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.

Rose’s last day of school was Friday and to commemorate the day I decided our official first act of summer would be to go through the 15 pounds of items that came home in the backpack. Besides all the papers, notebooks, binders and general “school” related stuff that you’d expect to find in a third grader’s backpack, I also found: mummified carrots from a lunch I packed back in December, several medium sized rocks, pink and yellow press-on nails, a party hat, and a dog whistle. Rose offered no rhyme or reason as to why she decided to hang on to these particular treasures, but hey, throw in a can of bean dip and a disco ball and you’ve got a party.

Perhaps the single most interesting thing to emerge from the backpack–the pièce de résistance if you will, was an owl pellet that contained a partially decomposed mouse skeleton.

Now THAT’S a conversation starter. Next year we’ve got to find a better way to kick off summer.

Here are some more inspiring ways to welcome summer.

Come see Fair Park lit up with over a million lights this Friday. (Photo: Fair Park)

Nothing says celebration like fireworks so grab the munchkins and head to Fair Park Friday night for Fair Park Sparks. The historic buildings will be decorated with over a million lights, synchronized music shows at the Esplanade fountain will happen throughout the night and a rockin’ fireworks display will top off the evening. If that isn’t enough for you there will also be live music from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Sugar Ray, roving entertainers, vendor booth, food trucks and a children’s area for the teeny tots.

Music under the stars is always a great way to ring in summer. A great place to listen to some tunes al fresco is Levitt Pavilion. You can bring in a picnic dinner and listen to a FREE concert on their great big open lawn. This week you’ve got your pick of a children’s concert featuring Billy Jonas on Wednesday, The Dunwells on Thursday, Somebody’s Darling on Friday and Rick Trevino on Saturday.

You can relive the music of your youth this Saturday when the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra performs Faithfully: the Music of Journey in the beautiful setting of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. You can bring a blanket or reserve a table for extra comfort and best of all there will be fireworks after the show.

How about music under the stars this weekend? (Photo: Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra)

Last, but not certainly not least, the Mayor’s Office launched a citywide initiative a few weeks ago to solve the problem of keeping children learning even though school is out. The program called City of Learning is a collaboration between the city, arts education nonprofit Big Thought and 50 partner organizations. Its goal is to help students explore new interests and continue learning throughout the summer months. Kids set up an on-line account where they can explore programs, events, and online challenges that match their interests. Another cool component of this program are Turn Ups! a series of free, social learning events across Dallas this summer. Curious? Check out the Turn Up! at the Continental Avenue Pedestrian Bridge this Sunday. It’s the grand re-opening of the bridge and there are all sorts of activities planned to celebrate the occasion. Highlights include a collaborative mural project, performance experiences by Dallas Theater Center, puppet-making with Cara Mia Theatre Company, and an exploration of wind and nature with the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. 

Slap on some sun block and let’s get biz-zay! It’s summer!

Therese Powell is an Art&Seek calendar coordinator and KERA-TV producer. She spends most of her free time seeking out adventures for her 9-year-old daughter, Rose. Tell us about your ideas for quirky kid adventures by leaving a comment. Or e-mail Therese at [email protected].