2021 ParentMap Gift Guide

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Made in Washington Unique gifts for everyone on your list — homegrown in our own backyard

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10 Hottest Toys for the 2021 Holidays Grab these gizmos and games before they’re gone

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PNW INSIDE + OUT

DECEMBER PLAY LIST Lights, salmon, action!

Top holiday events and outings for PNW families P. 8

2021 Gift Guide

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Gift Guide

Made in Washington Unique gifts for the giving season — homegrown in our own backyard

By Jenna Vandenberg

While the personal benefits of shopping locally are numerous — that cozy feeling of walking into an independent bookstore, receiving that personal recommendation, discovering a unique item — the community benefits are innumerable and exponential.

Purchasing locally creates a domino effect, since locally owned and operated businesses often purchase from other resident suppliers, thereby keeping money circulating in our local economy. Shopping locally not only helps to ensure that people in our community have jobs, but also causes our

region’s tax base to thrive, which in turn benefits publicly funded jobs, programs and community spaces.

Fortunately, Washington is awash in handcrafted toys, spicy chili sauce, native art, great books and upcycled cotton clothing.

Here are a few ideas for your next local shopping spree.

Terrific toys Designed to be educational and beautiful, Mirus Toys’ creations (mirustoys.com) are perfect for home-schooling families,

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GI F T GUI D E

Explore. Shop. Eat. Mingle.

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Rainbow color-sorting toy by Mirus Toys; photo courtesy mirustoys.com continued from page 3

parents trying to stay away from ubiquitous plastic toys and people looking for an heirloom-quality gift. These gorgeous puzzles, games and charts are handcrafted by a team of five Vancouver, Washington, women.

Wooden blocks, modular tree house sets, 6-foot growth-chart rulers and more can all be found at Manzanita Kids (manzanitakids.com). Items are made by a Gig Harbor husband-and-wife team in their home shop using Forest Stewardship Council–certified wood.

The five locally owned Snapdoodle Toys & Games stores (snapdoodletoys.com), in Kenmore, Redmond, Seattle, Issaquah and Totem Lake, are treasure troves of toys made by local creators and businesses. Be sure to check out Prism Kites (prismkites.com). This Seattle-based company produces flip kites that spin like a kaleidoscope, hardy kites to harness the wind from atop a snowboard and everything in between.

For indoor toys with a winter theme, check out Sumner’s Toysmith (toysmith.com). The company’s latest seasonal items include a build-your-own-snowman kit, slime with metallic snowflakes to mix in, and a growing yeti that emerges from an iceberg when submerged in water.

You support two businesses with one toy purchase when you snag a Funko Pop! Webbly vinyl figure (aquasox.milbstore.com).

In 2019, Everett-based Funko partnered with the

Unique shopping experience in the heart of Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood.

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Everett AquaSox, a minor league baseball team. The team’s mascot, a tree frog named Webbly, is both a collector’s item and a local favorite.

Brand-new company ViBuGo (vibugo.com) recently released its first family card game, Stack the Scoops. Created during the pandemic by a 9-year-old, the game involves taking turns matching ice cream sets to collect points. The colorful card game is easy to learn, travel-friendly and provides a bit of math practice. The company has more games in development.

Beautiful books and amazing art Started by Asia Citro, a local mom and former teacher, Innovation Press (theinnovationpress.com) is one of the fastest-growing small publishers in the United States. The press publishes Citro’s own chapter-book series, “Zoey and Sassafras,” as well as her nonfiction titles featuring endless ideas for kids’ activities. Other excellent books include “Your Name Is a Song” by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, in which a young girl learns about the musicality and cultural background of her gorgeous yet often mispronounced name, and “Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter” by Christine Evans.

Seattle-based Mountaineers Books (mountaineers.org) has published and sold climbing guides and maps for more than 60 years.

For those less inclined to spend the day driving up mountain passes, its “Urban Trails” series is excellent. Each region-specific book is packed full of ideas for parents looking for nearby destinations to take the kids out on a stroll, bike ride or toddle.

As the Latino arts hub of Seattle, Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery (nepantlaculturalarts.com) hosts monthly exhibitions, workshops

and community forums. Shop online or at its West Seattle location for artist prints, T-shirts and accessories with a Latino flair.

Lantern Press (lanternpress.com) sells items featuring illustrations and photographs of national parks and cities across America.

Check out the gorgeous regional puzzles, art prints, wood and metal signs, and more.

