Schools out for the Summer!

 Summer Fun! It’s hot in the city and school’s out, so what do you with the kids? I have gotten over the fact that  I am no longer in Chicago, where the summer wind keeps it just cool enough for you to wear shorts during the day and a light jacket at night. This basically took one summer of killing oversized bugs and sweating through 17 different outfits at an outdoor picnic. So as I fully embrace the yearly heat wave that us Houstonians call summer I like to balance my time with indoor and outdoor activities during the summer. And yes, walking to your air conditioned car counts as outdoor activity—especially if you’re counting your steps!

Here are a list of fun indoor and outdoor events to do with your kids during the month of June.  

Levy Park- Outside Fun

Wait for the sun to go down a little and head over to Levy Park for Public Piano Play. Hear some free music or tickle the ivory on your own. Makes a great photo op if you’re looking for a fun photo for your family.   On June 23^rd, the  Houston Museum of Natural Science will host a Science of the Oceans experience for free from 2 – 4 pm—slightly cooler temps and a great experience for the afternoon!

Levy park also has cool events for your tweens and up:

Young Audiences of Houston 1pm
(first, third, and fifth Saturdays of the month)
June 2: InterActive Theater, Improv
June 16: Brave Little Company, Grandpa’s Garden
June 30: Literacy through Photography, Photo Scavenger Hu

La Centerra Park

I love Movies in the Park and I have yet to see the Greatest Showman. If you’re interested in either of these then head over to La Centerra Park in Katy and bring snacks, blanket, and a chair to watch the greatest show ever! The show starts at 7 pm and will be in the courtyard in front of Las Alamedas

Houston Symphony holds free summer shows all across the city of Houston. Here are a few locations and times for the month of June:

Lilly Grove Baptist Church
June 5 at 7:30pm

Spring High School
June 6 at 7:30pm

Dobie High School
June 8 at 7:30pm

Cinco Ranch High School
June 9 at 7:30pm

Atascocita High School
June 12 at 7:30pm

Indoor Fun:

First Saturday Sketch at Rienzi

Enjoy Rienzi’s galleries and gardens while you learn the fundamentals of drawing and composition. Discover new techniques and exercises to strengthen your sketching skills with a different topic every month! All ages and levels of ability are welcome.

There are MANY events happening at the Houston Public Library, from free guitar lessons, clown and magic shows and STEM experiences—all indoors and all free.

Check out the events here at http://houstonlibrary.org/summer

Love painting with a twist- here’s a twist invite your kids and bring snacks! The kid related events are sans alcohol but they have very basic and fun prints for you and your kids to make for a deeply discounted price. Here’s the link for Katy, but you can find the events all over the city.

https://www.pinotspalette.com/katy/events

Michaels has a great summer camp alternative, where you can create arts and crafts for a super low price! Each week has a special theme so find the Michaels nearest you!

The Disney Store and Bass Pro had indoor events all last summer, but as of today (5/27/2018) they have not posted any details are dates. Follow me on Instagram (@urbankidinthecity) and Ill post as soon as I find out.

Last but not least, Home Depot’s monthly Kids DIY is going on this Saturday June 2^nd. Try to come early—they ran out of pieces last Saturday. Luckily I was able to ….ahem….help her find a new craft for my son to work on…by help I mean strongly persuade her to find an extra craft from a previous month. What can I say? We love Home Depot!

Summer Pro Tips:

Try a splash pad for free summer fun!

 Try some old fashioned fun at the park and fly a kite, ride a bike, or find a bucket of bubbles and let your kids loose!

Older kids? Create a family summer hashtag and have them take pictures of all of the events that they are doing with you and their friends. This will help them see all the fund they have when schools back in--- and it will help you stalk… I mean like all of their social media posts J

Try some old fashioned fun at the park and fly a kite, ride a bike, or find a bucket of bubbles and let your kids loose!

Older kids? Create a family summer hashtag and have them take pictures of all of the events that they are doing with you and their friends. This will help them see all the fund they have when schools back in--- and it will help you stalk… I mean like all of their social media posts J

Maybe it's because I'm in Education . Maybe it's because I'm a parent. Either way, I'm ready for the summer. I have my own bucket list of things to do  and I'm so excited that we are taking our first family trip to Disney World. Ill post in June about how I was able to make this an affordable getaway for me and my little one. Remember that May 13th is Mother's Day, so send the mom/mother figure in your life a special treat to show her how much you love her-- and if you are a mom... go ahead and start dropping hints!

