INSIDE: MUSEUMS ARE FOR KIDS! A special section featuring scavenger hunts at 19 area museums JU LY/AU G U ST 201 7
FREE
YOUR GUIDE TO A KID-FRIENDLY CIT Y
R SE AT T LE S CH I LD.C OM
oF
The ultimate guide: What to see, make, eat and do to get the most out of your summer
Nadia Burke enjoys a cone at Molly Moon’s in Wallingford
Summer Swim Lessons
1-on-1 instruction friendly staff | flexible scheduling
SNSswim.com
206.285.9279
2040 Westlake Ave N Seattle
swimming teaching Seattle’s children to swim since 1986 2
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Min. age 4 yrs. and older
>>Contents Seattle’sChild
July/August 2017 // Issue 455
DAD NEXT DOOR.................. 5 66 DAYS OF SUMMER......... 8 MUSEUMS ARE FOR KIDS! SPECIAL SECTION...............25 MAKING HOME..................... 45 q What Parents Are Talking About, Romp, Chomp, Shop and New Mom Dispatch are on vacation until September
A special experience to cherish!
Cougar Mountain Zoo www.CougarMountainZoo.org
PHOTO COURTESY OF XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX
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„ Find us online at seattleschild.com Cover photo JOSHUA HUSTON Jul y /Aug us t 2 0 17
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This Summer
Seattle’sChild July/August 2017 // Issue 455 “Seattle is my town. I know this city inside and out… or so I thought until I had kids.” Seattle’s Child is your guide to getting to know your city all over again. Finding things to do, places to eat, and how to get around — it’s a whole new ballgame with kids in tow. We’re interested in how parents make homes in a space-challenged urban environment, how families create community, and what parents are talking about. Seattle’s Child reflects real Puget Sound families and their broad range of parenting experiences.
WIGGLE wi th a WALRUS
ANN BERGMAN Publisher, Founder abergman@seattleschild.com BOO DAVIS Art Director bdavis@seattleschild.com BECCA BERGMAN BULL Executive Editor bbull@seattleschild.com NICOLE SANTORA Calendar Editor calendar@seattleschild.com MIKE MAHONEY Copy Editor
pdza.org
JEFF LEE, MD, BECCA BERGMAN BULL Columnists JO EIKE, REBECCA MONGRAIN, ANDIE POWERS, NAOMI TOMKY Contributing Editors ANNALISE BENDER-BROWN, BETH GEIGER, JIAYING GRYGIEL, LISA STIFFLER Contributing Writers AMY CADWELL Publisher’s Assistant ADVERTISING KIM LOVE Ad Production Manager klove@seattleschild.com KRIS ROSS Sales Account Manager kross@seattleschild.com 206-687-9282 MELIA WILKINSON Sales Account Manager mwilkinson@seattleschild.com 774-253-2219
Seattle’sChild Seattle’s Child has been providing useful information to parents since 1979. In addition to our monthly magazine, look for our special themed publications — Explore, FamilyPages, School and SummerTime — distributed free throughout the Puget Sound area.
VOICE 206-441-0191 MAIL c/o USPS #112 1463 E Republican St. #193 Seattle, WA 98112 ONLINE seattleschild.com Like us on Facebook facebook.com/seattleschild Follow us on Twitter @SeaChildMag TO ADVERTISE advertise@seattleschild.com STORY IDEAS editor@seattleschild.com CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Deadline is first of the month, one month prior to publication (August 1 for September publication). Include date, time, cost, appropriate ages, address, contact information and description. E-mail to calendar@seattleschild.com Seattle’s Child is published monthly with combined issues in January/February and July/August.
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DadNextDoor by Jeff Lee, MD
Introducing New Summer Programs A little encouragement from across the fence
The world according to Pip Not long ago, my sweetheart and her 6-year-old launched one of their epic artistic adventures. Pippa (who has that love of decorum known only to the first-born of English parents) decided to codify the strategies that would lead them to success. On a large piece of paper, she wrote: “test for the best” at the top, and “Rules” down the margin. Then she carefully inscribed the following list, complete with checkboxes, underlining, and random capitalization — just because:
P H OTO BY JOS H UA H U STON
nice and messy Pretty Colours Good attituede do not fuss don’t freak out be PleaSd with Your work I thought it was a kick-ass list, so I hung it up on my refrigerator. And seeing it every day, I’ve come to realize that these are pretty good rules for life in general, especially with children. So, with some added interpretation (that I admit goes beyond the framer’s original intent), I’m pleased to share Pippa’s Rules for Life and Parenting. “nice and messy”: Let’s face it, life with kids isn’t tidy. They spill things, break things, poop on things, and chew on things — and usually you’re too exhausted to clean it up, much less stop it from happening. It can get metaphorically messy as well. Plans go off the rails, schedules fall apart, and the day is swallowed up by chaos before it even begins. You can’t defeat the forces of entropy, but you can embrace them. Messy isn’t a problem, it’s the hallmark of a vibrant, kid-filled, well-lived life. Have you ever been in one of those houses where you could eat off the floor? Where the bathroom fixtures shine like the silver at Downton Abbey?
What kid would want to grow up in a place like that? Your house isn’t messy, it’s nice and messy. “Pretty Colours”: This rule is not about the barrage of pastel and neon colors that assault you in the My Little Pony aisle at Toys “R” Us. Rather, it refers to the ability of children to appreciate beauty wherever they find it. When a kid stops to examine a rainbow oil slick on a puddle, a trampled dandelion, or the metallic blue body of a dead housefly, they aren’t doing it just to make you late for your hair appointment. They’re
Try to keep your sense of perspective. A skinned knee is not a medical emergency. Disappointment is not emotional trauma. A sudden change of plans is not the end of civilization as we know it. Why pay in advance for anxiety bills that may never come due? doing it because life is full of tiny miracles that grown-ups forget how to see. The visual world of adults would be as dull to the eyes of a child as our olfactory world would be to a bloodhound. But if we try to experience life with the same immediacy and curiosity as our children, we can again learn to see the world as they do. “Good attituede”: Everyone gets grumpy. That’s indisputable. But it’s also true that grumpiness never does you much good. So if you find yourself CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >
Storytelling
$10.00 per child
Canoe
$10.00 per child
• Guided tour • Outdoor scavenger hunt • Listen to traditional stories in the longhouse
• Guided tour • Gallery scavenger hunt • Sand and design your own cedar paddle necklace
Weaving
$10.00 per child
• Guided tour • Weaving scavenger hunt • Weave your own cedar mat pendant Capacity of 25-30 students per program, ages 6-18. Prices include admission, scavenger hunt, and materials for craft. Programs last 2.5 hours including thirty minutes for sack lunch. Bring your sack lunches! Classroom space available. For more information please contact:
Mary Jane Topash • 360-716-2657 mjtopash@hibulbculturalcenter.org Hibulb Cultural Center (360) 716-2600 6410 23rd Avenue NE Tulalip, WA 98271 info@hibulbculturalcenter.org hibulbculturalcenter.org facebook.com/hibulb Jul y /Aug us t 2 0 17
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Dance with us!
Ballet
Evergreen City
CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Register for the 2017 - 2018 school year now!
evergreencityballet.org
Be closer. Live longer.
Strong family relationships increase life expectancy. We’re here for your health.
Now with locations in North King County. The Everett Clinic is more dedicated than ever to being there for you. Whether you need primary care, specialty care, a Walk-In Clinic, or just some friendly advice on how to live longer, getting quality care in your neighborhood has never been easier.
