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Art&Seek Jr: Ring In The New Year With These Family-Friendly Events

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This is a tough time of the year for the tinies. Since October the calendar has been positively bursting at the seams with fun things for them to do. In the 12 weeks between Halloween and Christmas the little kiddles have jumped into everything from fabulous fall festivals to yuletide spectaculars.

No doubt about it, it’s been a fun ride. Maybe a little too fun, because now the kiddos have to come down off their Christmas cookie high and get back into a routine. You can make the transition a little easier with one of these family-friendly outings.

Head to the DMA on Thursday for a night of no-phones fun. photo: Dallas Museum of Art

Head to the DMA on Thursday for a night of no-phones fun. photo: Dallas Museum of Art

Are your kids permanently attached to their devices to the point of being downright anti-social? The Dallas Museum of Art has just the thing to help your internet junkies get re-engaged with the world around them. Disconnect to Reconnect is a no-phone event that uses the museum as a social platform for kids to make new friends through activities like poetry slams, art tours, and the art espionage adventure the DMAzing Race. The event is for teens, by teens, but everyone is welcome.

Looking for something with a little CATitude? Check out Divine Felines. Photo: Dallas Museum of Art

Looking for something with a little CATitude? Check out Divine Felines. Photo: Dallas Museum of Art

Speaking of the DMA, be sure to check out Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt exhibition. Even if you’re not a huge fan of kitty cats, you’ll find this show fascinating. It features more than 80 objects exploring wild and domestic cats, feline deities, cat burial practices and luxury items decorated with feline features, as well as a small section on dogs. The show closes this Sunday, so don’t wait.

Put the diet on hold for one more weekend. Photo: Prairie Dogs Lone Star Dutch Oven Society

Put the diet on hold for one more weekend. Photo: Prairie Dogs Lone Star Dutch Oven Society

Everything tastes better when it’s cooked outside. Anyone who has ever cooked Spam on a camping trip will know exactly what I’m talking about. Those interested in learning more about cooking al fresco should join the Prairie Dog chapter of the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society this Saturday for a Dutch Oven Demonstration. They’ll be cooking up snacky/finger foods for you to sample from 11 to 4 p.m. at the Log Cabin Village in Fort Worth.

Get artsy-fartsy at Sunday Funday. Photo: Irving Arts Center

Get artsy-fartsy at Sunday Funday. Photo: Irving Arts Center

It’s going to be cold this weekend which means it’s the perfect opportunity to snuggle up with your favorite little person and create some art at Irving Art Center‘s Second Sunday Funday event. All the art supplies are free you just have to provide the inspiration. And speaking of inspiration, you’ll find plenty at Rarely Seen: Photographs of the Extraordinary from National Geographic Society, which is on display through Jan. 29

Embrace the winter weather with a little skating at Panther Island Ice. Photo: Trinity River Vision Authority

Embrace the winter weather with a little skating at Panther Island Ice. Photo: Trinity River Vision Authority

Looking for ways to keep that New Year’s resolution? Take a spin around the rink at Panther Island Ice, Fort Worth’s only outside ice skating rink. The popular rink is only open until Jan. 16 so don’t delay. Admission is $12, which includes skate rental.

Check out toys from days gone by at the Building Toys and Toy Buildings exhibition. Photo: Dallas Center for Architecture

Check out toys from days gone by at the Building Toys and Toy Buildings exhibition. Photo: Dallas Center for Architecture

Ever want to show the kids the cool stuff you use to play with when you were a child? Well, here’s your chance. Head over to the Dallas Center for Architecture for the Building Toys and Toy Buildings: Architecture Through A Child’s Eyes. The exhibition includes a variety of both vintage and modern toys and looks at the various toy buildings in existence with a special emphasis on doll houses, including  one of the first Barbie Dream Houses and a house built by an architect for his daughter in the 1970s. Other highlights include buildings from the Fisher-Price collection,  metal toys of the Marx Company, and a 6-foot tall K’Nex Ferris Wheel made up of 8,550 individual pieces. The show itself is “hands-off,” but visitors can design and build their own houses with blocks, TinkerToys and LEGOs in a special “Construction Zone.”