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AUGUST 2017
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Editor’s Note Say it ain’t so – it’s back to school time already! Have you had enough summer fun? Worry not; there’s still a month to go, and if I know anything about Portland families, it’s that you won’t let that month go to waste. There’s still plenty of sunny days and warm weather adventuring left, and our trusty event calendars, both print (on p. 28) and online (nwkidsmagazine.com/events), are here to help. September is inevitable, though, so we also bring you tips and tricks on maximizing back to school shopping without maxing out your budget – consignment and resale shops are the way to go, and our town is bursting with options. Your kiddos will definitely need new-to-them duds and gear for all the running, jumping, dancing and moving around they’ll be doing, both at school and after. We rounded up the coolest athletics and movement focused afterschool programs around, to get all that pent-up energy out before dinnertime! You’ve probably heard about the global event happening this month that is passing right over our heads: that’s right, I’m talking about the Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 on August 21. Got your eclipse glasses and prime viewing spot? Hope so, because it’s going to be massive. Brush up on viewing tips on p. 30, be safe and be amazed!
Karel
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Contents AUGUST 2017 8 Color Me Cover Contest Winners 10 6 Simple Steps for Back to School Resale Shopping and Savings
22 Oh! The Drama! Family theater in Portland 28 Get Out and Play! This month’s local adventures
11 Local Consignment & Resale Shops Resource Guide 16 Move it, Shake it with Afterschool Athletics and Active Play
Contents photography by SOCCER SHOTS
Cover drawing by color me cover contest winner
JAYTEE FRANCO
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magazine Publisher Michelle Snell michelle@nwkidsmagazine.com Editor Karel Chan karel@nwkidsmagazine.com Connect With Us: • Phone: 503.282.2711 • email: contact@nwkidsmagazine.com • Facebook: facebook.com/nwkids • Instagram : @nwkidsmagazine • Twitter: @nwkids • Pinterest: pinterest.com/nwkids NW Kids is published monthly by Miche Media, LLC. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy; sometimes we make errors. Please let us know when we do and accept our apologies. Printed locally; Please recycle.
Advertising Director Laurel Carrasco laurel@nwkidsmagazine.com Graphic Designer Robyn Barbon robyn@folkloremedia.com Client Services Coordinator Mary Brady mary@nwkidsmagazine.com Advertising Inquiries: 503-282-2711, ext. 1 sales@nwkidsmagazine.com Accounting & Business Services Heather Rex heather@nwkidsmagazine.com
Listings Aim High Martial Arts...................................20 Aiston Law, LCC................................................ 2 All Families Surrogacy...................................21 Bamboo International School........................19 Barre3.............................................................13 Beanstalk .......................................................13 Bella Stella.....................................................13 Bennett Suzuki...............................................25 Black Wagon..................................................12 Brain Balance.................................................12 Club Pilates.....................................................21 Connections Academy...................................31 Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids.....................20 Cornerstone Montessori.................................25 Denim & Frills ...............................................12 Dragonfly Children’s Dance............................21 Engineering for Kids......................................20 German International School........................18 Girl Scouts......................................................19 6 | NW Kids Magazine
Hearing Resources Audiology Center............21 iFLY Portland.................................................... 3 K12................................................................... 9 Krugers Farm..................................................25 Latched On MD..............................................19 Little Fruit Farm..............................................25 My Gym Happy Valley....................................25 Myoptic Optometry.......................................18 NW Children’s Theater....................................20 Once Upon a Child........................................... 9 Oregon Episcopal School...............................27 Park Academy................................................19 Play Fit Fun.....................................................27 Portland Early Learning Project.....................25 Portland Parks and Rec.................................... 7 Portland Trampoline......................................26 Pottery Fun.....................................................15 Saturday Academy.........................................21 Scuola Italiana...............................................25
Seam Divas Sewing Lounge..........................25 Sensational Play.............................................12 Sit Still.............................................................. 7 Skinner Montessori........................................14 Smallfry..........................................................12 Spielwerk Toys................................................14 St. Andrew Lutheran......................................21 Sunshine Montessori.....................................14 SuperKids Resale............................................12 The Kids’ Backyard Store................................26 Tickle Clips......................................................25 Tri-County Farms............................................15 Uniquely Wise................................................25 Westiside Montessori.....................................15 World of Smiles..............................................32 Yoga Playgrounds..........................................15 Zenana Spa....................................................15
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Cover Illustrator and Grand Prize Winner:
Jaytee Franko
Jaytee, age 11, is a soon to be a 6th grader who has been scribbling and drawing since 2006. He’s spent part of his summer vacation in Thailand – his 15th time visiting! Jaytee loves animals, books, math and elevators.
