It’s going to be a beautiful end of January weekend, with sunny skies and highs in the 60s. Hooray!
Here are some fun things to do this weekend with your kids:
Friday
Wildflower Center. Sprouts. Hands-on preschool program. 10 a.m. Friday.Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. wildflower.org.
Tinkering Tots: Let’s Create a Soundscape. 9:45 a.m. Fridays for 2-year-olds; 10:45 a.m. Friday for 3-year-olds. $20 a class. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
Enjoy the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. DEBORAH CANNON / AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Saturday
Wildflower Center. Nature Play Hour. Play in the Family Garden. 11 a.m. Saturdays. Winter Tree Fest. Celebrate trees and climb one in the arboretum. There will be s’mores. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. wildflower.org.
Baby Bloomers for kids infant to 3. Study light this month. 9 a.m. Saturday. $5. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
BookPeople events. Cynthia Levinson reads “The Youngest Marcher.” 2 p.m. Saturday. Story times. Paramount Theatre. 11:30 a.m. Saturday.BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com
Barnes & Noble 11 a.m. Saturday story times at all locations: “I’ll Never Let You Go,” Saturday.
Harry Potter Party. 2 p.m. Saturday, Howson Branch of the Austin Public Library.
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” began the book and movie series.
Saturday and Sunday
“The Thing in Grandma’s Closet.” Pollyanna Theater presents this story of two siblings finding something mysterious in their grandmother’s closet. Best for third- to fifth-graders. 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $10.50-$13.50. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive. thelongcenter.org
Hill Country Science Mill. Fact or Fiction Scavenger Hunt. Gather your team for the ultimate scavenger hunt at the Science Mill. At least one person in the group will need a smartphone to participate. Free with admission. Saturday and Sunday. Hill Country Science Mill, 101 S. Lady Bird Lane, Johnson City. sciencemill.org.
Plush Pillows. Sew a pillow. For ages 8 and up. 11:15 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. $8. Digital Bling. For ages 8 and up. Sew a creation with bling. 1:15 p.m. or 3:15 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $8. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
It also will be a great weekend to take the kids on a hike or for a picnic. We recommend:
Stop in at the Austin Nature & Science Center and hike along the trails behind the aviary.
See the peacocks at the Mayfield Park and then hike a trail along the lake.
Try out the disc golf course and the playground at Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park.
Walk along Lake Pflugerville at Lake Pflugerville Park.
Play in the Family Garden at the Wildflower Center, explore the trees in the arbor and hike along the meadow trails.
From left, Briana So-Morris, 5, Alec Blondin, 13, and his sister, Ashley Randall, 5, uncover a Mastadon at the Dino Pit at the Austin Nature and Science Center Sunday. American-Statesman 2004
