Things to Do in Boerne

Beneath Minitown's sky-blue ceilings, children bustle and play in a miniature village with all the trappings of a real city. Locales such as a fire station, a cinema, and a candy shop host droves of kids writing Frasier fan-fiction during each day's open-play sessions. Outside the mini city, kids play in a backyard area with a real train and a piñata station. Minitown frequently hosts birthday parties as well, setting troupes of kids running rampant through the town under the careful supervision of parents and staff.

Castle Hills First Baptist School girls' varsity head coach Tom Springer notched a nomination for 1A Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Coach of the Year after leading his Lady Eagles to regionals. When patrolling the court for Spartan Basketball, he dedicates himself to the improvement of his players, even the ones who can't quit back-flipping off trampolines for crazy slam dunks.

Along with a coaching staff of former collegiate and pro athletes, coach Springer leads various clinics dedicated to scoring, shooting, or team play. To supplement the clinics, Coach Springer’s instructional products put his basketball knowledge into PDF, DVD, and downloadable video formats for both players and coaches to study and practice at home.

Imagination flows without restriction inside Art by Heart Studio as aspiring pintsize and full-size creators soak up artistic techniques on a drop-in basis. From painting, mosaics, and stained-glass projects to more time-tested methods, including sewing and knitting, the studio's instructors can help protégés of any age hoist their talents to the next level. In addition to sharing a wealth of knowledge, Art by Heart Studio repurposes would-be trash into art supplies through its Green Heart Program, which saves items such as empty candy tins, bubble wrap, and shoeboxes from the garbage dump or from having to find secondary jobs in telemarketing.

Aboard his trusty, bright-red Pitts S-2B biplane, Jordan Schultz, the primary flight instructor at USA Aerobatics, blows loop-de-looping wind beneath the wings of aspiring pilots and whisks thrill seekers into the wide blue yonder for 30-minute heart-pounding rides. The center's menu of services also occupies sky-curious visitors with advanced aerobatics classes, safety training, diagnostics for old or new biplanes, and philosophical discussions on why clouds shape themselves like animals. Thanks to the consistently fine weather of the Texas Hill Country, Jordan and his sturdy craft can keep on flying pretty much all year round.