Runners Up:
Silas, age 5
Lily, age 9
Mayu, age 12
Honorable Mention:
Hannah, age 11
Griffin, age 7
Malaina, age 8
Nari, age 7
Olive, age 6
Corah, age 6
Quinn, age 11
Harlow, age 9
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Simple Steps for Back to School Resale Shopping and Savings
by CARMEN RIPLEY-WILSON
Believe it or not, back-to-school shopping is just around the corner! With this particular shopping venture of buying a lot of items at once, finding ways to save is key. One fantastic option is shopping at resale stores. Portland has a multitude of resale shops, including ones that specialize in children’s clothes. These shops hand-select their inventory by considering top-quality items, the season’s needs and customer favorites. You’ll find name-brand clothing at affordable prices so you can make your back-toschool budget go further. Really maximize savings by going through your closets and consigning items for cash, trade or credit! Here are tips for consigning your kids’ outgrown clothing and finding the best pieces at resale stores this month:
go through kiddos’ closets and drawers to see what they will need this school year, put all outgrown clothing, shoes and coats into a bin. Make sure all clothing is freshly washed and shoes are cleaned before taking them to a resale shop.
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Look for items that do double-duty.
If possible, look for shirts, pants, shoes, etc. that can work for at least two seasons (fall/ winter or spring/summer). Here in the Pacific Northwest, items like rainboots and raincoats are necessary most of the year, so be sure to pick up a new set if your kids have outgrown last year’s rain gear.
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Spend some time. Resale shops have
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Clean out the closet. As you
Create a list. Write down the types of clothing you need, how many of each to get and the sizes you’re looking for. Trace each child’s foot on a piece of cardboard for easy shoe checks at the store.
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Make a plan. Check your
local children’s resale shops’ websites to find the hours and days they take inventory. This way, the store staff can go through your consignment items while you shop.
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a wide variety of items. You may need to spend some time searching for the right ones, having your kids try things on and pairing outfits to find those resale gems they’ll love.
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Take more than one trip. While getting your fall, winter and spring items in one trip might be convenient, it’s not always practical. Children outgrow their clothing and shoes very quickly – sometimes before the price tags are even removed. Also, resale shops tend to carry seasonal items, and they frequently receive new inventory.
