Enriched Family February 2021 Austin Activities List

Hey Austin Families! We made it to February. Whew, January was a l-o-n-g month. With nicer weather, I am sure we are all wanting to get out of the house and enjoy some sunshine with our kiddos. At the same time, we are still at Stage 5 in Austin-Travis County and Travis County residents are currently considered to be at “extremely high risk” of contracting COVID. Given this, for the time being, I will continue to emphasize family activities that can be done virtually or socially-distanced/outdoors in Austin for these monthly posts. As usual, I have focused on educational, cultural, and fun activities that are both free and fee-based so that you can choose the best fit for your family. Enjoy a geocaching challenge; engage in a wide variety of STEM events and activities (check out a virtual Girlstart Starry Night or participate in UT Girl Day or the UT-Austin Texas Science Festival virtually); participate in a virtual workshop or book club addressing racial equity; celebrate Black History Month online with the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center’s Black History Month Kid’s Day; enjoy a virtual concert, storytime, or play; or explore outdoor fun at Dreamland, Sweet Eats Fruit Farm, or the Wildflower Center. In the highlighted resource section, I have included additional ideas for celebrating Black History Month with your children.

Enriched Family January 2021 Austin Activities List

Hi friends! Never have I been so happy to say Happy New Year! As I write this, Austin-Travis County is currently at Stage 5 (the highest level) for Covid-19 community risk. The more that we can stay home, the better for our loved ones and community. Given this, I have rounded up a list of family activities that can be done virtually or socially-distanced/outdoors in Austin this month. I have focused on educational, cultural, and fun activities that are both free and fee-based so that you can choose the best fit for your family. Resources are listed by date order in each section, as applicable. While the list is relatively short given everything that is happening in our community, I hope it helps you and your kiddos find some connection and inspiration in these crazy times. In the highlighted resource section, I have also included some creative, virtual bonding ideas that you could facilitate for your kids.

Enriched Family December 2020 Austin Activities List

Hi friends! I’ve missed curating the Enriched Family monthly activities lists for you. COVID realities put a stop to my blogging for the past few months, but I am happy to be back at it. Obviously the holidays are different this year, but there are still many Austin holiday traditions and December events to enjoy. I have rounded up a post on at-home, online, or socially-distanced/outdoor activities for you and your kiddos (please refer to the event websites for complete COVID-19 safety information).

As always, I have focused on a variety of educational, cultural, and fun activities that are both free (though there are not as many as in years past) and fee-based so that you can choose the best fit for your family. Resources are listed by date order in each section, as applicable. As always, this list is not exhaustive, but includes a sampling of events and activities that caught my eye that I wanted to highlight. Additional good sources for activity lists are included at the end of the post.

I have also included a section with some winter camp ideas (both virtual and in-person), organized by area of Austin. Finally, if you are looking for ways to give back to our community this holiday season, check out the highlighted resource below: local charitable giving guides.

Enriched Family December Austin Activities List

Austin during the holidays does not disappoint — the list of free holiday activities this month is quite extensive. Check out the wide variety of holiday events at local libraries around Austin; support local artisans and enjoy the Cherrywood Art Fair; listen to holiday-themed concerts put on by the Austin Symphony Orchestra; celebrate Christmas Family Night in Round Rock; be sure not to miss the Community First! Village of Lights & Advent Market; partake in the 25th annual Holiday Stroll in downtown Austin; enjoy a Winter Wonderland Community Festival; or participate in a variety of Hanukkah events.

Fee-based holiday events include the Trail of Lights (there are also free nights on 12/10-12/12 and 12/15-12/18); Ballet Austin’s The Nutcracker, Breakfast with the Grinch!; CultureMap’s Rooftop Ice Skating Rink at Whole Foods Market; Luminations at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; a jazz tap Nutcracker — Of Mice & Music; screenings of The Muppet Christmas Carol @ The Bullock Museum; Thinkery Gingerbread Workshops; or catch a performance of The Christmas Carol, Holiday Heroes, or The Santaland Diaries…

Finally, if you are looking for ways to give back to our community this holiday season, check out this month’s highlighted resource: local charitable giving guides…

November 2019 Kids and Family Activities in Austin

We finally have cooler weather in Austin! Bundle up and get out there and enjoy our lovely city without sweating for a change. The list of free educational/cultural activities this month is quite varied and exciting. Check out Alt Ed Austin’s Festival of Learning; volunteer as a family at Generation SERVE’s annual event, Austin Families Give Back; participate in Children in Nature’s Workshop; enjoy the East Side Studio Tour with a family friendly event at Creative Action Community Art Sunday; visit the Artisans’ Market at Laura’s Library; explore astronomy with Starry Nights at Girlstart; support Austin’s young entrepreneurs at the Start-Up Kid’s Club Market; and enjoy Thinkery’s Community Night. There is free fun for everyone! Fee-based events include the Thinkery’s Gingerbread 1K Run; a night of coding at My Coding Place; Homeschool Day at the Science Mill; the We Are Girls Conference; and a variety of theatre and museum offerings. As always, this list is not exhaustive, but includes a sampling of events and activities that caught my eye that I wanted to highlight. Additional good sources for activity lists are included at the end of the post.

