Our favorite park has once again open it's annual Trail of Lights.  You can catch it until December 23th. Walk around the North Pole, Candy Cane Lane and Zilker Village, and take a good camera. Also, go to their website to find the free general admission dates! 

They will have a special Movie night at the trail tomorrow December 13th with the classic "The Polar Express" so make sure to bring a blanket and your favorite snack! 

Every year, Mozar'ts cafe puts on a light show unlike any other. The event has grown through the years and is as good as always. Millionsof lights dance to the rhythm of the longhorn's anthem and Christmas Carols alike. 

Stop by at any time from 6-11 every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day to enjoy the light show and other amenities. They will have pianists through the event and Christmas Carols on certain days. To help with the overflow of people they have closed the parking lot right in front of the cafe and installed a tent were you can get the best hot cocoa with marshmallows included! 

The event is family friendly and the hours are perfect for an afternoon activity in December. Dress accordingly as it gets very cold! 

Austin City Hall is located right across Vic Mathias Shores. It's architecture and size separate this building from the massive developments around it. Don't be afraid to walk in as it is community friendly. You can do so from 8 to 5 Monday through Friday. 
You can schedule a Tour before visiting or you can just walk in. Why would kids have any business in City Hall you ask? The first answer is The People's Gallery. 

The People's Gallery is a showcase of local artists that motivate dialog, understanding and enjoyment of visual art. It is not very interactive, but it's a great opportunity to learn about sculptures, symbols and materials with kids. The best part is that it is a year round and free exhibit. Every year they add to the gallery as they have an open call for submissions from August through October. 

Happy THANKSGIVING to all! We are grateful to live in this amazing city that keeps growing and offering us new things to explore. We are grateful for our amazing kiddos that keep comming back. We are grateful for our donors, sponsors and all our supporters! 

In ATX Kids Club we do educational field trips every day, but did you know we strive for more than just fun? These are some of our goals!

The day is almost upon us! Those who have supported us in the past know what they are in for: a fun-filled evening enjoying Lady Bird Lake and the Austin skyline while mingling with other like-minded individuals. To our newest supporters, here is what you can expect:
The Capital Cruise's flagship will take us on a nice ride around Lady Bird Lake. We will get close to Congress bridge and hear the bats. The second floor is best to appreciate the skyline. There is something about the water that makes you feel at peace, and maybe even more generous than usual.
We will also have plenty of refreshments. Have some wine while meeting many interesting persons. From board members to other supporters we have found out that we attract many amazing people. 
Purchase raffle tickets in advance and get ready for the live auction! This is the first time we do a full live auction. Last year we found out that people had much more fun with it than the silent auction. Practice lifting your paddle as fast as you can to win the amazing prices we have for this year. 
​There is still time to purchase your tickets if you haven't done so already!
Don't forget day light savings ends on November 4th!
Check out photos from previous years

Technological advancement seems like an everyday thing. All of our smartphones have cameras, all we have to wonder is how good of a camera it is. Not long ago we were arguing whether digital media was going to replace printed media. A long time a go, people were glad to replace hand written books with the very first printed ones. We are very lucky to have one of those early prints downtown.  Not so long ago we were exploring how to take pictures using just one dark cube. One of the first photographs is also in Austin. The Gutenberg Bible is the crown jewel of the Harry Ransom Center.

​Gutenberg created molds that went through a press which created the Gutenberg bible. All of the letters had to be created from scratch and then put together to create those molds. The very fist letter designs, now called fonts, were supposed to look like written letters. They have evolved to be more sleek and easier to read in small screens. Everyone should take a look at this more than 500 year old book. 

Ever since 2010 the Harry Ransom Center became the home to the first photograph. It is sealed in an oxygen-free case to protect it. This photograph was taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce around 1826. He started playing with lithographic printmaking (or hellography) because he couldn't draw properly. Instead, he used chemical reactions from a photosensitive surface. 

This museum has many interesting information but you have to learn about it before bringing kids in. It is not very interactive, so you must engage them with data and invite them to imagine what life was like when we didn't have what we are so used to now. This is a great opportunity for them to realize that some things weren't always there, but they can also imagine things that will come after.