Visit your nearest Walk-In Clinic or call 425-259-0966 to make an appointment. Fact source available at everettclinic.com/healthtips
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DadNextDoor
everettclinic.com
slipping into your angry, pouty or resentful place, just remember that your stay there won’t be useful or enjoyable for anyone, including you. Snap out of it. Sometimes really bad stuff does happen, but most grumpiness just comes from moderately annoying stuff, and in those cases your attitude is a choice. Choose a good one. “do not fuss”: Instead of getting grumpy about things that have already gone wrong, some parents spend their time worrying about all the things that „ Read all of Jeff might not go Lee’s columns on right. And before seattleschild.com long, everyone around them (kids, other parents, pets, grocery checkers… ) starts to absorb that anxiety and match it with their own. Soon we’re all so stressed out that no one is having any fun at all. At times like these, try to keep your sense of perspective. A skinned knee is not a medical emergency. Disappointment is not emotional trauma. A sudden change of plans is not the end of civilization as we know it. Why pay in advance for anxiety bills that may never come due? “don’t freak out”: While grumpiness and fussiness are merely unproductive, freaking out is counterproductive. That’s because nothing terrifies a child more than seeing their parent in a panic. So even when all hell is breaking loose — or especially when all hell is breaking loose — keep your cool. Even if you don’t feel calm, pretending to be calm will be way more helpful than you’d think. Take a deep breath and clear your head. “be PleaSd with Your work”: Yes, you will screw up. A lot. Yes, you will do things that embarrass you, that make you wonder why no one had the foresight to prevent you from having kids in the first place. But try to take some credit where credit is due. Despite all your shortcomings, your kids are amazing. You love them. They love you. These are no small victories. Be pleased with your work. And thanks, Pippa. You’re a Zen master masquerading as a very small tornado. Jeff Lee is nice and messy, even when his kids aren’t home, in Seattle.
at Barnes & Noble this Summer MUST-READS for YOUNG READERS
Favorite Paperbacks
BUY 2, GET THE 3RD FREE* Selection may vary. Ask a bookseller for details. Offer ends 9/4/17.
IN STORES Offer ends 9/4/17.
Keep Skills Sharp this Summer with
Award-Winning Summer Bridge Activities®
ONLY $10 EACH Originally priced $14.99. Offer ends 7/31/17.
Barnes & Noble Classics
POPULAR PICKS for SUMMER READING
YOUR CHOICE $5 EACH** Barnes & Noble Classics paperback editions only. Offer ends 9/4/17.
IN STORES
Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program KIDS EARN A
Offer ends 9/4/17.
FREE BOOK Ask a bookseller for details. Offer ends 9/5/17.
Visit your local store or shop BN.com for these savings and much more. All offers subject to availability, while supplies last. *Lowest-priced qualifying paperback in the transaction shall be free. **Excludes titles priced $4.95 or less. Excludes digital editions.
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(SEaTtle)
What’s more Seattle than an artisanal lemonade stand? Take yours to the next level this summer like Cadence and Kyan Armijo did in Queen Anne.
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MAKE EVERY ONE COUNT!
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SumMer by BECCA BERGMAN BULL and NICOLE SANTORA photos by JOSHUA HUSTON
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66 days of SumMer SATURDAY, JULY 1
Make a wish The all-day Tanabata Festival at the Seattle Japanese Garden celebrates the legend of two star-crossed lovers who are allowed to reunite only once a year in July. Among other activities, participants are invited to write their own wishes and poems on tanzaku (colorful scraps of paper) and affix them to bamboo sticks in the garden.
DAYLIGHT FUN ON THE FOURTH TUESDAY
The real fireworks action doesn’t start until after bedtime (often for the better). But there are still plenty of ways to celebrate — parades, parties, pancake breakfasts and more — during the daytime. Here is a sampling; find many more options at seattleschild.com.
JULY
SEE THE HOTTEST SHOW IN TOWN SUNDAY
If you’ve ever wanted to walk into a life-size kaleidoscope, here’s your chance. “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors” brings five of the Japanese contemporary artist’s infinity mirror rooms to the Seattle Art Museum this summer (June 30 to Sept. 10). Kusama likes polka dots and bright colors, making this exhibit a visual playground for art lovers of all ages. You’ll see twinkling lights, bulbous pumpkins and glowing lanterns, all multiplied to infinity in mirrored rooms. There’s even an audience-participation portion, where visitors can stick confetti dots in an all-white room. How hot is this show? All the advance online tickets sold out within a day. If you missed that window, a limited number of same-day tickets will be for sale at the museum starting at 10 each morning. If you have a willing and patient child, show up early to get in line — then plan for more lines. If you’re lucky enough to snag tickets, you’re still looking at a wait for each infinity mirror room. Three people are allowed to walk in at a time, for 20 to 30 seconds. Single strollers are allowed in the special exhibition space, but no snacking, and there are no restrooms. FYI, be aware there’s some nudity. The show includes more than 60 installations, paintings, sculptures and drawings from Kusama’s 65-year career. Kusama, 88, was born in Japan and lived in Seattle briefly, where her first U.S. exhibit was held 60 years ago. — JiaYing Grygiel
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Four on the Fourth 4K Run/ Walk: Leashed dogs and their owners are welcome to run or walk this 4K event in Bellevue’s Ashwood Park, which begins at 9 am and is followed by a doggie costume contest and bouncy houses for kids. Patriotic dress is encouraged and kids 12 and under are free.
MONDAY, JULY 3
Grand Old Fourth of July: Hop the ferry to Bainbridge Island for a pancake breakfast (7 to 11 am), Fun Run (9 am), street fair, parade (1 pm), classic car show, historical baseball game, music, food and fireworks at dusk over Eagle Harbor.
Hear classical music outside Elevate your average picnic to a classy affair while enjoying free, live classical music al fresco as
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Naturalization Ceremony: Witness more than 500 citizenship applicants from around the world being sworn in as new U.S. citizens at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion. The free event kicks off at 11 am with a concert, and the ceremony goes from noon to 1 pm.
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part of the series Music Under the Stars, which showcases a talented student orchestra starting around 7 pm, followed by a live broadcast straight from Benaroya Hall at 8. The program kicks off tonight at Delridge
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Playfield in West Seattle, and will return July 10, 17 and 24. Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park hosts July 5, 12, 19 and 26. Freeway Park and Columbia City’s Columbia Park host July 7, 14, 21 and 28.
Fourth of July Festival: At Les Gove Park in Auburn, catch a kids’ bike parade at noon along with live music, inflatables, pony rides, petting zoo, climbing wall, spray park and more.
TA N ZA KU : WI K I PE D I A COM M ON S ; YAYOI KU SA M A : CO URTE SY OF SAM; DOG, LAKE, DOODLES: SHUTTER STOCK
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66 days of SumMer LAKE SWIMMING 101 If you’ve spent even one summer in Seattle, no doubt you have a favorite spot to jump in the lake. Indeed, easy access to crisp, fresh water might just be the top selling point of our primo summers (along with the lack of humidity). In Seattle, lifeguards look after nine beaches all summer long, stretching from Matthews Beach in the north to Pritchard Beach in the south. At all nine, Seattle Parks offers free (!) midday swimming lessons to youth ages 6 to 16; evening lessons are available at four of the beaches (registration is required and space is limited; call 206-684-4078 for more info). While every beach has its merits, our top pick might be Matthews Beach, with its plentiful sand, minimally rocky shallows, fine grassy fields, sprawling and inventive playground and
THURSDAY, JULY 6
Big screen, big sky
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direct access to the Burke-Gilman Trail. Outside the city, top picks include Idylwood in Redmond, Houghton in Kirkland and Newcastle in Bellevue. Of course, there are dozens more docks, pocket parks and random slips of lakeshore offering access, all yours to discover.
At dozens of sites around Seattle and beyond, families indulge in the bygone pleasure of crowding together on a blanket to watch a movie outside under the stars (even if the kids fall asleep halfway through). Tonight, catch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story at Magnuson Park, which kicks off with food trucks and entertainment around 6:30 pm, with the movie starting at dusk. Others in the series include Moana (July 13), Hidden Figures (July 20) and The Princess Bride (Aug. 24).
