DFWChild

09/17/2026

Is my kid in the right school? Are they keeping up? Making more friends? Taking on some of those tricky questions is the focus of this year’s Guide to Education. 

Inside you’ll find more of how to make switching schools a little easier, better questions to get kids talking, and when/if to worry that your child is falling behind.
 
Plus, you’ll find our annual directories of private, public and charter schools. To start your search for a better educational environment for your child, visit dfwchild.com.

09/17/2026

Both kids and adults can join in the GrapeStomp fun at this 40th annual festival, shutting down Main Street to traffic and opening up loads of entertainment. Much of the fest is devoted to kid-focused fun, like the carnival rides and the KidZone with LEGOLAND and Build-a-Bear.

Get the details at dfwchild.com for more fall festivals around DFW this weekend:

🍇 GrapeFest: Sept. 17–20
🎈 Plano Balloon Festival: Sept. 17–20
🎃 Pumpkin Nights, Arlington: Sept. 17–Oct. 31
🐶 Bluey’s Big Play, Fort Worth: Sept. 19–20
🎨 C3 Grand Reopening at Dallas Museum of Art: Sept. 19–20
🪵 Saturday at the Homestead, Lewisville: Sept. 19

Video courtesy Grapevine CVB

09/17/2026

For your kid who never skips a Bluey episode, here’s your chance to see the Heeler family life-size. Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli come to life as puppets in Bluey’s Big Play in Fort Worth this weekend. It’s a short show—under an hour—and families can stick around afterward for a giant game of Keepy Uppy.

For your older kids and everyone else, bring them along to experience hot air balloon rides (don’t worry, they’re kept low to the ground), a nighttime trail glowing with thousands of pumpkins, and more fall festivals around DFW:

🍇 GrapeFest: Sept. 17–20
🎈 Plano Balloon Festival: Sept. 17–20
🎃 Pumpkin Nights, Arlington: Sept. 17–Oct. 31
🐶 Bluey’s Big Play, Fort Worth: Sept. 19–20
🎨 C3 Grand Reopening at Dallas Museum of Art: Sept. 19–20
🪵 Saturday at the Homestead, Lewisville: Sept. 19

Find all the details at the link below.

Photo courtesy Mark Senior

DFWChild calendar editor's recommendations for the best kid-friendly events to enjoy with your family each weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth.

09/16/2026

Texas’ school-day cell phone ban is still in effect, some North Texas districts offer real-time bus tracking, and your school’s front office—not your child’s teacher—is generally the place to start if you need to reach your child during the day.

Brush up on these 5 things Texas to know for the 2026–27 school year at the link in the comments. 🎒 Consider it a short refresher course on cell phone rules, school safety and emergency procedures, transportation, parent portals, attendance policies and planning ahead for older kids.

09/16/2026

You prepare for labor. You learn about feeding. You pack the hospital bag and bring home the baby. But there’s another transition happening at the same time: becoming a mother.

It has a name—matrescence—and it encompasses changes in your body, emotions, relationships, responsibilities and sense of self. DFW moms and maternal mental health professionals share what that transition actually felt like for them.

What is matrescence? DFW experts explain the emotional, psychological, relational and personal transition when a woman becomes a mother.

09/15/2026

Pumpkins, popsicles and plenty to explore. 🎃 We found DFW-area pumpkin patches that work especially well for families with toddlers, with low-walled hay mazes, petting zoos, play areas and other activities geared toward little ones.

Start your prep for your patch visit here:

Explore toddler-friendly pumpkin patches around Dallas-Fort Worth with petting zoos, low-walled hay mazes, play areas, hayrides and free options.

09/12/2026

A Renaissance village with make-your-own s’mores, a farm with roller coasters, and a music festival with a kid-sized creative zone—these fall outings invite your family to play, explore and enjoy the fruits of the season. Find all the details at the link for planning your family roadtrip.

Photo courtesy Pongo and Southwest Festivals, LLC

Looking for Texas fall festivals worth the drive from DFW? Plan a family road trip to these fall festivals in Austin, New Braunfels, Ennis and Oklahoma.

09/10/2026

🎶 The hills are alive … and your family calendar is about to be, too.
If you’re already wondering what to do with the kids this weekend, we’ve narrowed down the options for you. Our top 5 picks for September 11–13 include The Sound of Music on stage, FAN EXPO Dallas, an outdoor sports day, and How to Train Your Dragon under the stars.

Whether your crew wants to dress up, get moving, learn something new or simply settle in for a family movie night, there’s an outing to match the mood.

Send this to your mom group chat to plan your next get together. Details at the link in bio and at dfwchild.com. 💛

Video courtesy The Sound of Music

09/10/2026

When your baby isn’t sleeping independently, it can be hard to know what advice and which approach to follow. Gentle sleep training, cry-it-out, the chair method, or the Ferber Method—no approach is one-size-fits-all.

Here’s how these four common methods differ, plus what DFW pediatricians say about timing, temperament and what parents can consider when deciding what works for their baby and household.

Compare four baby sleep training methods and learn when to start, how each approach works and what pediatricians say families may want to consider.

09/09/2026

Ballet folklórico and Aztec dancing, live mariachi music and a Selena tribute band, and rodeo traditions are all coming up on the calendar soon for Hispanic Heritage Month. We rounded up kid-friendly festivals—most of them with free admission—where families can join in the revelry.

Photo courtesy Visit Fort Worth

Find Hispanic Heritage Month events in Dallas-Fort Worth, including family festivals, mariachi, folklórico, cultural arts, parades and more.