Finally, if you are having sleep challenges in your family, take a look at this month’s highlighted resource - the free, virtual summit: Better Sleep for Kids. I will absolutely be watching!

October 2019 Kid and Family Activities in Austin

Oh, hello October! Is time moving super fast or am I just trying to keep up?! At a certain point I just had to stop and wrap up this blog post as October is one of those months in Austin when there are so many fun, family-friendly events happening. Get out there and enjoy the slightly cooler weather (predictions of 80-something degrees! I will gladly take it.) with your families. Hope Enriched Family's roundup of kid and family activities gives you lots of ideas to fill your family calendar.

Enriched Family's September 2019 Austin Family Activities List

Hi friends! We are swinging into fall, even though it still feels like summer in Austin! Now that we've had a little time to ease into the new school year, you may be looking for some fun, family activities to do in Austin this month....Check out Enriched Family's roundup of kids and family activities…

Today, Labor Day, is Free Day of Yoga, at participating locations all across Austin. Take your family and enjoy some flow. Or participate in a Scavenger Hunt at the Science Mill. There are lots of fun, free activities this month. Be sure not to miss Austin Museum Day (free admission to participating Austin museums all day); plus a number of additional free museum family days at specific museums throughout the month (UMLAUF, Thinkery, Bullock Museum, et cetera); Austin Symphonic Band’s Fall Concert in the Park; Creative Action’s Community Art Sunday; Girlstart’s Starry Nights; the Mother Earth Day Festival; Sábados en Familia: Cultural Fun for Families, and quite a few free, family movie nights around town. Wonderful fee-based activities include Pioneer Farms’ Fall Homeschool Day, Zach Theatre performances of Jungalbook, and an Art Barn ATX Kids Night Out. And so much more! I hope you have fun planning and exploring with Enriched Family’s September Activities List! Please share the list with your friends.

Boredom Busters: Summer Engagement Ideas for Kids - Part II

Last summer I did a blog post on Boredom Busters to give parents some additional summer engagement ideas for their kids. As it was well received, I thought I would do a Part II this summer. Entering the tail end of July, I have definitely started to hear more of a chorus of: “Mom, I’m bored.” And when my kids are bored, they tend to get cranky and more prone to poor choices and behaviors. To help support them and my mental sanity, I made a new list of Boredom Busters. Below is the list of ideas I created for my family; I hope it is helpful to yours as well. As always, take what seems like it will work for your unique family, modify as needed, and forget the rest. While most of these ideas require some degree of parental involvement, many of the steps can be done independently once you set your kids up for the activity.

December Kids and Family Activities in Austin

There are many fun things happening in Austin in December — check out Enriched Family's roundup of kids and family activities.

October Kids and Family Activities in Austin

There are so many fun things happening in Austin in October (and quite a few this weekend at the close of September). Enjoy the cooler weather with your families and check out Enriched Family's roundup of kids and family activities happening in the Austin area this month.

September Kids and Family Activities in Austin

We are swinging into fall, even though it still feels like summer in Austin! Now that we've had a couple of weeks to ease into the new school year, you may be looking for some fun, family activities to do in September... Check out Enriched Family's roundup of kids and family activities happening in the Austin area.

August Kids and Family Activities in Austin

Summer is flying by! It is hard to believe that the kids will be back in school within a few weeks (this is a welcome idea to some of us work-from-home parents)! To help you get the most out of the remaining weeks of summer, check out Enriched Family's August roundup of kid and family activities happening in the Austin area.

July Activities for Kids and Families in Austin

It's time for Enriched Family's July roundup of kid and family activities happening in the Austin area...

Boredom Busters: Summer Engagement Ideas for Kids

While I love the idea of a lazy summer, with lots of swimming and reading, playdates, and some camp fun thrown in, I also find that my kids go a little crazy after too many unstructured days. And let's be honest, as a work-from-home small business owner and parent, I too go a little crazy trying to juggle work and kids over the summer. So, for the inevitable days when my kids are bored and I am trying to work on a deadline, I like to have some strategies in my back pocket to keep the girls mentally and creatively engaged. For this week's blog post, I am sharing some of these ideas with you.

School's Out! June Activities for Kids and Families in Austin

It's time for Enriched Family's June roundup of kid and family activities happening in the Austin area...

Austin Summer Fun Ideas

Hi all! Summer and extra hot weather will soon be upon us. This blog post focuses on a compilation of fun Austin area activities to keep you and your family busy (and hopefully sometimes cool) all summer long. Think swimming spots, splash pads, free museum days, kids eat free days, movie days, library days, family service activities, and so on.

May Activities for Kids and Families in Austin

It's time for Enriched Family's May roundup of kid and family activities happening in the Austin area...

April Activities for Kids and Families in Austin

It's time for Enriched Family's April roundup of kid and family activities happening in the Austin area...

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