FRIDAY, JULY 7
Learn to skateboard This summer the nonprofit Skate Like a Girl, which teaches girls and boys of all abilities how to skateboard, offers free weekend lessons from 10 am to noon to those 12 and under throughout the city. Free snacks and loaner gear are on offer; no prior experience is required. Today’s lesson is in Ballard; other locations include Seattle Center, West Seattle, South Park and Northgate — check the organization’s website for specific dates and details.
SATURDAY, JULY 8
Dog days Watch or march in this year’s Wallingford Family Parade, whose “Dog Days of Summer” theme invites you to bring along your dressed-up dog — or cat or rabbit, or pet of any kind. Sasha, a lionlike Tibetan Mastiff and neighborhood fixture (who’s appeared in Time and the New York Times, among other news outlets) will serve as the Canine Parade Grand Marshal. The parade begins at 11 am at Lincoln High School and continues east along North 45th Street into the heart of Wallingford, finishing up with a local merchant scavenger hunt and hideand-seek.
SUNDAY, JULY 9
Run like a girl Mothers, daughters, aunts, nieces, girlfriends and grandmothers can take their pick of distance during the See Jane Run half-marathon, 5K or 1-mile kids’ run. The relatively flat course begins and ends in Gas Works Park, traversing through Fremont, over the bridge and south around Lake Union. Strollers are welcome in the 5K; the kids’ run is open to all ages (and all races are open to all genders) and everyone gets chocolate in the end.
Henry Watkins enjoys a slice at Humble Pie in the Central District.
TAKE YOUR DINNER OUTSIDE MONDAY
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Dining outside is one of the great pleasures of summer: the food tastes better, the drinks are more refreshing and the fact that the kids are running around seems less problematic. Here are three favorite places to partake:
Humble Pie has served stellar, wood-fired artisanal pizza and local brews since opening in 2013. This Central District favorite focuses on environmental sustainability, using organic and hyper-local ingredients whenever possible. The menu offers a dozen huge pies, from a classic margherita to pulled pork and Beecher’s Flagship cheese. The large patio has plenty of picnic table seating, and kids love to watch the chickens in the nearby coops.
Saint Helens Cafe is a charming neighborhood brasserie in Laurelhurst with a spacious, sunny deck and cozy fire pit. A number of small plates are available to share, and hungry diners shouldn’t miss the Saint Helens burger with housemade American cheese. The high-quality kids’ menu offers buttered homemade pasta, grilled cheese on Columbia City Bakery bread, and more. Bonus: Saint Helens, located just off the Burke-Gilman trail, is a perfect destination for families on bikes. Bongos, a converted gas station a stone’s throw from Green Lake, is an ultra-casual CaribbeanCuban oasis, complete with a newly renovated patio and a “beach” with sand toys for the kids. The citrus-braised pork rivals the best in town, and your kiddos will fight you over the last fried plantain. Any sandwich or plate is available as a half-portion for kids, and the yucca fries are a hit for the whole family. — Jo Eike
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66 days of SumMer CELEBRATE SUMMER AT VOLUNTEER PARK
Sing to the trees Pack a picnic and your courage for Karaoke in the Park at Shoreline’s Cromwell Park, which takes place every Tuesday starting tonight through Aug. 1. A free event, it runs from 5:30 to 8:30 pm.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12
Catch a baseball game What’s not to love about minor league baseball? Tickets are cheaper, sightlines are better and a familyfriendly spirit prevails. Fresh off a major renovation, the Tacoma Rainers’ Cheney Stadium boasts, among other developments, a brandnew kids’ playground and Whiffle ball field. The season runs through Sept. 4, but tonight is extra-special because the Rainiers are hosting the 30th annual Minor League Baseball Triple-A All-Star Game, featuring the best talent in the top minor leagues duking it out. Up north, check out the Everett AquaSox.
THURSDAY
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The free, annual Volunteer Park Summer Picnic, from 6 to 8 pm, features circus acrobats, a variety of food trucks, free Molly Moon’s ice cream and a performance from talented folk musician Lydia Ramsey. In addition, artist Naomi Kasumi will lead families in creating a “dandelion garden” temporary art installation. On July 15 and 16, Volunteer Park hosts the Outdoor Theater Festival, which brings 16 different performances to three stages across the park, all for free. The majority of the shows are Shakespeare, but in a truncated form that some kids might be able to sit through, as well as a take on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
FRIDAY, JULY 14
Party down Now in its 35th year, West Seattle Summer Fest, July 14 to 16, lives up to its reputation as the neighborhood’s best and biggest annual party, with delicious food vendors, a beer garden, and free performances by bands (Thunderpussy, Brent Amaker & The Rodeo) that typically you’d pay good money to see in a venue downtown. A designated kids’ area offers free face painting, rides, arts projects and more.
SATURDAY, JULY 15
Camping meets concerts Timber! Outdoor Music Festival, taking place July 13 to 15 outside the town of Carnation, Washington, rolls all the best parts of summer — camping, live music, outdoor activities, cold beer — into one fun and somehow still familyfriendly package. A weekend pass costs $85 (kids 12 and under are free!) and includes admission to dozens of concerts amid the trees (Shovels & Rope, a Violent Femmes campfire sing-along) plus tons of activities, ranging from kayaking, standup paddleboarding, biking and yoga to flashlight tag and a Bob Ross painting party. Also included is access to Camp Timber! the epicenter of kid activities, which include concerts, science experiments and arts and crafts. A campsite is an additional $40 per tent and families can opt to stay in the designated “quiet” area (though tents will still be close together). As for food, you can either bring your own or purchases meal packages that include access to a gourmet buffet three times a day.
Guests of all ages are invited to explore a different theme each month through hands-on activities and presentations ® Guests of agesas are invited toIMAX explore by experts, asall well featured a different theme each movies, stage shows andmonth more.through AN IMAX® 3D EXPERIENCE ENGINEERED TO INSPIRE.
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presentations and hands-on activities.
PACSCI.ORG
PACS CI . ORG
BASE B A L L , CA M P I N G : S H U TTE RSTOC K; ZI P WI L D : N ORT H WE ST TRE K W I L DL I F E PAR K
TUESDAY, JULY 11
66 days of SumMer SUNDAY, JULY 16
Cultural doubleheader Take your pick or hit up both these free events over the course of two days: Dragon Fest in the Chinatown-International District swirls with lion and dragon dances, traditional Korean drumming, Pacific Islander dances and Bollywood performances, plus the chance to sample $3 bites from more than 40 restaurants. Meanwhile, at the Bon Odori Festival at the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple in the Central District, expect festival-goers dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, music and dance performances, food, crafts, and drumming and martial arts demonstrations.
Aly and Layla Mohamed play competitive mini golf at Interbay Golf Center.
TUESDAY
DIG IN THE DIRT MONDAY
Despite what many think, July is not too late to plant an edible garden. True, many plants — including that most classic of summer crops, tomatoes — must be planted in the spring. But there are other, more quick-maturing vegetables that can yield either a summer or fall haul if you plant them now. These include lettuce, beans, carrots, all kinds of herbs, peas, spinach and radishes. And remember: this is more about summer entertainment than feeding your family. Designate a container or corner of dirt for each kid, put in some seeds or a transplant, hand over the hose or a watering can and let them go to town. The nonprofit Seattle Tilth offers a wealth of information.
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TUESDAY, JULY 18
Kiddie beach rock Outdoor concerts for kids abound come summertime; it’s just a question of picking one. Free Kirkland Kids Concerts are held every Tuesday morning from 10 to 11 am at the breezy Juanita Beach Park starting July 11, and finishing on Aug. 22 with Caspar Babypants. Today, catch Captain Awesome Sauce, then round out the morning with a spin on the playground or a dip in the lake — the park offers an enclosed beach area with lifeguards.