Jewelry and clothing Eighth Generation (eighthgeneration.com), a Seattle-based company owned by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, designs and manufactures textiles, jewelry, art and clothing. In response to cultural appropriation and exploitative “Native-inspired” art, 100 percent of Eighth Generation’s products are designed by Indigenous people. The beautiful and elegant First Light baby blanket by Muckleshoot and Chehalis weaver Gail White Eagle is an excellent choice for those looking for a special keepsake gift for new parents.

Bootyland Kids (bootylandkids.com) and Two Owls (shoptwoowls.com) children’s stores have joined forces to bring Seattle-area parents sustainable and utterly adorable toys and organic clothing. While not every stocked item is made in Seattle, several signature pieces are, such as the faerie tutu and the T-shirt line whose design features quintessential Seattle words (which happen to be Coffee, Cobain, Orcas, Rain and Salish Sea).

Handcrafted in a Seattle studio, Baleen jewelry (shopbaleen.com) offers delicate chain necklaces, vibrant cuff bracelets and hoop earrings that really pull a look together.

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COME EXPLORE

MAKE MEMORIES TOGETHER

More than a Museum Family Zone | STEAM Days | Workshops Speed Zone | Birthday Parties | & More

“Best Attraction for Car Lovers” – USA Today, 2021 & 2020

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GI F T GUIDE

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Fabulous food finds Beecher’s Handmade Cheese (beechershandmadecheese.com) is hardly a secret. The company’s mac and cheese is pure creamy goodness, and its Flagship cheese is a must for every party platter. However, Beecher’s cheese curds are the true treat. Cheese curds, or “squeaky cheese,” are at their best right after production (by the time they get to your local grocery store, they are still delicious, but have lost their squeak), so a trip to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in Pike Place Market is recommended. Watch cheesemakers in action at the flagship store and pick up some fresh cheese curds to eat on the ride home.

After 20 years of research, tasting, development and work by Washington State University, the perfect apple has finally been developed: the Cosmic Crisp (cosmiccrisp.com).

This bright red apple is crisp, juicy and sweet.

Slices are slow to brown, making it perfect for packing in school lunches. Look for Cosmic Crisps in local grocery stores after Nov. 8.

Grown in Prosser, Washington, naturally dried Chukar cherries (no preservatives or sweeteners needed!) have been the company’s staple product since 1988.

Enjoy Chukar cherries covered in chocolate, with nuts or in sauces. chukar.com Me’s Way Vietnamese chili sauce is delicious on absolutely everything: Put it on popcorn! Ice cream!

Pancakes, tofu and pizza! The company was founded

by Chau Tonnu, a first-generation Vietnamese American, and she makes her award-winning sauce from scratch in small batches using her mother’s recipe. Check out the blog for some unique recipe ideas (meswayllc.com).

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Jenna Vandenberg is a Seattle-based teacher, writer, runner and mom of two girls.

Give the gift of the library.

SNO-ISLE L I B R A R I E S sno-isle.org/get-a-library-card

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FAM I LY F UN

December Play List Lights, salmon, action!

By Devon Hammer

Check out many more happenings online at parentmap.com/calendar.

� Stay warm and cozy in your car while enjoying the largest holiday lights extravaganza in the Pacific Northwest at Fantasy Lights in Spanaway Park. We hear there is a giant new Sasquatch display that you have to see to believe. Daily through Jan. 2, 5:30–9 p.m. $15/car; some discount nights available. parentmap.com/fantasy-lights

Don’t hit the snooze button on this December’s brilliant events lineup, for there is a blizzard of holiday season happenings to enjoy this month. Plan ahead for adored annual holiday outings, some exciting brand-new events and more with our December event planning guide. Let us light your way to festive family fun!

Important note: Some events now require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result to attend.

Interactive Awesome Exhibition of Lego Models

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� Your “brickheads” will be thrilled by The Interactive Awesome Exhibition of Lego Models, part of Seattle Center’s Winterfest celebration. See what a life-size Harley-Davidson motorcycle built with Lego bricks looks like, marvel at an

8-foot-tall orca and more at this Lego lovers’ dream world.

Daily, except Mondays, through Jan. 16. $15.50 kids; $19.50 adults; family packages available. parentmap.com/lego

� Be dazzled by plant and critter shapes created with more than half a million lights at Bellevue Botanical Garden’s Garden d’Lights. Explore the garden and take in the breathtaking beauty. Daily through Dec. 31, 4:30–9 p.m. $5; ages 10 and younger free. parentmap.com/garden-dlights � See “falling snow,” festive lights, drummers, dancers and more at Snowflake Lane,

Highlighted Events for December

Dec. 1

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Wednesday

“Do You Have Your S*%# Together?

