Friday May 22-Saturday May 23

The Memphis Children's Theatre Festival will be held at Rhodes College this weekend. Hosted by Voices of the South, this festival features theatre, music, games, food, and more! Go to this website for a detailed schedule of the events.

The cost for Friday's events is $10 per person with grounds opening at 6:30pm for a picnic and things wrapping up at 9:30 pm. An artist will be there to do free caricatures, there will be circus performances including aerial stunts and stilt walking, a performance of "Frindle", live music by Two Way Radio, a milk and cookie buffet and more. It looks to be a lot of fun.

Saturday's admission is pay what you can. The performances include one of my favorite tales, "The Red Shoes" by Hans Christian Andersen. You can also watch performances of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "The Ugly Duckling", "School House Rocks" and many more. There are a host of activities that day including face painting, bubbles, sculpture, games, and more. The festival on Saturday begins at 9:30 am and ends at 4:30 pm.

I just have to share this with you

At Borders in Germantown, there is an awesome bargain section. The section includes a lot of children's books at great prices. My favorite find that I went ahead and bought for my child (a whole year before she will probably even play it) is a four game set for only $12.99.

This four game set includes childhood favorites: Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders, Memory, and Hi Ho Cherry O. If you buy these games separately, you'd probably pay twice that amount or more. I first saw this game set there a few months ago and passed on it because my child is too young to play these games at this point, but I couldn't pass up on a good deal twice. Now that I have got our game set, I don't have to worry about it selling out! I just wanted to share this great deal with you guys. Don't you remember how much you loved Candy Land?

Wednesday June 10

This looks like fun and it is at a good price!

Saturday May 23

Sunset Symphony is an annual downtown Memphis event at Tom Lee Park. I have never been, but I have heard a good time is always had. It is Saturday May 23rd from 2pm to 9pm. The cost is $8.00 per person and is free for children 6 years old and younger. Music will be performed by Three Dog Night and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. There will be food vendors, but you may also pack a picnic and beverages. Be sure to bring a blanket to relax while taking in the sunset on the river. Check out the Sunset Symphony website for more information.

Monday May 18

The Memphis Zoo is having Stroller Cubs on Monday May 18 from 10 am-10:45. Stroller Cubs is storytime designed for children ages 18 months to 4 years old. If you are a zoo member, the cost is only $5. The cost is $15 if you are not and that includes the price of admission. The story that will be read is “Erick’s Hungry Winter” (A young elk’s tale) By Lois L. Sando. Visiting with specific animals and playtime are part of Stroller Cubs. We should be attending this one. Hope to see you guys there!

For more information, go to the Education section of the Memphis Zoo's website.

Saturday May 9

Saturday May 9 will be filled with music with two separate events you can take your little ones to that day.

The Germantown Performing Arts Center hosts a special monthly musical event for kids called Peanut Butter & Jam.

May 9th's PB&J has a Big Band theme. There are two times you can attend-either at 9:30 am or at 10:30 am. It costs $8 for children and it is free for adults. Call 751-7500 or go to this website for more information. We went to one and it was a lot of fun!

At 2pm on May 9th, there will be a benefit for Revolutions Community Bicycle Shop in the Cooper-Young area. Revolutions assists people in repairing/rebuilding their bicycles for no cost. The kid-friendly part of the event is a concert.
Bands play from 2pm-midnight.
The schedule is:
2:00pm Soul Enforcers
3:00pm While I Breathe I Hope
3:45pm Monsieur Jeffrey Evans
4:45pm Two Way Radio
5:45pm Pezz
6:45pm Hope Clayburn
7:45pm Yazoo Shakes
8:45pm Jessica Jones
9:20pm Jeffrey James and the Haul
10:20pm Bluff City Backsliders
11:20pm Bulletproof Vests

The cost is $10 per person for an all day pass. Kids under 12 get in free. There will be grassy areas to relax, so be sure to bring a blanket to sit on. There will also be a moonbounce, which kids always love. There will be water and other beverages for kids. Food is provided by the Cooperative Association of Memphis. Prior to the concert, there will be a bike ride that will also benefit Revolutions, but those 16 and up are the only ones who are asked to ride bikes for this event. For more information on the bike ride or the concert, go to the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center's website.

Thursday May 7

The first Thursday of every month, Cooper Young hosts a special night out. There are things to do for grownups and for kids from 5pm-9pm.

There is family-friendly live music all around the area. The event on May 7th includes special performances by Valerie June and Jason Freeman. They will be performing at the gazebo at the corner of Cooper and Young. Both musicians can also be seen in MTV's Five Dollar Cover.

At Young Avenue Deli and Soulfish Cafe, bring your child in for dinner and their meal is free with the purchase of your dinner that night. Central BBQ is offering half price BBQ Nachos. There are so many more things to do and see, so go check out the Cooper Young Night Out website to learn more about these great monthly events and the one that will be hosted on May 7.