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TIME TO TEE OFF Today is the day: Go play mini golf. The Seattle Parks Department operates two courses: Green Lake Pitch and Putt is a par-3, nine-hole course without bells and whistles, but in a lovely setting near the south end of the lake. And Interbay Miniature Golf is a pretty, tree-lined course with a waterfall in the middle.
THURSDAY, JULY 20
Wing it An out-of-the-ordinary evening awaits with the 2nd annual
JamFest at the Wing Luke Museum, which takes place in the International District museum and spills over into the historic Canton Alley, World Pizza and Phnom Penh Noodle House. Get ready for food, art, an all-girl teenage rock band, two jazz musicians, a cabaret performer blending both “classic and contemporary forms” of juggling and a burlesque dancer from Taipei.
HIGH-FLYING ADVENTURE FRIDAY
The Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a 723-acre spread about 60 miles south of Seattle in Eatonville, Washington. Here, you can take a tram ride through meadows and forests while looking for bison, elk, moose and bighorn sheep roaming about, scramble around in a nature-inspired play area or hike along 5 miles of paved and primitive nature trails. In addition, there are the spectacular Zip Wild Challenge Courses, five courses that traverse the park’s canopy via tightropes, balance beams, cargo nets, swinging log bridges, and zip lines. Each is suited to a different age group and all are designed to thrill, build confidence and fire up problem-solving skills. Kids as young as 5 can start with the Super Kid Course, which presents many of the obstacles seen elsewhere, just five feet off the ground.
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TUESDAY, JULY 25
Strawberry fields
High-design playtime
With its Saturday morning parade and Sunday morning classic car display, the free Vashon Island Strawberry Festival has a pleasantly old-timey feel that befits a 100plus-year-old festival on a bucolic island. Come for the pancake breakfast and stay for the booths offering strawberries in all forms (jams, sundaes, lemonade), live music, crafts vendors and more.
JULY SPRAY DAY MONDAY
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Spray parks and wading pools hit that summer sweet spot: kids of all ages are entertained, potentially for hours, in the kind of contained manner that might just allow you to read a book or catch up with a friend. Thankfully, more than 30 exist across the city and beyond, and everyone has their go-tos, based on a personal metric of geography, proximity to iced coffee/ice cream/sandwiches and shady-tree potential. Spray parks are open every day, while wading pools are filled only if it’s forecasted to be above 70 degrees. On its website, Seattle Parks offers a list of all spray parks and wading pools, along with hours — note that many don’t open until 11 am or noon. No dogs and no bare buns allowed — swim diapers, people.
Old dogs, new tricks Help raise funds for the nonprofit Old Dog Haven (which improves the lives of elderly dogs) by participating in the Walk for Old Dogs and Old Dog Pageant at Shoreline’s Cromwell Park. Walk as little or as much as your four- and twolegged companions desire along a flat, third-of-a-mile promenade, then gather at the amphitheater for a bona fide pageant that includes prizes for costumes, tricks and dance moves. Last but not least, don’t miss this year’s thrilling new event: a dachshund race. The event runs from 10:30 am to 3 pm and you must be pre-registered ($25) to raise funds.
Drop in to the Center for Architecture & Design to ogle the exhibit “Extraordinary Playscapes,” which opens July 13 (with an early evening reception open to all) and runs through Sept. 2. Featuring drawings, sketches, videos and playable installations, the show highlights incredible playground design from around the world — including in the Puget Sound region, so your kids can make a list of must-visits. In connection to the show, the Center hosts Family Fun Day on July 15, where activities will include an outdoor play area, board and video games, a photo booth and drawing station. Year-round, CFAD hosts a Playlab most Saturdays from 1 to 4 pm, a free drop-in program for families.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND’S MUSEUM IN NATURE
A giant hopscotch board?
With over 150-acres of gardens, woodlands and forest. Bloedel Reserve has surprises around every turn of the trail.
Why are these arms raised high?
A velociraptor claw scratch?
Don’t miss all of the kid-centric music and activities of our annual Out[side]rageous Family Day— August 26.
OPEN YEAR-ROUND TUESDAY - SUNDAY 10 AM | www.bloedelreserve.org 14
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SP RAY PA RK : I STO CK , SAM FAM I LY F IE L D DAY: ROB ERT WAD E
Come play our popular Eye Spy game!
66 days of SumMer
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26
Bike beyond the Burke The Burke-Gilman is terrific, but especially in summer, it can be very busy. Try one of these different kid-friendly bike trails instead: Centennial Trail: A 29-mile paved trail stretching from just north of Arlington (about 40 miles northeast of Seattle) down to the city of Snohomish. Each section of the ride has its own character: forests, farms, towns, and lakes. Near the northern end, stop at the historic Bryant Store (milepost 4.0) for treats. Snoqualmie Valley Trail: This quiet, forested, packed-gravel trail runs along the edge of the rural Snoqualmie Valley about 20 miles east of Seattle. Soos Creek Trail: This paved trail just east of Kent feels surprisingly remote, traversing 6 miles of forests and marshes through an otherwise suburban area. Sammamish River Trail: This paved trail links directly to the BurkeGilman at Bothell Landing. From there it’s 8 miles to lemonade and burgers on the sunny decks of the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville, and another 1.5 miles to Marymoor Park. Green River Trail: You can ride nearly 20 paved miles along the Duwamish and Green rivers around Kent and Auburn. The southern portion from Briscoe Park is nice for winding past parks, golf courses, and the Green River. The route includes a few short stretches of low-traffic roads. Make a loop using the Interurban Trail. — Beth Geiger
THURSDAY, JULY 27
Trade bored for boards Take advantage of the homework reprieve and designate a night — say Thursdays — as board game night for the rest of the summer. Drop into Queen Anne’s Blue Highway Games, Ballard’s Mox Boarding House, West Seattle’s Meeples Games, Green Lake Games or Greenwood’s Top Ten Toys to freshen your inventory.
Nadia Burke savors a cone at Molly Moon’s in Wallingford.
FRIDAY
JULY
CONE CONTEST
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Despite Seattle being bone-chillingly damp many months of the year, the ice cream scene keeps getting better and better. Make it your family’s mission to conduct a grand tour of the city’s ice cream offerings over the course of the summer. Just a few to get you started: Shug’s, Trove, Bluebird, Molly Moon’s, Sweet Bumpas, Cupcake Royale, Kurt Farm Shop, Nue, Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery, Parfait... whether floats, custard and popsicles merit separate studies is up to you. Have everyone create scorecards that rank such features as sample generosity, unusual flavor factor and best-hands-down chocolate. All in the name of research, of course.
SCULPTURE PARK PARTY
SUNDAY, JULY 30
SATURDAY
Flip for Filipino fun
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Celebrating its 10th year in existence, Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park offers fun, free programming all summer long, from Dog Night to Zumba classes. Today is Family Field Day, which encompasses art making, performances, family-friendly yoga, food trucks, and activities centered around helping the environment.
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Pista Sa Nayon, the largest FilipinoAmerican outdoor event in the country, features tasty food, arts and crafts, entertainment, children’s games and more at the Seward Park Amphitheater.
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66 days of SumMer CREATIVITY UNLEASHED MONDAY
Let’s face it: Not every day of summer yields amazing weather, and not every day of amazing weather necessitates being outdoors. Bypass the commitment of a camp and let your kid get creative in a drop-in art class that goes beyond the typical Paint the Town fare. Note that nearly every museum has some kind of art-making program, and even big stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot and Michael’s offer craft or wood-making classes for kids. Here are a few more to get the creative juices flowing:
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Arts Aloft: In Madrona, kids from ages 4 to 12 can have their way with acrylics, charcoals, clay and watercolors during $30 classes. Workshops, parties, and camps are also available. Early Masters: Shelley Thomas’ classes, which start at $45, blend art history lessons — covering everything from street art to Pablo Picasso to Takashi Murakami — with hands-on painting instruction.