Preparing for Life’s ‘What-ifs’” Online parentmap.com/live

Through Dec. 31

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Daily

Garden d’Lights Bellevue Botanical Garden parentmap.com/ garden-dlights

Dec. 4

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Saturday

Woodinville Winterfest’s Holiday Fair & Tree Lighting DeYoung Park parentmap.com/winterfest

� Don’t miss out on this year’s last chance to witness salmon on their epic battle upstream at Pipers Creek in Carkeek Park, where a naturalist will be on hand to answer your questions.

Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 4–5, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Free. parentmap.com/carkeek

Snowfalke Lane

the beloved holiday parade tradition in downtown Bellevue.

Nightly through Dec. 24, 7 p.m.

Free. parentmap.com/ snowflake-lane

� “Do You Have Your S*%# Together?” Learn what you need to do in order to avoid leaving family members in the lurch financially, legally and logistically in the wake of life’s “what if” moments by attending a virtual ParentMap Live talk by author Chanel Reynolds.

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m. $0–$15. parentmap.com/live �

Join host Stroum Jewish Community Center for a special night at Redmond Lights in celebration of Hanukkah. Stroll along to admire the inventive light art installations and receive a Hanukkah family gift bag, which contains a yummy treat and an activity for the kiddos. Register in advance.

Friday, Dec. 3, 5:30 p.m. Free.

Redmond Lights is open nightly through Jan. 5. parentmap.com/ redmond-lights

� Come by City Hall in downtown Auburn to enjoy live music and then watch the Santa parade light up Main Street, concluding with a tree lighting back at City Hall. Saturday, Dec. 4, 3–6:30 p.m. Free. parentmap.com/santa-parade � ’Tis the season at Woodinville Winterfest’s Holiday Fair & Tree Lighting in DeYoung Park and surrounding areas. Visit for crafts and activities, pictures with Santa, live music, light displays and more. Saturday, Dec.4, 3–6 p.m. Free. parentmap.com/winterfest � Walk a 1-mile luminaria-lit loop through downtown Kenmore to arrive at City Hall for live music, food truck fare and a take-home craft kit. Friday,

Kids can ride on the back of special animatronic dinosaurs at Jurassic Quest.

Dec. 10, 4–7 p.m. Free. parentmap.com/luminary-walk

� Want another chance to gorge on fair-food favorites?

Head on down to the Washington State Fair Events Center for the Holiday Magic walk-through experience, featuring sparkling lights, interactive displays and the classic fair grub you crave.

Dec. 10–12, 17–23, 26–31. Prices are to be announced. parentmap.com/holiday-magic � Live theater performances are back! Snag tickets to a hilarious and heartwarming holiday production of “Elf: The Broadway Musical” at the Auburn Avenue Theater. Dec. 10–12, 16–19. $15–$23. parentmap.com/elf (See more stellar shows on p. 26.) �

Redmond Lights

Reptile-loving families won’t want to miss the largest exotic animal show in the Pacific Northwest at the Washington State Fair Events Center. See

thousands of creatures — and even bring a scaly new friend home. Saturday–Sunday, Dec. 11–12. $5 child; $12 adult; ages 5 and younger free. parentmap.com/reptile-show

� Imagine what it would be like to walk among dinosaurs at Jurassic Quest, yet another show on offer at the Washington State Fair Events Center.

Your dino enthusiast will be enthralled by the life-size interactive displays. Friday–Sunday, Dec. 17–19. $18–$22 per person; additional charge for rides. parentmap.com/jurassic-quest � Celebrate the winter season with a gorgeously lit amble around Oxbow Farm during its Winter Solstice Celebration.

Sunday, Dec. 18, 2–7 p.m. Price to be determined. parentmap.com/winter-solstice

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Devon Hammer is ParentMap’s Out + About editorial assistant and a mother of two.

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Gift Guide 10 Hottest Toys for the 2021 Holidays Grab these gizmos and games before they’re gone

By Amber Guetebier If you feel like the holidays arrived faster than usual this year, you’re not alone.

Thanks to precociously early Black Friday deals and plaguing worries about supply chains, shopping early seems to be the norm. We’ve rounded up some of the most popular toys for this holiday season, but don’t wait too long to buy: From magical cauldrons to mesmerizing puzzle boxes, this year’s hottest toys are selling fast.

audio player For you parents looking to reduce screen time yet still keep your children entertained, consider the Toniebox. This screen-free device is made for story time and dance parties, and is cute as a button.