Local Consignment & Resale Shops Baby & Me
Hazel & Pear
Piccolina
NW Portland (Cedar Mill), Tigard, Hillsboro babyandmepdx.com
SE Portland hazelandpearpdx.com
SE Portland (Clinton, Woodstock) piccolinaresale.com
Baby to Baby
SW Portland hoot-n-annie.com
Hoot-n-Annie
SW Portland babytobabyresale.com
Sweetpea’s SE Portland sweetpearesale.com
EDITOR’S PICKS Beanstalk
Once Upon A Child
3527 NE 15th 8021 SE Stark Contemporary high-quality new and used clothing and gear for ages 0-14, in a bright and spacious atmosphere. beanstalkpdx.com
11505 NE 4th Plain Rd, Ste D-3, Vancouver, WA Boasting 5,000 square feet of baby and kid’s clothing, gear, furniture, books, games, etc… bring your stuff to sell and get cash on the spot! onceuponachildvancouverwa.com
Bella Stella 2751 NE Broadway Resale and new items for baby, kids and maternity, including a wide selection of slings and carriers. bellastellaresale.com
Denim & Frills 10501 NE Hwy 99, Ste. 17, Vancouver, WA Brand name clothing for baby to teen, maternity, toys, furniture and more! denimandfrills.com
Smallfry 4107 NE Tillamook Carefully curated children’s, women’s and maternity clothing, kids’ books and toys. Check out the online shop for specialty items! smallfrypdx.com
SuperKids Resale Consignment Event Portland Sept 21-14, Vancouver Oct 19-22 A seriously giant twice annual consignment sale with basically everything you could possibly need, at sweet resale prices! Check website for specific locations. superkidsresale.com
Quick tips for consigning or selling used items: 1. All items need to be freshly washed. 2. All items need to be free of excessive wear, stains and damage. 3. Most shops take 1 tub or 2 bags at a time. 4. If you have large gear to consign, call first to make sure it’s something the shop can take or has room for. Carmen Ripley-Wilson is the owner and founder of Beanstalk. She brings years of sustainable thinking and environmental awareness to the local clothing, toy and gear resale business. With her medical background, she truly cares about the well-being of families and their exposure to quality clothing, toys and gear. For more information, visit beanstalkpdx.com. NW Kids Magazine | 11
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Move it, Photograph by SOCCER SHOTS
by KELLEY GARDINER
Aim High Martial Arts
Photograph by PLAY FIT FUN
Beaverton and Westside Metro Aim High Martial Arts offers plenty of high-kicking variety for your kiddos. Programs like Lil Warriors and Junior Warriors teach an ageappropriate (that’s ages 4-5 or 6-7, respectively) mix of Taekwondo, Kickboxing and “streetwise selfdefense.” Sounds pretty cool to us. Older kids can choose from Fusion Mixed Martial Arts (Taekwondo, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Western Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Escrima), Taekwondo or Tricking. Take classes at their Bethany location in Beaverton, or call and ask about satellite programs. aimhighma.org
Dragonfly Children’s Dance
Photograph by BRADY KENNEDY for DRAGONFLY CHILDREN’S DANCE
School’s back in session, and it’s time to get back to Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Radness. Looking to add that extracurricular fourth “R” after the bell rings? We found plenty of awesome afterschool programs to get your little one’s extra energy out before dinner and homework time. 16 | NW Kids Magazine
SE Portland Creative Dance is all about expression and figuring out how your body moves through space. At Dragonfly, parents and kids rave about classes that are “a unique dance experience,” “filled with joy” and a “wonderful combination of growth and fun” for preschoolers up through middle school. And since the studio is smack-dab in the Inner Eastside at SE 8th and Belmont in Portland, Mom or Dad can duck out for some adult time during class. dragonflychildrensdance.com
Shake it with Afterschool Athletics & Active Play My Gym Happy Valley
Happy Valley, OR Once your kiddos are settled into their new school year, check in with the friendly folks at My Gym. Families in Happy Valley and the surrounding area can look forward to this gym opening (fingers crossed!) near Greenhouse Square in October. My Gym has over 400 locations, offering modern facilities and programming for kids ages six weeks to 10 years. And there’s “more than just fun fitness classes,” says Jen Anderson-Vue, owner of the Happy Valley location. “Children gain confidence, self esteem and social skills.” mygym.com/happyvalley
Play Fit Fun
Beaverton & Westside Play Fit Fun is set up to be flexible and easy for kids and parents alike, starting right after school and running until 5:30pm. Whether your primary concern is child care, a fun way to get more sedentary kids moving or giving active kids a chance to run out some of that energy before they run back into the house, they’ve got you covered with kid-favorite activities like sharks and minnows, tag and of course, dodgeball. “If they could play dodgeball every session,” says head coach Spencer Rubin, “they certainly would.” playfitfun.com
Portland Parks and Recreation
