Top 10 can't-miss spring events for kids

April weather is still less-than-blistering, so get out and enjoy this month filled with family fun. From the Maricopa County Fair to festivals and performances aimed at young audiences, here are our top 10 April events kids will love.

4/8-12: Maricopa County Fair

Thrill rides, fried foods, a shark encounter, carnival games and a monster-truck show encourage adults and children to let go off their inhibitions. The event features a livestock show with more than 600 pigs, sheep, goat, cattle, rabbits and chickens; a robotics display; crafts and fine artwork; a shopping pavilion with more than 60 vendors; a science fair; and an exhibit dedicated to Arizona's agriculture. Guests out to try something new will find fried coffee, deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies and mac-and-cheese hot dogs. A magician, juggler and comedian add a circus-like feeling to the fair.

Details: April 8-12. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday. Arizona state fairgrounds, 19th Avenue and McDowell Road, Phoenix. $9; children 7 and younger admitted free; $7 per vehicle for parking. Four free rides for K-6 graders April 9 and free admission for people 55 and older April 8. maricopacountyfair.org.

4/8-12: Disney on Ice presents 'Worlds of Fantasy'

See Tinker Bell, Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen and others perform on the ice. From the racetrack to the deep sea, guests can watch performances of characters from "Cars," "The Little Mermaid," "Pixie Hollow With Tinker Bell and the Disney Fairies" and "Toy Story."

Details: April 8-12. 7 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday; noon and 4 p.m. Sunday. US Airways Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $24-$69. 602-379-7800, usairwayscenter.com.

4/10-26: 'Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley'

Stanley Lambchop is an ordinary 10-year-old. One night, the bulletin board on the wall above his bed comes loose and falls on top of Stanley, who wakes up flat. In this whirlwind musical travelogue, enacted by Valley Youth Theatre, Stanley scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem.

Details: April 10-26. 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10. Noon and 3:30 p.m. Saturdays; 12:30 and 4 p.m. Sundays. Valley Youth Theatre, 525 N. First St. Phoenix. 602-253-8188, vyt.com.

4/11: Gilbert Global Village Festival

Celebrate cultural traditions from around the world at the family-friendly event. See traditional and contemporary forms of dance, music and art while tasting ethnic foods. The event features arts and crafts, and children's activities while offering a friendly and educational way to learn more about culture and traditions.

Details: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, April 11. Gilbert Civic Center, North Campus, 50 E. Civic Center Drive. Free. 480-503-6229, gilbertaz.gov.

4/11: Dirt Road market at Schnepf Farms

A family-friendly affair, Dirt Road market features vintage, antique and handmade items and direct sales. This monthly sale opens the second Saturday of each month from November through April. Special events at the market have included live music, a petting zoo and doggie parade. Admission is free, and the Schnepf Farms children's rides will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., including the roller coaster, Flying Farmers, swinging Lady Bugz, Honeybee Adventure, carousel and train. Rides are $3 each or $12 for an all-day wristband. The farm market, country store, bakery and U-Pick organic garden will also be open.

Details: 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, April 11. 24810 S. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek. Free admission. 480-987-3100, schnepffarms.com, facebook.com/thedirtroadmarket​

4/17: Spring Star Party

Phoenix Astronomical Society members will host a family-friendly evening of astronomy at the Desert Botanical Garden. Parents and children can explore the night sky with high-powered telescopes and participate in interactive activities. Learn to identify constellations, investigate Saturn's colorful rings and view Mars and Jupiter at this Spring Star Party. The class is designed for families with children ages 4-13, but all children 17 and younger are welcome.

Details: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, April 17. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. $20 per family member; $16 for garden members. 480-481-8101, dbg.org/childrenprograms.

4/18: Recycle Arts and Youth Festival

Almost anything, even items fished out of the trash or recycling bin, can be made into works of art. An early celebration of Earth Day, the second annual Recycle Arts and Youth Festival fosters creative thinking about recycling with a recycled-art exhibit, sculpture garden and Echo-Chic Fashion Show. Pre-K through high school students collaborated on art and fashion projects incorporating recycled toys, electronics, jewelry, magazines, photographs and construction items. Local artists and businesses will display their eco-friendly art and products inside the festival's green market. For youth, the event offers a skateboard-painting activity and upcycle design classes.

Details: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, April 18. WHAM Community Art Center, 16560 N. Dysart Road, Surprise. Free admission. Free. 623-584-8311, wham-art.org.

4/18: Vestar Chalk Art Festival

More than a dozen artists will create 8-foot murals during a chalk-art festival at several Valley shopping malls. In the KidZone, children and adults can create their own chalk art and contribute to a large-scale mural. An art instructor will be on hand to work with children. Chalk and hand wipes will be provided. (Incidentally on the same day up north, kids of all ages can participate in the free "Chalk It Up!" event in Prescott.) The Valley's chalk art festival is free, sponsored by Vestar and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance.

Details: 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, April 18. Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Pkwy. Westgate Entertainment District, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, Glendale. Desert Ridge Marketplace, Loop 101 and Tatum Boulevard, Phoenix. Free. http://saaca.org/PHXChalkArt.php

5/3: Gridiron Glory

The Super Bowl is long gone, but not the glitzy memorabilia that arrived with it. This is the last full month to see the Arizona Science Center's interactive "Gridiron Glory" exhibit. Kids can try on and compare vintage uniforms to current equipment and protective gear; compare their body size to NFL players'; and test their throwing and kicking skills. Visitors also can step into a referee's shoes in an authentic NFL Instant Replay Booth. The 5,000-square-foot exhibit features historical artifacts from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. A "Hometown Heroes" zone includes Arizona Cardinal Larry Fitzgerald's shoes and gloves, Kurt Warner's jersey and the Army Ranger Uniform worn by Pat Tillman.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Sunday, May 3. Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix. $28.95; $23.95 for ages 3-17; $8 for members. 602-716-2000, azscience.org.

Ongoing: Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park

If you like seeing wild animals up close and have a particular affection for birds and primates, put this zoo on your list. Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari park boasts more than 80 acres, including a 15-acre Safari Park that opened in 2014. The zoo is home to white lions, jackals, warthogs, giraffes, antelope, baboons, gazelles, lemurs, giant tortoises and parrots. In the aquarium, which opened in 2008, explore more than 80 exhibits, including alligators, jellyfish, a stingray-touch tank, an otter habitat and an indoor-outdoor sea lion exhibit and show.

Interactive exhibits include a petting zoo, a log-flume ride with a three-story splashdown, boat rides, a carousel and a chairlift. An African Train Ride takes visitors inside a habitat for oryx, gazelles, antelope, ostriches, cranes and waterbucks. The park offers food options including Dillion's Restaurant, where you can dine next to a giant shark tank or on a patio overlooking flamingos.

Details: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; aquarium until 9 p.m. 16501 W. Northern Ave., near Litchfield Park. $32; $15.25 for ages 3-12. Aquarium-only admission, 5-9 p.m., is $16.99; $8.99 for ages 3-12; free for ages 2 and younger. Rides are $2.50-$6. 623-935-9453, wildlifeworld.com.

Scott Craven, Laura Latzko and Ashley Whalen contributed to this report.

Kara Morrison covers the kids and families beat for the Arizona Republic. Reach the reporter at kara.morrison@arizonarepublic.com.