Advertisement

Arts & Entertainment

It's Spring Break! Now what? 10 ways for you and your kid to pass the time

Ah, Spring Break. That wonderful time of year when you get reacquainted with your school-age children. And discover unrivaled admiration for teachers worldwide. Lucky for you, if you don't have your little one squirreled away in a camp already, North Texas offers plenty of free and inexpensive distractions, err, attractions, for you and yours.

Imagination Playground 

You could spend your entire week enjoying the calendar of activities that Klyde Warren Park already has in place. But Imagination Playground is where it's at. Children can keep their minds moving while they move, too, as they build their own play space using large building blocks. And you can wonder at how fast the time passes. Tuesdays and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon at the park, 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Dallas. Free.

Fort Worth Children's Opera

The Fort Worth Opera has public performances of their Children's Opera Theatre productions every Spring Break. This year, they are featuring two of my favorite stories; be ready -- there will be a question-and-answer session following the 45-minute performance. The Bremen Town Musicians will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. and Billy Goats Gruff will be at 2 p.m. in the Scott Theatre at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, 1300 Gendy St., Fort Worth. $5; donate a can of of food and get a free ticket to another Spring Break performance.

Advertisement

Open Jump

All of the indoor bounce house and trampoline parks have some version of an Open Jump to help you get all the wiggles out this Spring Break. Pump It Up extends its Open Jump hours during Spring Break, and at an economical price, especially if you have more than one child. March 14-18 from 10-11:30 a.m. and noon-1:30 p.m. at Pump It Up/Dallas, 9201 Forest Lane, Dallas. $7 for the first child, $5 for siblings. Other locations have different times. Check the website for details.

News Roundups

Catch up on the day's news you need to know.

Or with:

Dana Emch, second from right, dances with her two-year-old niece Rory Emch-Moog during Disco...
Dana Emch, second from right, dances with her two-year-old niece Rory Emch-Moog during Disco Kids (Kye R. Lee / The Dallas Morning News)

Disco Kids at It'll Do

I wrote it before and I'll write again: I don't know if you'll ever groove this much with children with their faces all aglow with glow sticks, necklaces, sunglasses and other paraphernalia indicative of a rave. The teenage DJ keeps the hits from every era coming and Disco Kids up to the age of the DJ boogie the night away, parents in sway. 6-9:30 p.m. at It'll Do Club, Elm St., Dallas. $5 for children, admission is free for parents.

Advertisement

Spring Block pARTy

Pearl and Flora streets in the Arts District will be closed off from 6 p.m. to midnight. The Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center will have their own late-night events going on at the same time. There will be live music, and Shakespeare Dallas will take it to the streets. The Thin White Dukes will perform an acoustic tribute to David Bowie, and you can try out your own tribute during curbside karaoke with Mr. Rid. It's Spring Break; let the kids stay out a little longer than usual. Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight at Pearl and Flora streets, Dallas. Free. Learn more on the event page.

Spring Break Art Extravaganza

Get inspired with the free activities at the Kimbell Art Museum. Activities include art projects, gallery tours, story time and children's films. Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from noon to 4 at the museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. Free.

Advertisement

Spring Fling: Luck o' the Irish

Kids can have just as much fun celebrating St. Patrick's Day as any grownup on Greenville. Activities include a Leprechaun hunt, board games and horse shoes. Tuesday, March 15 through Friday, March 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Dallas Heritage Village, 1515 N. Harwood, Dallas. $5-$9, free for ages three and younger.

Fair Park Spring Break

Find free activities through March 18 at Fair Park. Many of the classes are full, including a leadership program, painting and dance camps but there's still plenty. There is a scavenger hunt every day from 9 a.m. to noon; fitness workouts from 9 a.m. to noon; and lawn games from 10 a.m. to noon. "Build Your City," with the Dallas Center for Architecture, will be on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Events start at 9 a.m. through March 18 at Fair Park, 1200 S. 2nd Ave., Dallas. Free.

Spring Break at the Museum

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science extends its hours for Spring Break, staying open until 7 p.m. There will be daily drop-in activities, such as cloud and rainbow making, on-the-spot science demonstrations, kite-flying and more. Check the website for a full schedule. Through March 20 at the museum, 2201 N. Field St., Dallas. $12-$19.

KidsFest

The festival, which attracts thousands of children and their parents, is in its 10th year. This year's theme is "Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies." A ginormous egg hunt is the featured attraction, with face painting, a video game truck and bounce houses as added incentive to keep your kid moving. Saturday, March 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Firewheel Town Center, 245 Cedar Sage Drive, Garland. Free.