40th annual home tour Friday–Sunday.
The weekend begins with a Candlelight Tour and Party for adults on Friday, and you can bring the kids on Saturday and Sunday for the art fair, antique car display, a children’s play area, live entertainment and food. Tickets are $25 for the two-day tour, $50 in advance for the party, and $20 for Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday.
Fine Arts Festival at Watters Creek
This Friday–Sunday, the Watters Creek shopping center in Allen will be hosting its fifth annual festival with the Allen Arts Alliance. Kids can collaborate on a community sculpture, make their own stained glass and chalk art in the kids’ craft station, and on Sunday, enjoy a special Lucky Duck Kids Club from 2–4pm. See works from juried artists and listen to live performances all weekend.
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.
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