This past week, we had so much fun in Dripping Springs, Georgetown, San Antonio, and right at home. Halloween was a blast, but these other four events and activities are what we highly recommend to everyone else. Join us as we recap our highlights and hopefully inspire your own next adventure in this beautiful region of Texas!
What topped our list this week…
1. We reached our goal of 1,000 Hours Outside!
The 1000 Hours Outside movement encourages families to spend more time in nature, aiming for 1,000 hours of outdoor activity each year. Founded by Ginny Yurich, this initiative promotes the physical, mental, and developmental benefits of outdoor play as an alternative to excessive screen time. You track your hours outdoors (individually or as a family) to develop a lasting habit of enjoying nature. The movement has gained popularity worldwide, with families using printable trackers and mobile apps to log their progress.
We started tracking our hours outside four years ago. We didn’t make it to 1000 in the first two years, but last year, we hit our goal by mid-December, and this year, the three of us who keep track exceeded 1000 hours before the end of October! 1000 hours may not sound like a lot of time, but it really is a difficult goal to reach.
I highly encourage your family to try it out for 2025! Since doing this, we’ve had significantly less illness, no more sunburns, less sensitive feet (due to being barefoot often), increased tolerance to heat, more risky play, and so much fun together.
You can access various trackers here directly from the official site, and you can check out Yurich’s books about the benefits of outdoor play, as well as recognizing the impact that screen time, anxiety, and our indoor, sedentary lives have on children today.
2. Kid Librarian Winner!
The Kid Librarian drawing at Dripping Springs Community Library is a new program that recognizes young readers’ enthusiasm for books and libraries. Aimed at children over age 8, this award allows recipients to experience the role of a librarian for a day. Winners help with library tasks, recommend books, and participate in behind-the-scenes activities, offering them a unique perspective on library work.
Our 9-year-old was the lucky winner this week, and she was ecstatic to spend the afternoon with Ms. Olivia at the library, along with two friends who were very curious about the program. My happy girl got to do the tour, set up a whole display of recommended reads, shelve books in the children’s library, record a book review for social media, and ask as many questions as she wanted about life as a librarian.
If this is something your kids would be interested in, there’s a slip of paper at Ms. Olivia’s desk in the children’s section of the library where you can input your info and submit it for the drawing done each week.
3. Day Trip to Georgetown: The Theater and Creative Play
The Georgetown Palace Theatre is currently showcasing Charlotte’s Web as part of its Theatre for Young Audiences program. This adaptation of E.B. White’s classic story brings to life the endearing friendship between Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider, who weaves words into her web to save Wilbur from the butcher.
Our group of kids loved every minute of the play! It kept their attention and tugged at their heart strings. It was such a great way to fall in love with Charlotte’s Web all over again.
Unfortunately, the showing scheduled for Nov 9th just sold out, but schools or homeschool groups may still be able to schedule field trips on weekdays through November 8. If Charlotte’s Web doesn’t work out, though, I’m sure your family would enjoy other performances.
For more information on upcoming productions, visit their Theatre for Young Audiences page.
Before or after the show, the Creative Playscape at San Gabriel Park is a MUST-visit, as well as the Hat Creek in downtown Georgetown. Both have fun playgrounds and space for imaginative play in nature. If you lunch and play at Hat Creek, you can take a very quick stroll downhill to Blue Hole Park to splash, skip rocks, or walk the trails. Definitely plan to make a full day trip out of your visit to the theater.
4. Marching Band Competition
The UIL Area Marching Band Contest was held in San Antonio on November 2, 2024. This contest brought together the regional qualifiers to compete for a spot in the UIL State Marching Band Championship. The competition was amazing, despite a little bit of rainy weather, and featured dynamic performances, intricate marching formations, and outstanding musicality as bands aimed to secure their place in the prestigious state finals.
The UIL State Marching Band Contest will be hosted at the Alamodome from November 11-12th, 2024, and the Dripping Springs Tiger Marching Band will be competing!
If you’ve never attended a marching band competition, you should check one out. The talent on the field is incredible; the performances are unique and interesting; and much of the music will drum up a bit of nostalgia within.
For more details, you can visit the Alamodome’s official event page: Events | Alamodome.
That’s a wrap on this week’s adventures! What made your week unforgettable? Share below!
I’d love to hear from you! What’s your favorite thing to do in the Texas Hill Country?