Seattle ReCreative: This Greenwood nonprofit is committed to arts education, the creative reuse of materials and letting you chat with other grown-ups while the staff wrangles the little ones. Six mornings a week, Paint Playground ($10) lets kids ages 1 to 5 unleash their creativity (and love of mess-making) be it via spaghetti painting, splatter painting or homemade play-dough. Every class ends with water play, and afterward, everyone can enjoy a play space filled with costumes, toys and books.
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Linnea Westerlund and her three sons join in the fun at Ercolini Park in West Seattle.
TUESDAY
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This summer, make it a family goal to find your perfect park. Often, the best park is the closest one to wherever we are at the time. But eight years ago, when her oldest child was born, Linnea Westerlind decided to forgo convenience in favor of variety: she began a quest to visit every Seattle park. Now, that quest is a book: Discovering Seattle Parks: A Local’s Guide. The book, organized by neighborhood, features her 110 favorites of the more than 425 parks she visited. Designed to slip into your stroller or glove department, the book also is searchable by such features as spray parks, dog-friendliness and beaches. So in the end, we wanted to know, what is it that makes for a great park? Also, where should we take our kids right now? We sat down with Westerlind to ask. “Parks that work well feel like a place people want to be,” she says. To her, that doesn’t necessarily mean a playground, but maybe games or creative seating. Examples include Pioneer Square’s
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2
Jam out At noon today, catch Mister G at the free Kent Summer Concert Series for Kids. A winner of a Latin Grammy for Best Children’s Album, Mister G plays a cool mix of bluegrass, bossa nova, funk and folk. The series, which takes place in Kent Town Square Plaza, starts July 12 with Tickle Toon Typhoon and ends Aug. 16 with Recess Monkey.
Occidental Square, with its bocce courts and pingpong tables, and Westlake Park for cool seating. Lately, she likes how the city is installing notably creative playground equipment, like the obstacle course at Montlake Playfield and the mix of equipment geared toward all ages at Powell Barnett. Another trend she’s noticed, an apt one for the season, is the move away from wading pools toward spray parks. Her favorites are Lake Union, with its wealth of activities nearby (including boat rentals), and Jefferson Park, where she says she could spend all day: The big, open, paved loop is perfect for biking and has good sightlines for parents. For natural water, she likes the beach at Pritchard Island for its sloping lawn and secretive feel, and Madrona for its sand play area. When pressed, she picks a personal favorite park: Lincoln. Between the beaches, bike paths and wildlife, “I could go every day and never get bored,” she says. But more important than finding the “perfect” park, she just wants people to feel excited about getting outside and giving kids free playtime: “Test their limits and let them see bugs!” — Naomi Tomky
THURSDAY, AUGUST 3
Free museum day Take advantage of First Thursdays: On the first Thursday of every month, Seattle museums let everyone in for free. A few shows the kids might like: “Daniel Minter: Carvings” at the Northwest African American Museum features painted woodcarvings and block prints from children’s books he illustrated. “The Whimsical World of Bjørn Wiinblad” at the Nordic Museum features the Danish artist’s playful ceramics, theater sets, costumes, jigsaw puzzles and textiles. “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs” at MOHAI takes a look at Puget Sound history through the stories of cats and dogs.
66 days of SumMer SUNSCREEN? CHECK! EARPLUGS? CHECK!
SATURDAY, AUGUST 5
MONDAY, AUGUST 7
Quiet time
Do look down
Several Saturday mornings throughout the year, Seattle Children’s Museum offers Sensory Sensitive Hours for kids affected by autism or other challenges that make the usual hustle and bustle of the museum unappealing. On these mornings, the museum opens early at 8:30, with dimmed lights and noise kept to a minimum until it opens to the public at 10. Note that tickets ($3) must be purchased online beforehand, not onsite. The other summer date is July 8.
FRIDAY
Love it or less-than-love it (kids and pets tend to have mixed feelings about the noisy Blue Angels), Seafair Weekend kicks off today, meaning hydroplane racing across Lake Washington, U.S. Navy Blue Angels streaking overhead and all kind activities, food and fun along Lake Washington Boulevard and in Genesee Park.
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 6
Judkins Park party Designed to overlap with Seafair Weekend, the free, three-day UmojaFest African American Heritage Festival at Judkins Park celebrates the best of the African American community and African diaspora with a parade featuring dance troups and drill teams and games, food, music and more.
What body-surfing is to kids in other parts of the country, exploring tidepools is to Puget Sounders: a beach ritual that endlessly entertains. Sure, the thrill of discovery is much more crucial than you, the grown-up, fumbling around for the correct name. But if you want the treasure hunt to merge with a science lesson, flag down one of the 100-plus experts roaming the beaches this summer as part of the Seattle Aquarium’s Beach Naturalist Program. The program’s website has a schedule for the whole summer (including in flyer form, to print out and stick to the fridge) for 12 area beaches, including Alki, Golden Gardens and Lincoln Park. For its part, Seattle Parks also offers several free naturalist-led tidepool walks over the course of the summer at Discovery, Carkeek and Me-Kwa-Mooks parks (pre-registration is required). In the South Sound, Tacoma Nature Center offers their Tiptoe Through the Tidepools program monthly, May through August, at Titlow Beach, and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s puts on its Explore the Shore program at Owen Beach about every two weeks, all summer long.
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Programs for children Birth to 5 years
~ ARMORED KNIGHTS ~ ~ OLD WORLD CRAFTS ~ ~ MINSTRELS ~
Saturdays & Sundays June - September 4 miles north of Carnation, WA Call for map & brochure: 425.788.8624 www.camlann.org Sponsored by Camlann Medieval Organization
Openings for Fall
coops.northseattle.edu
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Celebrate your child’s next birthday at –
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8
Tacos, not traffic ‘Where fun never ends for kids’
www.funtasticplaytorium.com 425.623.0034 Facebook.com/funtasticplaytorium ALWAYS OPEN FOR WALK-IN PLAYTIME!
* FACTORIA MALL, Bellevue * ALDERWOOD MALL, Lynnwood (Opening Jul ‘17) *
Public transportation has never been this fun: Hop on the West Seattle water taxi, which whips riders from the south end of downtown, across Elliott Bay, and straight to West Seattle. On the pier across from the taxi’s destination is Marination Ma Kai, the fish-shack outlet of Seattle’s original Korean-Hawaiian taco truck. Pick from fish and chips or flavorful tacos for lunch, or take a shave ice out to the patio to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. — Naomi Tomky
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9
Hands on Nestled inside a leafy forest, Mercer Island’s by-donation Adventure Playground lets kids create their own play structures out of wood and scrap materials. Each kid gets his or her own toolbox, complete with such items as a hammer, tape measure, small hand saw, screwdriver, work gloves, goggles and hard hat. Volunteer staff walk around answering questions, but what the kids build and do is entirely up to them.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10
Beach bonfire For kids of a certain (responsible, nontoddling) age, building a beach fire will make for a long-lasting summer memory. Two Seattle public beaches allow fires: Alki and Golden Gardens. Both get very busy in the summertime, so your best chance to snag a fire pit would be a (overcast) weekday. Both also attract rowdier crowds as the night goes on, so families will likely want to head out by early evening. Build your fire only in designated fire pits; use only clean, dry firewood (driftwood is not allowed); when you’re done, douse your fire with water, not sand, and make sure it’s completely covered and no longer smoking.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11
Party in SLU At the South Lake Union Block Party expect beer, live music and a “best in SLU” burger contest. Plus, the “steamroller smackdown” where designers print giant posters using a steamroller instead of a printing press.
