Art&Seek Jr. is one mom‘s quest to find activities to end the seemingly endless chorus of the “I’m Bored Blues” while having fun herself.  Impossible you say? Check back on Tuesdays for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too

Like a lot of people last weekend, Rose and I were victims of Icemageddon. Our plans for the Children’s Parade and an outdoor movie at Fair Park fell apart like the branches on my neighbor’s ice-laden pecan tree. As we sadly looked out the window and cursed Mother Nature’s poor timing, Rose came up with a solution for our dilemma.  Since all was lost for this weekend, the only sensible  thing to do would be to pack double the fun into this coming weekend.  Sounds reasonable, right?

Here are some seasonal offerings that will more than make up for last weekend’s freeze out.

Enjoy some reindeer games this Saturday at Camp Bowie Christmas. (photo: Brian Hudson Photography)

The AT&T Performing Arts Center will be ablaze this Friday night with 6.54 miles of LED colorful lights at the Reliant Lights Your Holiday event.  The outdoor celebration, which was originally planned for last Friday, was thankfully rescheduled because of the treacherous weather . In addition to the colorful displays on the Center’s buildings and trees, there will also be a snow-filled area for the kids, a holiday concert, and the largest fireworks display ever held at the Center. The temperature is forecasted to be a toasty 45 degrees–a full 25 degrees warmer than last Friday–for this free, family event.

Wanting to shake up the traditional photo with Santa a bit? How about a picture with Santa and his “Rein-Steer”? You can meet the jolly old elf at  Camp Bowie Christmas in Fort Worth this Saturday.  The boulevard will transformed into the North Pole with games, pony rides, letters to Santa, music, and more. This event is free, but since it’s the giving season, a toy donation for Toys for Tots is encouraged to help spread the holiday cheer.

Catch Dallas Puppet Theater’s version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Fort Worth Public Library (photo Dallas Puppet Theater)

Join the East Branch of the Irving Public Library this Saturday morning for Posadas, a community celebration featuring bilingual educator, children’s author and recording artist Luis Orozco. Following his performance, you and the tinies can also enjoy the music of a mariachi group, traditional holiday refreshments and children’s crafts.

The holiday’s are all about traditions with friends and family. One long-held custom in my family is to take in a performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Like the Nutcracker ballet, there are several productions of the Dickens’ classic in the North Texas area. You can find them listed on the Art&Seek calendar. The Quo Vadis Players presentation of A Christmas Carol is a great value at just $8 dollars a ticket. You can catch it Dec. 13 to 15 at Eastfield College Performance Hall.

For a twist on the tale, check out Dallas Puppet Theater’s version of A Christmas Carol at the Central Branch of the Fort Worth Public Library on Saturday. The production features dozens of hand-crafted puppets in a variety of puppetry styles. These, uh, actors, bring the story to life in a unique way. The show is free but hugely popular, so get there early (noon) to get your tickets for either the 1:30 or the 3:30 show.

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer.  She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 8-year-old daughter, Rose.  Tell us about your quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at [email protected].