Portland Metro Area If there’s a Portland Parks and Recreation community center near you, there’s probably an afterschool program that your kiddos can attend. And if you’re not close to a community center? There
might be activities in your neighborhood or school anyway, through partnerships with the city. Thumb through your local center’s brochure, give a call or check the handy online registration system, which allows you to search for any classes by time, day, date, age or activity. portlandoregon.gov
Sensational Play
NE Portland Mindfulness, calm, peace – those are all things we think about when we think about yoga. But what about aerial yoga? Kids ages 4-14 can soar through their afternoon at Sensational Play, where silk hammocks hang suspended from the ceiling. All sessions include mindfulness practice, as well as yoga on the ground and in the air. What do kids say? “I love that it teaches us how to take a break and how to breathe and calm down,” and, “I like that it teaches us how to get stronger and … learn to adapt to doing new things.” sensationalplay.com
Soccer Shots
Portland Metro Afterschool programs all over the Portland Metro area keep your life and planning simple. No running kids around town; just a couple of hours of age-appropriate soccer fun for the kiddos once a week. “Soccer Shots coaches are trained in child development practices,” says Kailyn Lamb, who’s also a coach, “and with the aid of our three age-appropriate curricula, you get more than a soccer program with Soccer Shots. You get a development program.” Want it at your school? Let ‘em know. soccershots.org/pdx
Kelley Gardiner writes winning copy for Portland’s small businesses when she’s not toting her two boys to farmer’s markets and libraries. kelleygardiner.com. NW Kids Magazine | 17
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Oh! The Drama!
Photograph by DAVID KINDER for NORTHWEST CHILDREN’S THEATER
by AFTON NELSON
Family theater in Portland Do you have a dramatic kid, or one who enjoys attending plays? Here in the Portland metro area there is no shortage of theatrical opportunity for little ones and their grown-ups. Just check out these four gems that have been providing a creative outlet for our kids for years.
Oregon Children’s Theatre Oregon Children’s Theatre is entering their 30th anniversary season. Through their plays, acting classes and educational outreach, they’ve helped millions of children build confidence, gain new perspectives and express their creativity. OCT’s Mainstage shows offer a great introduction to theater arts for families with younger children, while Young Professionals Company offers smaller studio shows aimed at middle school-aged kids and teens. ASL shows are available for each Mainstage show. Subscribe to 3, 4 or 5 play packages starting at $60, or purchase single-play tickets starting August 21st. octc.org 22 | NW Kids Magazine
Northwest Children’s Theater and School Northwest Children’s Theater and School produces five Mainstage shows per year and administers one of the largest theater schools on the west coast with year-round theater classes and camps, as well as professional training and performance opportunities for advanced theater students. They offer ASL, audio described and sensory friendly showings of each Mainstage show. Full season package is $52 for kids and $72 for adults. You can also buy 3 and 2 show packages. nwcts.org
Photographs by OWEN CAREY for OREGON CHILDREN’S THEATRE
Journey Theater Arts Group Journey Theater Arts Group’s goal is to encourage youth to express their talents and hone their skills so they can take an active role in presenting professional-level youth and community theater. Amazing teachers, mentors and friends welcome everyone no matter where they are in life or what experience they have in theater. Journey’s professional-quality school-year musicals are exclusively cast with kids ages 8-18. More than 600 area youth conduct 100 performances to bring joy to more than 25,000 ticket holders every year. General admission tickets $15. Please check website for dates and locations. journeytheater.org
STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy Since 2010, STAGES has offered a variety of theater classes to children in grades K-12 focusing on basic theater education as well as specialty classes like musical theater. Their mission is to nurture artistic, intellectual and character development of youth and young adults through an educational theater arts program that develops confidence, respect, cooperation and creative critical thinking. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for students and seniors. All performances are at HART Theatre, 185 SE Washington, Hillsboro. stagesyouth.org
2017-18 Season
Performance Guide Oregon Children’s Theatre Judy Moody & Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt X marks the spot as Judy and her brother Stink set sail on a nautical adventure in this world premiere! Ages 4+ Oct 21 – Nov 19 Pete the Cat: The Musical A classroom favorite! Rockin’ rebel Pete the Cat clashes with total square Jimmy Biddle, until they learn to work together to conquer 2nd grade. Ages 4+ Jan 20 – Feb 18 And in This Corner: Cassius Clay From playwright Idris Goodwin, a rapper and accomplished hip hop poet, comes the empowering story of 12-year-old Cassius Clay’s fight to the top to become Muhammad Ali. Ages 8+ Mar 3-25 The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show Eric Carle’s iconic creatures crawl from page to stage with the help of 75 magical puppets. All ages Mar 31 – May 13 continued on p. 24
