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 weekly for kid-friendly events that are fun for adults, too.

I recently made an observation about the different way children view holidays versus their parents. Kids can tell you at any given time exactly how many days it is to the next holiday or school break. It’s like they all become calculation experts when it comes to vacation time.  Of course, the downside to this is that the anticipation just about kills them. It doesn’t matter what holiday is just around the corner, the response is always the same– “it’s sooooo far away” or, “I can’t wait that looooong.”

Adults, on the other hand, stay in a perpetual state of denial when it comes to holidays. We know that December 25 comes every year, but still around December 22 every year we look at the calendar and say, “OMG! Christmas is in three days! When did THAT happen?! Why didn’t anyone TELL me?!”

Just last week my two co-workers and I convinced ourselves that Memorial Day couldn’t possibly be this weekend. We had too much to do and after all, May just started, right? It wasn’t until a few days later when I was looking at the events on the Art&Seek calendar that I realized –you guessed it—Memorial Day is this weekend. When I informed my office mates of the error they shook their heads. No. No. No. Even after I pointed to my planner with the big red “Memorial Day” stamped next to the date they still backed away from me with looks of disbelief. I guess they thought if they denied it passionately enough it wouldn’t be so.  Ah well, that meeting can always be rescheduled to next week.

Speaking of the Art&Seek calendar and Memorial Day, there’s tons of fun to be had this long weekend. Here are a few ideas to help you and the teeny tykes kick off the official start of summer with a vengeance.

Dance with the band at the Cool Thursday Concert at the Dallas Arboretum (photo Therese Powell)

The fun starts Thursday night at the Dallas Arboretum when the Journey tribute band Escape performs in the garden for the Cool Thursday Concert at the Arboretum. Speaking from experience, these concerts never disappoint. Besides the oh-so-serene view overlooking White Rock Lake, the wee ones will have an excellent time chasing fireflies, rolling down the hill and dancing up close to the stage with the band.

You can hear another concert under the stars Saturday night at Stars & Strings at Farmers Branch Historical Park in Farmers Branch. Presented by Liberty Fest the event features music by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra followed by a fireworks show.  Other activities include tours inside historical structures, kids bounce houses and face painting, and a tribute to the men and women who serve our country.

Come say hello to Wilbur and the gang at DCT’s production of CHARLOTTE’S WEB. (photo Dallas Children’s Theater)

‘Tis the season for everything out-of-doors and that includes movies. Grab the tinies and a blanket and head to Robert T. Hill Middle School on Friday night for Family Movie Night on the Hill. They’ll be showing the Disney blockbuster Frozen. Yes, you and the kiddies have probably already seen the ubiquitous flick a number of times by now, but have you seen it OUTSIDE? Plus, it’s free so how can you pass that up?  There will also be food trucks on site to take care of hungry tummies so no worries about dinner either.

It wouldn’t be Memorial Day without a chance of rain, so a great plan B backup would be to see a play. You can catch a classic underdog tale — or in this case, an underpig tale at Dallas Children’s Theater’s production of  Charlotte’s Web. We saw this a couple of weeks ago and it received an enthusiastic thumbs up from everyone in our group. It stayed true to the story and the kids loved it when the action moved down into the audience. If you’d like to see Wilbur and Charlotte come to life on stage, you’d better get a move on because the show closes June 1 and tickets are going fast.

Remember, Memorial Day is THIS Monday, so be sure to mark it in your calendar!

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]