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.

Ah, spring break!  The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, the weather is glorious and the kids… are sitting on the couch watching Sponge Bob Square Pants. Here are some activities to get those tater tots off the couch and out enjoying their time off.

Get out the picnic hamper and the lawn chairs and come enjoy the Grand Family Picnic at Heritage Village Plaza in Hurst. The fun in the park begins Wednesday morning at 11 am with free games and activities and continues with a concert at noon featuring the group Vocal Trash. After the concert, don’t run off, because the city of Hurst will be handing out free cupcakes.

May the best cupcake win. Photo: Denton Public Library

And speaking of cupcakes, (I never miss a chance to promote cupcakes) the North Branch of the Denton Public library is hosting a sweet competition this Saturday featuring, you guessed it….cupcakes! Come watch teams of cupcake-making teens battle it out in DPL’s Teen Cupcake Wars: The Competition. Besides being fun to watch, you also get to help judge the winners. I’ve got to hand it to the nice people at the DPL, this is a great way to get kids to the library.

Okay, enough about cupcakes.

Get the kids off the couch and take in nature at Texas Discovery Garden’s third annual Spring Break Safari. The tinies can enjoy themed crafts, story time, eco-activities, and special guests each day. My personal favorite is, “Fins, Feathers, Fur & Flight Friday” where mini naturalists can talk about snakes with Roger Sanderson at 1 p.m., take in a story at 2 and make bird-noculars later in the afternoon. Sounds like a perfect day to me.

Don’t leave home without your “bird-noculars.” Photo: Texas Discovery Gardens

You’ve probably already got the Dallas Arboretum on your short list for spring break adventures. Their annual Dallas Blooms event is a great opportunity to bond with mother nature and snap those cute photos of the kids frolicking amongst the carefully planted daffodils. Another Dallas Arboretum event that might not be on your radar, but you definitely don’t want to miss, is Hanami at the Arboretum, a centuries–old Japanese custom of cherry blossom viewing.  This year’s Hanami celebration is Sunday, March 17 and is hosted by the Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth. Garden guests are invited to bring picnic lunches, eat under the Arboretum’s 150 flowering  sakura trees and enjoy the bamboo flute music.  It sounds so serene, doesn’t it?  For those of you with “high energy” children, be sure to stop by the big hill over by the concert stage first.  I know that after rolling down the hill for a half an hour or so, Rose is good to go in the serenity department.

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer.  She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 7-year-old daughter, Rose.  Tell us about quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at [email protected].