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66 days of SumMer
TUESDAY, AUGUST 15 The Armijo siblings’ gourmet lemonade recipe involves heating lemons in a pressure cooker, then finishing the concoction with a frothy topping made using a Thermo Whip.
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Have the kids set up a gourmet lemonade stand, because c’mon folks, this is Seattle and we can do better than powdered Country Time. Coming up with new twists on the old classics is half the fun, but a few ideas to get you started: Make fresh lemonade (show the kids how to use a handheld citrus squeezer), then add dried lavender, torn-up basil or mint and honey instead of sugar. Use oversized (think fancy cocktails) or rounded ice cube trays to make pretty cubes embedded with herbs or fruit. Fire up the SodaStream (or buy a few 2-liter bottles of seltzer) and make sparkling lemonade, served with an edible flower floating on top. Or add one part lemon juice to two parts vanilla ice cream in the blender, throw in a big handful of ice and whir up lemony milkshakes.
SERIOUS RETRO RECREATION
SUNDAY
Want to show your kids what games were like before they all fit into a phone? The Seattle Pinball Museum keeps more than 50 games from as far back as 1934 in working condition. All the games are free to play once you’ve paid admission. With the slightly more expensive multi-entry admission, you can come and go throughout the day to take advantage of the International District’s other attractions. This one’s for the older kids: only ages 7 and up are allowed in. — Naomi Tomky
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MONDAY, AUGUST 14
Happiest hours Don’t let a summer pass by without indulging in the time-honored two-for-one Seattle special that is Agua Verde Café & Paddle Club. First, rent kayaks and paddle around Lake Union to work up an appetite. Then, when happy hour strikes (4 to 6 pm), guide the troops upstairs and order mango-filled quesadillas (them) and a margarita lima (you) and call it a good day’s work.
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Catch your dinner Chances are, the opportunities for your city kid to go fishing have been few and far between. At Gold Creek Trout Farm in Woodinville, even a toddler can catch your family’s supper. The trout farm provides budding young fishers the simplest of tools: a pole with a line and a hook, a net, a bucket and a cup of brown, Play-Dohlike bait. If you can convince your child to keep the hook in the water, it can take only 10 or 15 minutes to snag a rainbow trout. Even if it takes a bit longer, the spring-fed trout ponds are in a lovely setting, under towering red cedars on a quiet hillside a few minutes outside of downtown. Once a trout is caught, the trickiest part is removing the hook with a special device, but Gold Creek owners Pamela and Cecil Thomas are on hand to help. Then one of them will clean the fish and bag it up to take home; they start at $7.50 each and go up depending on the size. The trout farm has a covered picnic table area for snacks and there’s a port-a-potty. And you’re darn near a cluster of Washington wineries, if you want to stop on your way home and grab a bottle to complement your trout dinner. — Lisa Stiffler
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66 days of SumMer THURSDAY, AUGUST 17
A good Gamble
CENTER OF THE ACTION Make a day of a Seattle Center outing: Start off the morning at the one-of-a-kind Artists at Play playground, with its 30-foot climbing tower, oversized interactive sound sculptures and human-powered carousel. Around lunchtime, dip into the free Iranian Festival (11 am to 7 pm) for poetry, dancing, face painting and authentic eats. Then let the kids round out the day with a refreshing run through the International Fountain.
WEDNESDAY
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For a satisfying day trip, set your sights on the quaint town of Port Gamble. Nestled on the Kitsap Peninsula, it’s dreamy in the summer, with sweeping ocean views, streets lined with old, New England-style homes and activities for the outdoorsy and indoorsy alike. To get there, take the ferry to Bainbridge Island, then drive about 30 minutes north. If you’re cycling-inclined, the area has lots of bike-friendly trails and events. Olympic Outdoor Center offers kayak and mountain bike rentals as well as wildlife tours and private paddling classes, and there are plenty of hiking trails just outside town. The whole family will love the Port Gamble General Store & Cafe, a historic space that serves up tasty farm-to-table food along with artisanal cocktails and local wine and beer in the cafe, and in the adjoining store, espresso, chocolate, gifts and souvenirs. Expect a wait for weekend breakfasts; with antsy kids try for lunch instead. — Annalise Bender-Brown
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18
Find the Bubbleman The Bubbleman, aka Garry Golightly, a Seattle fixture, has been entertaining kids and “kidults” (as he calls them) for more than two decades with his comedic, suds-filled shows. Golightly uses all manner of items to create awe-inspiring bubbles while telling jokes, making puns, singing songs, reading Dr. Seuss and preaching recycling (witness the enormous wand built from 200 six-pack rings that conjures a bubble blizzard). Most days you can find the Bubbleman performing at Carkeek Park in North Seattle from 10 am to noon; to check if he’ll be there, he invites anyone to call him on his cell phone (206-729-6692) to confirm. Or have the Bubbleman come to you — yes, you could wait for a birthday, but why not crowdsource with a group of friends or neighbors, and have a bubblefest just to celebrate summer?
WATERSHED
TOURS Tours Every Weekend July 8th through September 3rd Get a rare glimpse of the Cedar River Watershed, the source of Seattle’s water.
CEDAR RIVER WATERSHED www.seattle.gov/util/crwec
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FI S H ( P RE V I OU S ) , BE RR I ES : S HU TTE RSTOCK ; BOAT: V EN TU RA BOATRE N TA L S.CO M PO OL : COU RTE SY OF S EATT L E PA R KS A N D RE CRE ATI ON
$5 p Fam er s il eat, y T kids our on l s aps free
66 days of SumMer SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
Ballard blast For Viking Days, on Aug. 19 and 20, the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard offers a Swedish pancake breakfast (10 am to 1 pm), Scandinavian entertainment on three stages, an alder-smoked salmon lunch (1 pm until sold out) and a larger-than-life Viking encampment with demos of weapon forging, weaving and more.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20 Isa Salazar and Nathanael Cardona-Rosado pitch a tent in Isa’s Everett backyard, complete with a digital campfire.
Electric glide Kayaks and canoes take muscles. Sailing takes skill. Powerboats can be loud and stinky. Ride the Ducks requires an acceptance of “wacky quackers” — a beaklike noisemaker reminiscent of a kazoo. But a trip on an electric boat requires little more than a sense of adventure and the ability to steer. “This is the perfect way to introduce children to the water,” said Jennifer Towne, owner of The Electric Boat Company in Seattle. The ride is quiet and smooth, and the kids can even take a turn at the wheel — provided a parent is within reach. Electric Boat rents 21-foot vessels that hold 10 adults or children. The seats are cushy, there’s a table in the center that’s great for picnicking, and the covered cabin is surrounded by plastic windows that you can open in fair weather. The inside of the boat “is truly like a big playpen,” Towne said. Kids wear life jackets and the hull is deep enough that it would be difficult for a child to fall overboard, she said, which so far hasn’t happened. You set sail from the dock on the west side of Lake Union. Motoring east toward Portage Bay provides a closer look at deluxe houseboats, the chance to watch seaplanes take off and land, and views of the city and Gas Works Park. Tie up at Ivar’s Salmon House below the Interstate 5 Ship Canal Bridge to grab a bite from the takeout window. Or head west, cruising under the Fremont and Ballard bridges. The boats offer a lakeside view of tugs and the Alaskan crabbing fleet when it’s docked at Fishermen’s Terminal. Towne loves that the boats are great for passengers of all ages, from nursing moms with newborns to grandparents who aren’t up for another trip to the zoo. But be ready for possible tears. When the boats return, “I’ve had children hanging on crying, not wanting to get off,” Towne said. Boat rental costs $99 an hour with a two-hour minimum and four-hour maximum, tax not included. — Lisa Stiffler
MONDAY
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THE GREAT BACKYARD
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The idea of backyard camping connotes a pleasant whiff of nostalgia, adheres to the ethos of free-range parenting and, it goes without saying, is far less of a hassle than real camping. Whether or not a parent wants to sleep out there too is up to you (as a headline in The Onion once proclaimed, “74% of Children Tenting Out In Yard Don’t Make It Through The Night”). Either way, buy or borrow an outdoor fire pit for hot dog and marshmallow roasting, dig up flashlights for tag or other post-dusk activities and definitely encourage the singing of silly camp songs. Then, let kids steal away to their own tent for secret-sharing, giggling and whatever else, whether it’s for an hour or the whole night.