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2017-18 Season Performance Guide (continued)
OCT, continued A Year With Frog & Toad Best friends Frog and Toad have an adventure for each season of the year. Ages 4+ May 5-27
Northwest Children’s Theater The Starlings Present: Amelia Earhart’s First Flight The Starlings, NWCT’s all-bird, allpuppet acting troupe, follow Amelia Earhart as she soars through the history of women in flight. Sept 23 – Oct 15 Cinderella Having danced her way through a sell-out run back in 2013, Cinderella returns for the holidays with new scenes, an expanded score and just a pinch more magic. Dec 2 – Jan 1 Chitra: The Girl Prince Featuring epic martial arts sequences and a wide range of dance styles, Chitra tells the story of a warrior princess who struggles to stay true to herself while balancing her responsibility to her people with the call of true love. Feb 3-25 Peter Pan Join Peter, Wendy and friends as they befriend mermaids, battle pirates and revel in the magic of imagination. Apr 21 – May 20
Journey Theater Arts Group Fall 2017 Beaverton – Aladdin Portland – Peter Pan Vancouver – Alice in Wonderland East Vancouver – Elf 24 | NW Kids Magazine
Winter 2017 Beaverton – Bye Bye Birdie Portland – Annie Vancouver – Pirates of Penzance East Vancouver – Little Women Spring 2018 Beaverton – Willy Wonka Portland – Seussical East Vancouver – Fiddler on the Roof
STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy We Are Monsters When kids find a quirky monster cabaret, they learn the importance of friendship and celebrating in the attributes that make each of us different and unique. Oct 7-8 Red Hot Patriot The story of the unsinkable Molly Ivins, the famously brassy newspaper columnist and best-selling author. Nov 4-5 Twelfth Night Viola and Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck. When Viola disguises herself as a man, her crush on Duke Orsino becomes awkward, as does Countess Olivia’s crush on her (him?). Riotous disorder ensues. Jan 5-14 Curtains A parody of 1950s “whodunit” theater mysteries, where a lone detective investigates a series of murders that take place behind the scenes of a fictional 1950’s cowboy musical, Robbin’ Hood. Apr 20 – May 6 Afton Nelson is a Portland writer and mom, who loves exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her family. Learn more about her at aftonnelson.com.
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INDIA FEST
Get Out and Play! This month’s local adventures
Aug 5
Wings & Wheels If you and your family are looking to score Instagram gold, consider donning your best rockabilly garb and high-tailing it to Scappoose Airpark to have your pic snapped with any number of classic muscle cars and/or classic airplanes. There will also be dancing, vendors, food and plenty of activities for the kiddos. Donations welcome, sccchamber.org/wwscope
Aug 5 Obonfest
Obon is a Japanese (and Japanese American) summer celebration in commemoration of Japanese ancestry. Oregon Buddhist Temple’s iteration features live drumming and dance performances, talks and an expansive kids activity area. Free, pdx-obon.com OBONFEST
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RICE NORTHWEST MUSEUM SUMMER FESTIVAL
Aug 5-6
Rice Northwest Museum Summer Festival Treat the geological enthusiasts and lapidary savants in your family to an afternoon of geode cutting, gold panning and educational displays and demonstrations at Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals. Rockhounds rejoice! $5 (kids under 5 free), ricenorthwestmuseum.org
Aug 6
Lents Founders Fair Equal parts neighborhood stroll and festival, the Founders Fair is arranged in a loop that takes participants through NAYA’s intergenerational community, farmer’s market, community tool library, vendors, music, a kids area and - brace yourself - a chicken beauty pageant. Free, oregonwalks.org
Aug 13
India Festival Spend the day appreciating and celebrating Indian culture and its vibrant, vital threads in the fabric of Portlandia! Thanks to our India Cultural Association, this year’s India Fest promises to be a colorful day of dance performances, live music and fivestar food in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Free, icaportland.org
Aug 19
Oregon Bigfoot Festival Bigfoot has a devoted following of researchers, scientists, educators and fanatics that devote their lives to the mysterious beast. Maybe your family wants to meet a few of them - or maybe your family is a few of them. Either way, there will be carnival games, mini golf, food trucks and plenty of assorted Bigfoot ephemera. $5 adults, $2 kids (suggested donation), facebook.com/OregonBigfootFestival
August Highlight Event - Don’t Miss This!
