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.

Every time I look out the window these last few days, I think of the word “serendipity.” What a happy accident this glorious respite from the heat has been. I don’t watch the Weather Channel much these days, so maybe I was the only person in Dallas County who looked outside Sunday morning expecting to see more blazing sun and instead saw rain coming down in July. And mind you, this wasn’t the little two-minute sprinkles we usually get this time of year – the sprinkles that when combined with the heat makes it feel like downtown Saigon. No, this was honest-to-God-holy-cats-Batman-I-don’t-have-to-water-my-lawn-today rain. And it lasted TWO WHOLE DAYS!

My daughter is puzzled by why I consider measurable rainfall a pleasant surprise. What she saw when she looked out the window translated into, “no trip to the pool today.” I remember having the same feeling when my mother recounted childhood tales of sitting on the back steps of her East Texas home with her brother and delighting in an unexpected mid-summer shower. I guess you have to have a few oppressively hot Texas summers under your belt (add “with no air conditioning” in my mother’s case) to fully appreciate the unexpected joy of a soaking July rainfall.

Discover some not-what-I-expected serendipitous delight at one of these family-friendly events:

Get out your tricorn hat and celebrate history this Saturday at SMU Communty Day. Photo: SMU

School may be out, but history comes to life this Saturday on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Come learn about history at SMU Community Day, a campus-wide Colonial celebration inspired by the exhibit of George Washington’s copy of the U.S. Constitution at the DeGolyer Library. Kids can write with a quill pen, make a yarn toy or play Colonial games. A fife and drum corps and historical interpreters in costume will be in attendance from 9 a.m. to noon on the Laura Bush Promenade west of the Fondren Library Center.

You’ll find more than lions and tigers and koala bears at the Dallas Zoo Saturday night. There are only two more Saturdays to experience the Safari Nights at the Dallas Zoo concert series. You and the kiddos can take in the zoo and then stay late for a concert featuring the Killdares. It’s free with paid admission to the zoo.

Celebrate National Ice Cream Day at the Kimbell (Photo: Kimbell Art Museum)

Quick! What’s the first thing that springs to mind when you think of a world class art museum? How about … ice cream! That’s right, visit the Kimbell on Sunday for Ice Cream Sunday at the Kimbell and you and the little kiddles can celebrate National Ice Cream Day with a free scoop of Blue Bell’s newest flavor, Rockslide Brownie.  Besides the free dip, there will also be docent-guided tours, screenings of children’s films and best of all: the chance to win a one-year supply of Blue Bell Ice Cream.

How’s THAT for an unexpected surprise?

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].