A TASTY DAY’S WORK The only thing sweeter than the taste of fresh summer berries is the sight of your kid gleefully stuffing his or her mouth full of juicy specimens straight off the bush. August is prime time for blueberry picking and with dozens of farms across the state, we’re spoiled for choice. Close by, try Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm in Bellevue, about 2 miles from Kelsey Creek Farm if attention spans are short. Prices typically range from about $2 to $4 per pound of blueberries, and keep in mind that many farms only take cash or checks.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23
Salty swim
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How often does the chance arise to swim in a saltwater pool? At West Seattle’s Colman Pool, you get the same sandy landscape and saltwater buoyancy as you would on Puget Sound’s beaches, but the water is a pleasant 85 degrees and there’s no seaweed in sight. The Olympic-size pool sports a giant tube slide, diving boards, and pool noodles for floating — plus lap lanes if you’re inclined to fit in some exercise while the kids play. — Naomi Tomky
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The Sammamish Montessori School
THURSDAY, AUGUST 24
In Redmond
Salmon spotting
Call 425-883-3271 for a tour. • Child-centered, joyful atmosphere with strong academic focus • Experienced, Montessori-certified teachers • Preschool, kindergarten and elementary • Family owned and operated since 1977 • Summer, before & after school programs • Prep Program, (starting ages 2 1/2-3)
in g N o w E n r o ll
www.sammamishmontessori.com • 425-883-3271
The Ballard Locks are fun to visit any time of year. But mid-to-late August happens to be prime time for viewing large king salmon climb the fish ladder on their way to spawn upstream in fresh water. A free viewing area that’s open everyday from 7 am to 9:45 pm lets everyone see the action right up close. Plus, the locks hosts free concerts every Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm, all summer long.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25
Rock out with KEXP Every Friday evening in August, KEXP and Seattle Center host free concerts at the Mural Amphitheater starting at 5:30 pm. Because it’s KEXP, you can expect cool bands you probably haven’t yet heard of, but very likely will enjoy. Tonight’s lineup consists of the Maldives, Industrial Revelation and Emma Lee Toyoda.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
Clear and crisp In the dog days of summer, few things sound more inviting than hiking to an alpine lake. Here are five kid-friendly ones to check out: Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes: The option of stopping after a half-mile and just doing one lake makes this easy, 2.2-mile, out-andback with nice picnic areas an easy one to commit to. Off I-90 at Exit 62, Forest Service Road 5480 Tradition Lake: This 2.9-mile loop hugs the lake almost the whole way, making for good scenery. Off I-90 at Exit 20, SE 79th St.
Boardman Lake: At 1.6 miles, this is perhaps the shortest, easiest and closest of the alpine lakes off the scenic Mountain Loop Highway. Mountain Loop Highway to Forest Road 4020 Sheep Lake: If your young ones are up for 3.6 miles, this wildflower- and huckleberry-lined path offers views down into deep valleys and up at Mt. Rainier, ending in a gem of a lake. Off SR 410 just past Chinook Pass — Naomi Tomky
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L A KE : WI K I P E DI A COM M O NS
Gold Creek Pond: This paved 1-mile loop lets those with strollers enjoy a lake-like pond framed in wildflowers and mountains. Off I-90 at Exit 54, Gold Creek Road
66 days of SumMer TUESDAY, AUGUST 29
Pack the car Want to go car camping but don’t know where to start? Pick up a copy of the newly revised Camping Washington (Mountaineers Books) by outdoor columnist Ron Judd. It offers reviews of more than 500 campgrounds plus info on nearby outdoor activities. Some of Ron’s family-friendly favorites include:
Teryn Tate and her daughter Ava take an urban trek.
Millersylvania Memorial State Park: One of the most diverse state parks in the system, this Olympia-area park offers fishing, hiking and cycling.
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Seattle parks are scattered citywide and interlaced with miles of hiking trails, streams and peaceful vantages offering an infusion of wilderness minutes — instead of hours — from home. (And yes, your kid can still take a nature pee if necessary). Chukundi Salisbury, trail coordinator with the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, offers these suggestions: Carkeek Park, northwest Seattle: The 220-acre park has wooded trails that lead to lookouts over Puget Sound, a path to a salmon pond and a trail to a woodland meadow. You can park your car practically at the trailheads and, Salisbury says, “you can come out of the woods and play at the playground or go down to the beach.” Camp Long, West Seattle: In addition to rustic, wooded trails, this park has 10 cabins that sleep up to 12 people, available to rent for $50 a night. Camping in the
Wenatchee Confluence State Park: A lot of grass. A swimming beach. Courts and playfields. Hiking trails. A biking loop. It’s all here, where the Wenatchee River meets the Columbia.
city means less time getting to your destination and more time exploring nature and making s’mores. Seward Park, southeast Seattle: Everyone knows the paved service road that rings the park and is great for walking and biking. “What a lot of people don’t know,” Salisbury says, “is there are tons of trails up in the wooded area.” The routes wind through wetlands, and the park is home to the 120-acre Magnificent Forest, believed to be the largest stand of old-growth trees in the city. Lakeridge Park (Deadhorse Canyon), southeast Seattle: At Seattle’s southeasternmost edge sits a park whose original name dates back more than a century and references some pioneer children’s ill-fated pet. Salisbury likes the park because there’s a loop that’s easy to walk with kids in 20 to 30 minutes if you stay focused, or an hour with distractions. There’s also a creek good for tossing rocks into, and patches of skunk cabbage that are sure to inspire some kid commentary. — Lisa Stiffler
LIFE IN THE FREE LANE MONDAY
What’s better than the friendly nostalgia of lacing up funny-looking rented shoes, finding that perfect ball and hearing the satisfying clatter of a strike? Doing that all for free. Thanks to the national Kids Bowl Free program, kids ages 15 and under are eligible for two free games a day, all summer long, at participating centers. In Seattle these are Roxbury Lanes, in South Park, and West Seattle Bowl. WSB is particularly family-friendly, with its programmable bumpers and assortment of 6-pound balls ideal for tiny hands. Pre-registration online is required and shoe rentals aren’t covered.
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Fort Casey State Park: Investigate big cannons and creepy old army bunkers at this Whidbey Island park, plus miles of saltwater beach and a blufftop kite-flying field to beat them all.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30
Waterfront cabins At Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island, waterfront cabin rentals offer an affordable getaway. The park has beaches, picnic tables, boat rentals and stunning mountain views. The spare 1930s-era cabins offer basic comforts — beds, refrigerator, and someplace to dry out. If they’re all booked, go for the day and scout a cabin to reserve next year. — Naomi Tomky
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66 days of SumMer OLD-FASHIONED FAIR FUN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31
Pleasing pops
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
Last hurrah Many aspects of the three-day summer finale that is Bumbershoot will suit kids just fine (and its organizers plan on posting a list of kid-appropriate events and exhibitions on the website closer to the weekend). In addition, there’s Youngershoot, a space curated by the Children’s Museum that’s only for those 10 and under (accompanied by a parent) and will feature interactive activities and performances.
