Spring break is coming— a time when kids are screaming for joy at all the possibilities of fun; a time when parents are left trying to find a one-week camp for their kids, cobbling together care or trying to keep everyone entertained and away from screens all week long.
RELATED: How to get teens off screens and reading a book this spring break.
Austin, which gets overwhelmed by South by Southwest this week, does have things for kids to do all week, most of which have no South by Southwest tie-ins at all.
Check out a few of these:
See bull riders and the people who try to keep the bull away from the rider at Rodeo Austin. Mark Matson/Rodeo Austin 2014
Events
Rodeo Austin. Watch the pigs race, the bull riders, barrel racers and more. $5-$8 fairgrounds admission, $20-$36 rodeo seats. March 10-24. Expo Center, 9100 Decker Lake Road.
Sherwood Forest Faire. Travel back in time to merry ol’ England with this fair. 10 a.m. to dusk, March 10-12, March 16-18. $12-$22. 1883 Old U.S. 20, McDade. sherwoodforestfaire.com
Kids Fest. Little Yoga House presents this two-day event. Enjoy musical acts, art projects, coding games, films, a family photo booth and Lego animation. Free. 1:30-3:30 p.m. March 13-14.The Little Yoga House Clarksville Location, 1211 Parkway. littleyogahouse.com
Music
123 Andrés aka Andrés Salguero plays Rock & Read at the Domain.
Thinkery. Unofficial SXSW Event: Kids’ Music Showcase. Kids’ music, plus hands-on activities. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 10. Free with admission. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
MyMusicRx + YOU WHO! Rock Show for Kids at the Fader Fort’s new location. 10 a.m.-noon March 15. $25 adults, $30/day of show; free children 10 and younger. Benefits the Children’s Cancer Association. 1501 E. Seventh St. joyrx.org/rockshow
Bill Childs of Spare the Rock on KUTX presents these fun music for family events:
“Hello Dolly! A Tribute to Dolly Parton.” Celebrate Dolly Parton’s music with Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship, Red Yarn, Jon Langford, 1-2-3 Andres, Ms. Kat, Que Pastas, SaulPaul and more. 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. March 16. Scottish Rite Theater, 207 W. 18th St. $3 adults, $1 children. sparetherock.com
Rock & Read at the Domain. Musicians include the Hoots, 1-2-3 Andres, the Que Pastas, Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship. 2-5:30 p.m. March 17. Free. Domain lawn by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Dillard’s. sparetherock.com
KUTx live broadcast kids’ music lineup. The KUTx live broadcast at the Four Seasons during South by Southwest will feature children’s music between the sets each morning. Red Yam and JareBare, March 14. Ms. Kat and SaulPaul, March 15. Laura Doherty and 1-2-3 Andres, March 16. Lucky Diaz & The Family Jam Band and Sugar Free Allstars, March 17. $5 for a wristband for the kids-only stage. $15 for the adult stage. Four Seasons Hotel, 98 San Jacinto Blvd. fourseasons.com
Music and Movement. 11 a.m. March 12, Pleasant Hill Branch of the Austin Public Library.
Austin Ukestra. 1 p.m. March 11, Recycled Reads Bookstore.
Theater
Circus Chickendog has shows all week.
Circus Chickendog’s “1001 Tricks in 1 Hour!” See the original show with rescue dogs. 1 p.m. March 12-16, 10:30 p.m. March 17. $15, free for children younger than 3. The Institution Theater, 3708 Woodbury Drive. chickendog.net.
“Nugget and Fang!” ArtsPower’s musical about a shark and a minnow that get along. $9-$12. Noon March 10. One World Theatre, 7701 Bee Cave Road. oneworldtheatre.org
Zach Theatre presents “Goodnight Moon.” The classic children’s book comes to the stage. 2 p.m. Sundays. $18-$24. Kleberg Stage, 1421 Riverside Drive. zachtheatre.org
Bubble Guppies Live!: “Ready to Rock.” The Nickelodeon cartoon comes to the stage. $19-$29. 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. March 11. Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive. thelongcenter.org
Movies
“Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Fox Searchlight
Alamo Drafthouse. Kids Camp: “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”: 10 a.m. March 10-15, Lakeline. 10:25 a.m. March 11, 10:30 a.m. March 12-15, Mueller. “The Iron Giant”: 12:45 p.m. March 10, 4 p.m. March 11, 7 p.m. March 13, Lakeline. 1:15 p.m. March 10, 4:15 p.m. March 11, 7:15 p.m. March 13, Slaughter Lane. Noon March 3, 6:30 p.m. March 4, 7:30 p.m. March 7, Village. “All Dogs Go to Heaven”: 10:15 a.m. March 10-15, Slaughter Lane. 9:30 a.m. March 17-18, Lakeline. “Back to the Future”: 1:15 p.m. March 17, Slaughter Lane. drafthouse.com
Saturday Movie Matinee, “Despicable Me 3.” 2 p.m. March 10, University Hills Branch of the Austin Public Library.
Women’s History Month Film Series: “Wonder Woman.” 3:30 p.m. March 12, Old Quarry Branch.
