New Mexico Kids! and free things to do this summer

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When I was a kid and we ate at restaurants, my dad would always pick up one of those freebie publications in the lobby areas. His favorite was the Thrifty Nickel, which listed items for sale, pets, services for hire, etc. He was always looking for a deal on a used car he could work on. I just liked looking at what people were selling.

I got in the habit of picking up the Thrifty Nickel myself and then others when they appeared on the scene. There are some good free newspapers, even these days, and last week I picked up one called New Mexico Kids! (they have the ! after their name, just like Live and Learn New Mexico! Anything with NM in it should be followed by !, don't you think?)

Anyway, I took a look at what is happening this summer for kids in New Mexico, and there is a lot. I thought I'd list a few of the ones I would like to do:

  • Shidoni Foundry: Check out this bronze foundry and sculpture gardens at Shidoni in Tesuque. The photo for today's post, at Shidoni, is the Buck McCain Cowboy. 
  • Next door to Shidoni is Tesuque Glassworks, open all week. See artists create glass artwork.
  • Check out the New Mexico Kids! newspaper for great hiking trails and tips for hiking around the state.
  • Storytelling!!! This is something I remember from my own childhood. We have incredible storytellers, including Joe Hayes, Cathryn McGill, and Sue Wolf. Let's turn away from technology for a moment and listen to a great story told by a great storyteller.   
  • Museum Hill in Santa Fe is offering free hands-on workshops for children ages "3-103", including pottery, native foods, shell jewelry, and retablos. 
  • On June 15, at 10:30, Alamosa Library, Animal Humane of NM will teach kids pet care basics. 
  • On June 16, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, 9 a.m to noon. Free: the art of observation while bird watching and going on nature walks. 
Those are just a few of the free things going on this summer. The New Mexico Kids! publication also has lots of ads for summer camp, summer school, and other activities, not all of them free. It's fun to read on this lazy Sunday, and it has lots of good ideas for things to do this summer. 

Hope your weekend has been good. Hope you've learned something along the way. 

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