It also garners rave reviews from parents.

Swap in audio play characters such as Elsa, who sings four songs from “Frozen,” or pop on Playtime Puppy for classics like “B-I-NG-O” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” You can also purchase additional famed faves (including Ariel, Moana and Peppa Pig) with their own unique soundtracks. Ages 3 and older

2. Shashibo Shape-Shifting Fidget Cube Studies show that fidget toys can help reduce stress and anxiety. This Amazon bestseller is a fidget gadget and a senso-

ry stimulator packed into one fascinating puzzle box. The little cube transforms into more than 70 different shapes, and you can buy more than one puzzle box and connect them to create even more dynamic forms and 3D art. It is mesmerizing enough that you may want to buy one for yourself to better endure all those boring Zoom meetings. Ages 8 and older, but reviews say kids much younger enjoy this toy.

It does contain magnets, so it is not safe for kiddos ages 3 and younger.

YOUTH ART CLASSES ART BY BRIANNA FECAROTTA

1. Toniebox

ENROLL TODAY!

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3. L.O.L. Surprise! real-wood

dollhouse Move over, Barbie Dreamhouse! This epic four-story, furnished dollhouse includes working lights and an elevator, and is packed with surprise features, such as rotating rooms and convertible furniture. Word to the wise: There are several steps involved in assembly, so plan ahead if you hope to present this on Christmas morning in its fully assembled glory. Both New York magazine and The Toy Insider predict this one will sell out fast, and we can see why! Ages 4 and older

implement is what has earned it such a high rating on Amazon. Using the tracing sheets and colored pencils included with the pad, kids can re-create just about any image or work of art by sliding it into this cool light-up pad and tracing along.

Perfect for reluctant artists or school projects. Ages 6 and older

4. Crayola light-up

tracing pad It may well be that the simplicity of this artistic

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5. Magic Mixies Magical Misting Cauldron Rated as a top toy of the year by Target and Walmart, this interactive cauldron and wand set might prove elusive, but if you can hunt one down, it will be worth it. Stir up some magic at home by adding potions and watch the magic swirl to reveal a soft plush toy, which can aid little wizards in conjuring their next concoction. The plushy is interactive to touch, with more than 50 sounds and reactions.

Tip: The set may be out of stock online, but it could be worth looking for in stores. Our local Target had it marked as unavailable online or for store pickup, but it was in stock at the store. Ages 5 and older 6. Star Wars Galactic Snackin’ Grogu This character’s instant popularity came on faster than the speed of light, and it hasn’t slowed yet. This year, “Baby Yoda” needs his snacks! The Child makes more than 40 combinations of sounds and motions. He comes with four different accessories that you can place in his hand, and he reacts with cute noises and movements. He can even perform a two-handed Force move, inspired by season two of “The Mandalorian.” Ages 4 and older

7. Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Rising Cake Oven All the holiday baking is sure to inspire your little ones to create their own special cakes and treats in this play oven. Mix up a “cake,” put it in the oven and watch it rise; wait for the “ding”; and then decorate your cake with the set’s accessories. The set also includes five cans of Play-Doh. Hurry on this one; major box retailers are having trouble keeping it in stock. Ages 3 and older 8. VTech KidiZoom digital camera and printer This kid-friendly all-in-one digital camera and printer allows kids to take pics using its color screen and then instantly print them in black and white to create their own coloring sheets, comic strips and more.

Kids will love that it also shoots videos and even has games, and parents will love the parental controls to restrict screen time and printing. Not only did it make Walmart’s top toys list, but it was also a kids’ choice winner. Pack this one for any winter getaways and let the kids document your family adventures. Ages 4 and older 9. Award-winning Gravity Maze With more than 50 million units sould worldwide, this Toy Association’s 2015 Toy of the Year winner is a 3D-mazemeets-marble-run concept designed for one player. Follow the cards to meet challenges, from basic to advanced, and then explore new configurations on your own. Ages 7 and older 10. Lego Adventures with Mario Starter Course Every year there’s a Lego set that sells out, and this year it’s likely to be this one. The interactive Lego Adventures with Mario Starter Course set includes a Mario character that reacts to movement via color sensors and built-in LCD screens. Kids can build different worlds for Mario to explore and add expansion packs to keep the action going. The set contains 231 pieces! Ages 6 and older

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Amber Guetebier is a freelance writer and editor and a mother with a penchant for pirates, plants and books — not necessarily in that order. Read more of her work at writhingink.com.

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