Meanwhile here are some fun events for the month of May that are free or low cost, and a few camps with scholarships for you late planners.



If you're looking for something fun to do with kids for Cinco de Mayo, check out Blessington Farms. They have a great orchard stocked with blueberries for you to pick and eat!

Chick Fil A's around the city sponsor a Family Night each month that usually includes gift card giveaways and face painting. This month most events are centered around Mother's Day, so bring your kids along and force them to celebrate you-- because that's the best way to do it, right?







One of my favorite places in Houston is Discovery Green. They have so many great festivals for you to bring the family to. Here's my son at their Arts Festival a few weekends ago.

 This Saturday they are hosting a Young Writer's Workshop. Interested, I know you are-- click here and bring a pen and journal-- Oh and your kids! Kids will learn to express their thoughts in a healthy way and you might pick up some skills as well!


Want to bring a little culture to your family's life? Bring them to the Miller Outdoor Theater for a free Opera Concert. I'm going to be at this event with my little one in support of a great new Michigan Alumni Volunteering organization-- so stop by and join us! http://milleroutdoortheatre.com/events/1065/

Where: Miller Outdoor Theater

When: May 18^th  at 8 pm

What to Bring:  A blanket to sit on, and food and drinks to enjoy.

How much: Free 99!

On May 19th the Houston YMCAs are promoting water safety by offering a free Water Safety Clinic for kids. Here's the link to sign up!  www.ymcahouston.org

I know Houstonians are hyped about our Rockets and 'Stros, but don't forget about other local teams that offer a professional game at a discounted price. The Sugarland Skeeters and the Houston Dynamo have tickets that are more family friendly and their games are super interactive so check them out and thank me later!  The Skeeters stadium even has a pool and lawn seats-- go here for their schedule and information on purchasing tickets. 

The Star Wars Enthusiasts of Houston host a family friendly May the 4th Be With You Party filled with cosplay, games and volunteering at the Houston Food Bank. Participants will volunteer for one hour and then get a chance to participate in games  and snacks until 9 pm.

On Saturday May 5th and Sunday May 6th celebrate Cinco de Mayo the whole weekend at Trader's Village. There will be 3 stages with live music, shopping and amusement park rides. Parking is $4 and the event runs from noon to 6pm each day. 

Art Interpretation at the HPL Library

I decided to have a separate section just for Library Events, because there are so many fun things happening at the Houston Public Libraries this month:

• 9th Annual Books Alive Children's Book Celebration is happening at the Central Library Location. You can get a chance to meet the author of YA series Hazardous Tales. There will be Laser Tag, Spy Science, a Photo Booth and Face Painting!
• Make music like a pro at the Techlink Event at  Scenic Woods Regional Library on May 19th at 10 am. 
• If Snap Chat and Instastory, don't mean anything to you, then you might want to check out the libraries Social Media classes being held on Friday afternoons-- don't tell your kids I sent you this :)
• Every Saturday at 2 pm there are Family Crafts, and this month they are featuring a Video Games Session every day at 3 pm. So if you don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on games or consoles, you can bring your tweens and teens here to play for free!

Lastly, the Summer Reading Club starts in June! Enter ( adults and kids) for a chance to win a kindle-- one prize is given out every week until August! May the odds ever be in your favor!

Summer Camps Click on the links for more info and Ill keep adding to this post as I find new information about camps that are still open for registration. 

Club Sci Kids- This STEM focused camp for kids PreK and up still has a few available scholarships left for the summer. Apply here, but remember  you will need a letter of recommendation for your student.

Main Street Theater offers a summer camp at a discounted rate, as well as scholarships for students in need. If your kids are future actors and actresses, this one might be for you.


Library Camp- Camp Stream is a free camp for kids in Kinder to 8th grade that is housed at a different library each week. Find the one closest to you and don't forget to register on May 7th-- spots fill up fast!

Remember that most school districts offer optional summer school for students based on teacher recommendation. This camps are great because you know that they are run by professionals and in some cases also give your child credit for the upcoming school year. Contact your child's teacher our district website for more information.

If you are in the Fort Bend Area, Alley Theater is offering a camp at Clements High School for Elementary Students. Although this camp doesn't have any scholarship info posted, it's likely going to be affordable because it is linked to a public school.

Another resource in the same area is the Wharton County Junior College's Kids College, check out their camp if you want to give your kids the fun college experience while they are learning something cool and age appropriate!

YMCA- This is a great resource for families because they offer full day camps and often adjust your payments based on your income. This is a great option for parents with multiple kids in the house, because they also give a sibling discount.