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.

I had a very surreal conversation with Rose this morning as she got ready for school. She wanted to know what playdates were like when I was a child. I replied, “when I was a kid, ‘playdates’ consisted of my mother pointing at the door and saying, ‘go outside and play. We then proceeded to go outside and play with whoever else happened to be outside.” Blunt, yes. But the reality was, my childhood happened at the tail end of the baby boom and there were scads of kids to play with. That, and mothers from the 60s and 70s didn’t have the time or inclination to be activity directors. Playtime wasn’t organized or scheduled. It just happened.

To say the least, times have changed. Time and energy are at a premium these days and most children cannot fathom the idea of a weekend that hasn’t been planned and coordinated like a NASA space launch. Yes, a lot of the serendipty of play is gone, but the flip side is, we make every second of our free time count (the calendar is my closest companion) making those moments (and play-dates) with family and friends all the more sweeter and memorable.

Get out the calendars and make a date to meet up with family and friends at one of these fun destinations.

The tinies will enjoy a romp among the flowers at the Dallas Arboretum’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Flower Village. They can take a tour of the four topiary flower houses depicting the adventures of Alice, the White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter. If you go on friday between the hours of 10 and 2 you might spy costumed characters from the famous story. Bring a picnic, splash in the giant frog fountain, take a roll down big the hill and you have the makings of a perfect day!

Make a date to play this weekend. Photo: Therese Powell

Nothing brings family and friends together like an outdoor concert. It just doesn’t get any better than sitting on a blanket together under the stars listening to your favorite tunes… that is, until now. How about an outdoor concert at the zoo! That’s right, the Dallas Zoo is hosting the Safari Nights Concert Series this summer. The series kicks off this Saturday, June 8 with the Bruce Springsteen tribute band, Bruce in the USA  and runs for eight consecutive Saturdays. You can explore the Zoo before the concert then grab a spot on shady Cat Green and enjoy the music until 9 p.m.

Put a twist on the movie going experience. Grab a car load, or better yet, a Suburban load, of your closest pals and head to the Brazos Drive-In Theatre in Granbury this weekend. Besides being a great place to catch a movie and having an awesome snack bar, this place is also the best value in town. For $20 a car, you and the kids can check out this weekend’s flicks Epic and Star Trek into the Darkness. Drive-In movie lovers should also check out the Coyote in Fort Worth along the Trinity River. It’s the newest kid on the drive-in block and sports three screens.

Who needs 3D when you can watch movies outside in your jammies!

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 ideas for quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at [email protected].