Aug 12
Kids Obstacle Challenge Rooster Rock State Park Corbett, OR Children running at full speed, covered from head to toe in mud, wrestling themselves over physical challenge after physical challenge, screaming, panting. It’s every parent’s dream, really. Kids age 5-16 power through 10-15 obstacles, including a rope swing into a giant mud pit, Army-style mud crawl, soaking wet ball pit and more. Show solidarity by racing right alongside your kiddo(s) - parents run for free, so no excuses! If kids finish the course and are still feeling totally pumped, they can run it again (and again) for just $5 per kid. Pro tip: prepare for the post-course adolescent mudslide by lining the entire inside of your family vehicle with garbage bags. Each ticket purchase includes a race medal and event photos so you can frame their dirty, muddy victory! $46 advance, $56 day of event (parents free). kidsobstaclechallenge.com
Please confirm calendar events and performances as scheduling changes may occur. NW Kids Magazine | 29
Aug 19-20
Aug 24-26
The humble LEGO® brick has, over its lifetime, become a pop culture cornerstone. So it stands to reason that a LEGO® convention would be a nationwide, intergenerational phenomenon. Consider this electrifying event your family’s reward for every barefooted LEGO® mishap. $15-29 events.brickfestlive.com
Three full days of music, competitions (grape stomping and cannoli eating!), children’s entertainment (marionette puppet shows and live action theater!), opera performances and all the food your family can handle (and then, just a little bit more) all in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Free, festa-italiana.org
Brick Fest Live
Aug 21
Total Solar Eclipse You’ve surely heard about this global phenomenon happening this month, with parts of Oregon in the path of totality. The last total eclipse to cross the entire continental US was in 1918! You might have plans to attend one of the many viewing parties across the state, or maybe you’re hoping to just catch a glimpse from within the city (we’ll get an “almost total” eclipse… 99.3% at 10:19am, not too shabby!). Either way, make sure to get a pair of eclipse glasses to properly view the sun - even when it’s partially covered by the moon - to avoid burning your retinas, which causes irreversible damage to your precious peepers! (Sunglasses will not suffice, so please don’t even try.) You can also make a pinhole projector or sun funnel for your telescope to safely view the sun’s image reflected onto a white surface. However and wherever you do it, you’ll be witnessing a truly amazing event for the history books.
Festa Italiana
Aug 25 – Sept 4 Oregon State Fair
All the very best of Oregon is on display at our state fair, and family traditions don’t come more honest than an annual day spent eating roasted turkey legs and fried butter while enthusiastically cheering on your local 4H Club. $8 adults, $6 kids, $1 seniors, oregonstatefair.org OREGON STATE FAIR
For more info, visit eclipse2017.nasa.gov Watch live video streams the day of: nasa.gov/eclipselive Make a sun funnel: eclipse2017.nasa.gov/make-sun-funnel Resources for families and kids: orbitoregon.org
Looking for more? Check out our online calendar: nwkidsmagazine.com/events 30 | NW Kids Magazine
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