Family Movie Night. “Jumanji”: 4 p.m. March 13, Cepeda Branch. “Robots”: 4 p.m. March 15, Cepeda Branch.
Friday Movie Matinee: “Sing.” 3:30 p.m. March 16, Old Quarry Branch.
Books
Asian American Resource Center. Indian American Children’s Literature: Celebrate Indian literature with stories, crafts and games. Free. 2-4 p.m. March 18. Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road. austintexas.gov/aarc
BookPeople 10:30 a.m. story times: Brand New Books: March 10. Colors of Spring: March 12. Heartsong Music: March 13. Ms. Staci: March 14. Princesses and Warriors: March 15. Luchador Legends: March 16. Lucky Day: March 17. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com
Barnes & Noble Events: 11 a.m. Saturdays, story times at all locations: “The Magician’s Hat”: March 10. “The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School”: March 17.
Teen Book Club. “Bunker Diary”: 3 p.m. March 10, Central Library.
NBTween Book Club. “The Girl Who Drank the Moon”: 4 p.m. March 14, Howson Branch. “The Nest”: 6 p.m. March 15, Spicewood Springs Branch.
The Third Floor Corridor: Teen Harry Potter Club. 2 p.m. March 18, Central Library.
Art
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum has hands-on crafts all week. LAURA SKELDING / AMERICAN-STATESMAN 2013
Williamson Museum. Hands on History. Learn about the founding of Williamson County as the county celebrates 170 years, plus make a craft of the county namesake. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 10. Williamson Museum, 716 Austin Ave., Georgetown. williamsonmuseum.org
Blanton Museum of Art. Look. Think. Make. Drop in and make art every Thursday. Noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free on Thursdays. Blanton Museum of Art. 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. blantonmuseum.org
Bullock Museum. Spring Break at the Bullock. Hands-on activities, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 12-16. Bullock Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave. thestoryoftexas.com
Crafternoon. 2 p.m. March 14, Cepeda Branch. 2:30 p.m. March 14, Carver Branch. 3 p.m. March 12, Dove Springs Recreation Center.
Perler Bead Saturdays. Noon March 10, University Hills Branch.
Umlauf Sculpture Garden Family Day. Learn different forms of exercise as a family, plus make art. Noon to 4 p.m. March 11. Free. Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 605 Robert E. Lee Road. unmlaufsculture.org
Thinkery. Take Apart Art: Ages 4 and up. 10:30 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. March 16-18. $8. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
Contemporary Austin. Art Free for All. Explore Laguna Gloria and make art at this open house. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 10. Free. Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St. thecontemporaryaustin.org
Technology
The Colossal Robotic Hand is open at the Hill Country Science Mill.
Texas Museum of Science and Technology. This Cedar Park museum and planetarium will close after March 18. Currently you can see the exhibit “Amazing Butterflies” and do the TimeWalk, journey through the Precambrian and Jurassic eras and into the Holocene period. $18-$12. 1220 Toro Grande Drive, Cedar Park. txmost.org.
Hill Country Science Mill. Robot Mania. Special hands-on activities. March 12-16. Hill Country Science Mill, 101 Lady Bird Lane, Johnson City. sciencemill.org
Tween STEM Lab. Electric Sculpture with Squishy Circuits. 3 p.m. March 16, Cepeda Branch.
Teen Tech Week: Robot Petting Zoo: 2 p.m. March 11, Central Library. “Ready Player One”: 2 p.m. March 12. Pi Day: 1:30 p.m. March 14, Central Library. Bristle Bots: 2:30 p.m. March 15. Stop Motion Animation: 2 p.m. March 16, Central Library.
Thinkery. Cow Eye Dissection: Ages 4 and up. 10:30 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. March 10-12. $8. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
The Easter Bunny will be at Hill Country Galleria and other malls around town.
Other fun
Toybrary Austin. Spring Break Staycation Party with Spunky Kids: 10:30 a.m. March 15. $10. Daddy and Me Playdate: Let’s Go Fishing: 10:30 a.m. March 17. $10. Toybrary Austin, 2001 Justin Lane. toybraryaustin.com
Tabletop Tuesday. Games to play. 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Central Library.
“PAW Patrol” Party. 10:15 a.m. March 16, Carver Branch.
Easter Bunny photos. Noon-6 p.m. March 18. Hill Country Galleria Central Plaza. Free, but photos available for purchase. hillcountrygalleria.com 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Noon-6 p.m. Sundays, Barton Creek Square. simon.com/barton-creek-square. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Noon-6 p.m. Sundays, Lakeline Mall, simon.com/mall/lakeline-mall Round Rock Premium Outlets, premiumoutlets.com/outlet/round-rock
Caring Bunny. For kids with special needs and sensory disorders and their families. 9-10:30 a.m. March 18. Barton Creek Square and Round Rock Premium Outlets. 10-11:30 a.m. March 18, Lakeline Mall. Free, but you need to register, simon.com/barton-creek-square; premiumoutlets.com/outlet/round-rock simon.com/mall/lakeline-mall