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Drumroll, please… 🥁

It’s that time again! Backpacks are coming out of hiding, lunch boxes are getting a fresh scrub, and kids all over Austin are gearing up for another year of big ideas and even bigger adventures. And we’re here for it.

Say hello to our 2026 Fun Back to School Essentials: Comfort, Creativity, and Cool Tech guide — our annual roundup of the gear, gadgets, and just‑plain‑awesome finds that make heading back to school feel like leveling up.

Let the school‑year adventure begin.

If you’ve lived in Austin long enough, you’ve probably heard whispers about her… the queen of the Courtyard… the feathered matriarch who has captured thousands of hearts. For more than a decade, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has been home to a nesting pair of great horned owls — and the star of the show is the incredible Athena.

Each year, thousands tune in to the Wildflower Center’s live “owl cam” to watch Athena lay her eggs, incubate them, and (fingers crossed!) raise her owlets.

This year has been an emotional roller coaster. After laying two eggs in early March, the first owlet sadly didn’t make it. Then, as temperatures dropped, it looked like the second owlet hadn’t survived either — and Athena appeared to have abandoned the nest.

But then… a tiny miracle. A camera caught the slightest movement. The baby is alive!!

Follow the baby's journey.

Texas summers don’t tiptoe in—they show up early, stay late, and bring every bit of the heat. By the time spring rolls around, Austin‑area families are already gearing up for long days outside, weekend lake trips, camp drop‑offs, and every splash pad, pool, and river spot Central Texas has to offer.

To make summer easier (and a lot more fun), we’ve curated the 2026 Kids’ Summer Essentials, Gear & Travel Guide. This guide highlights kid‑friendly products that help families stay cool, safe, organized, and adventure‑ready—whether you’re traveling, heading to camp, splashing at the pool, or spending lazy afternoons on the lake.

Award winning children’s and maternity consignment sale Just Between Friends Williamson County is coming back to Leander on April 29th-May 2nd, 2026!

JBF Williamson County is a bargain hunter’s dream with 28,000 sq ft of quality items inspected by a recall specialist for 50-90% off of retail prices.

Bring your family, friends, besties, or make it a meet-up for your Mom group. Children, strollers, and wagons welcome.

Read on for details and enter for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate or one Prime Time Shopping pass.

Mark your calendars and gather your crew — KidFest is back on May 2, 2026, and this year’s celebration is shaping up to be the most exciting one yet! Think big energy, big smiles, and big memories all packed into one unforgettable afternoon.

Warm enough for splash pad season, don’t you think? There are plenty of splash pads in and around Austin. And we've made a list of all of them, including schedule and pricing info.

It's never too early to start thinking about summer camps. Especially when registration for some summer camps are already open or closing soon or when they're free.

Free camps? Yes, there is such a thing as free camps. We've done quite some research to find camps in and around Austin (up to a 4 hr radius) that are not a financial burden to families, especially families that already have enough to worry about.

Glori, Miracle Dog by Jan Crossen tells the touching story of a blind pug who was abandoned in the wilderness and left to survive on her own. Inspired by a real-life dog, this story gently introduces young readers to themes of hardship, hope, and compassion in a way that feels safe and uplifting.

The tone of the book is warm and reassuring, even as it touches on difficult moments. Children will follow Glori’s journey from loneliness to love, meeting the kind people who help change her life from a caring rescuer to a compassionate veterinarian and supportive community. The storytelling emphasizes that even in tough situations, kindness can make a powerful difference.

Read Yoora's book review.

Pflugerville’s most pfun, pfree, and pfamily‑pfriendly celebration is back — and this year’s Slice of Pflugerville is shaping up to be the most vibrant one yet. Every corner of Downtown Pflugerville transforms into a living, breathing showcase of culture, music, pflavors, and connection. If you’ve ever wanted to experience the heart of Pflugerville in one joyful, high‑energy day, this is it.

From the main stage to the food trucks to the artisan booths, every part of Slice of Pflugerville is curated to bring people together — neighbors, newcomers, families, and friends — all sharing one big, beautiful community moment.

We did something super cool on Tuesday. Of course, we picked the hottest day of the week, but it was a blast and probably a once in a lifetime experience — although, we could do it again every Tuesday in April, May, and September.

So, what did we do? We rode our bikes on the only Formula 1 and MotoGP racetrack in the country — Austin's Circuit of The Americas!

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