Mark the last day of August by making popsicles. Try your hand at Paletas de Pay de Limón (Lime Pie Ice Pops) from Fany Gerson’s Paletas (Ten Speed Press).
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
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(Lime Pie Ice Po de Pay de Limón Paletas TO 10 POPS
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Sell your books
MAKES 8
As a kind of ritual cleansing for the new school year, weed out your kids’ bookshelves and your own, and together take the haul to sell at one of the three locations of Third Place Books. Enjoy time browsing while the buyer looks over what you’ve bought, then use the funds to buy some fresh reads.
FRIDAY
Timed nearly perfectly as a last chance to enjoy the summer sunshine, the Washington State Fair (aka “the Puyallup”) offers music, animals, rides, food, and of course, mutton busting. OK, maybe you’re not ready to put your kid on a bucking lamb yet, but a scone and a visit to the piglet palace should definitely be a to-do. — Naomi Tomky
SEPT
1
CHEHALISCENTRALIA
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Evening dip What to do to mark the last night of summer? Eat a celebratory dinner, help lay out the requisite first-day outfit and put backpacks by the door. Then grab the whole family and go jump in the lake for one last night swim. Nothing calms frazzled nerves or nervous Nellies more than the magical feeling of cool water on a warm evening. Follow with ice cream and fall into bed with damp hair — it’ll be a while before the chance arises again.
RAILROAD & MUSEUM REGULAR SEASON
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SPECIAL EVENTS * RESERVATIONS REQUIRED *
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Known for our exceptional personal service, long-term support and unique approach to finding just the right fit for your family.
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A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY MUSEUMS OF THE PUGET SOUND REGION AND SEATTLE'S CHILD MAGAZINE
Museums
are for
KIDs! What did the world look like before I was here? Who shares the earth with me? How do things work? What does art say to me? Who do I want to become?
Museums tackle the big questions
that young SH UT TE RSTOC K
minds ask
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Bellevue arts Museum SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Bellevue Arts Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
“Sanctuary” Don’t forget to look up! This large-scale work of art by Aaron Haba titled Sanctuary hangs from the ceiling in the museum’s Forum.
Cardboard bear This nine-foot-tall cardboard bear makes up part of Seattle design studio Electric Coffin’s first solo museum exhibition, Future Machine. On view through Sept. 10, 2017.
Magazine mask This mask made of cut-up magazines by Francesca Pastine is part of the Cut Up/ Cut Out exhibition on view through Oct. 22, 2017.
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Hands-on activities! Imagination Stations located throughout the museum feature fun craft activities based on current BAM exhibitions. And with two to three rotating exhibitions on view at any one time, there’s always something new to see, explore and be inspired by.
BAM is the perfect size to explore with kids. Big enough that it’s still an adventure, but not so large that you’ll feel like you need to rush to see everything. Plus free parking and lots of kid-friendly restaurants nearby.
MUSEUM info Website: www.bellevuearts.org
Sculpture garden Did you know that BAM has an outdoor sculpture garden? Head up the stairs to find this unusual view of surrounding downtown Bellevue.
Address: 510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA, 98004 Hours: Wednesday-Sunday: 11 am to 5 pm, Free First Friday: 11 am to 8 pm Admission: Discount & Adult: $10-$12, Family: $30, Members and kids under age 6: Free
Free/Discounted Museum Days: Free First Fridays & Student Wednesdays Special Events for Families/Kids: Three annual Family Days Summer Day Camps/Classes: www.visitbam.org/summer-camps-2017 Afterschool Weekend Classes: www.visitbam.org/kids-family-events
Tall scrolls These 25-foot-tall scrolls by Seattlebased artist Etsuko Ichikawa were made by “painting” with the fire and smoke from hot molten glass.
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Program for Schools/Homeschoolers: www.visitbam.org/school-tours Parent & Kid-Friendly Features: Imagination Stations
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at the Burke Museum
CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Allosaurus Can you find this 140-million-year-old meat-eating dinosaur?
Pine cone fossil
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Kids will be captivated by dinosaurs, fossils, gems, animals and more! They can discover the history of Washington state in our Life and Times exhibit, meet real scientists and see them in action in our latest special exhibit, Testing, Testing 1-2-3, and explore exciting family events like Dino Day.
The hands-on experiences like the monthly I Dig Dinos program, summer camps and family events make the Burke a wonderful place for kids to learn and have fun. From a rhino cave to earthquake research, to learning about living cultures of the Pacific Northwest, there’s something for everyone!
This pine cone fossil looks a lot like the pine cones you can find outside today, but it’s around 50 million years old. Have you seen it in the museum?
Saber-toothed cat This small saber-toothed cat lived in lush grasslands all over North America 25 to 35 million years ago. Did you spot it in the museum?
MUSEUM info Website: www.burkemuseum.org Address: 17th Ave. NE and NE 45th St., UW Campus, Seattle
Instrument
Hours: Open daily 10 am to 5 pm; First Thursday of each month 10 am to 8 pm
Can you find this instrument in the Pacific Voices exhibit? It was made in 1996 by Michael Pili Pang. Extra credit if you discover what it sounds like!
Cost: $10 general admission; $8 seniors; $7.50 students with student ID; $7.50 Youth 5-18 years, FREE 0-4 years; FREE for UW students, faculty & staff; FREE for Burke members
Free/discounted museum days: Free First Thursdays Special events for families/kids: I Dig Dinos the last Sunday of each month, RICH ARD BROWN PH OTOG RAPHY
family days events like Dino Day
Summer camps: www.burkemuseum.org/camps Afterschool programs: www.burkemuseum.org/girlsinscience
Gems
Museum Café: Yes
These gems have been found all over the world. Have you found these treasures yet?
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Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Children's Museum of Skagit County SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at the Children’s Museum of Skagit County CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
3D topo map You’ll find these colors and curved lines in our River Exhibit area, but they don’t always look the same… they change with the terrain!
Boat porthole
Crane controls Lifting, placing, loading, moving, this piece of megaequipment can help you through your next construction project.
Imagination blocks It’s a fort! It’s a bridge! It’s a race car track! It’s whatever you want it to be! Use these to build your own creation in our large play area.
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
With 11,000 square feet of space full of hands-on exhibits, kids will love the chance to explore science, technology, engineering, art and math concepts! From the 3-D topographical map and Mighty Skagit River exhibit to the crane, the boat, the stage, the art studio and so much more, it’s easy to spend the day learning through play. Kids also love the climbing structure, imagination blocks, and giant checkers!
Parents will love that the museum’s 11,000 square feet of exhibits are as much fun for adults as they are for kids! Sure, the Children’s Museum is geared toward kids and learning through play, but that’s not to say that grown-up kids can’t have fun too! Get in touch with your inner thespian, build a fort, let your kids lead the play and have a great time.
MUSEUM info Website: www.SkagitChildrensMuseum.net Address: Inside the Cascade Mall, 550 Cascade Mall Dr, Burlington, WA 98233 Hours: Sun noon-5pm, Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm, Toddler Tuesday 8:30 am-10 am Cost: $6.25/person, $5.75/Military & Senior, Free for children under 12 months of age Free/Discounted Days: Community Free Day, 2nd Tuesday of the month Special Events for Families: Several throughout the year. See our website! Summer Day Camps/Classes: See our website!
Truck lights & switches Compression brakes, check! Hydraulics, check! Turn signals, check! Hop in and get your Bull Dog on the Big R, Lay the Hammer Down and look out for Bear!
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Programs for Schools/Homeschoolers: Field trips welcome! Family-Friendly Features: 11,000 square feet of exhibit space for kids of all ages to learn through hands-on play
More info: www.VisitSkagitValley.com
PHOTO O F WAT ER FE AT URE : JE N BOWMA N
When you’re cruising the high seas you’ll peer out of these to see distant lands and sea creatures.
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
FLYING HERITAGE & COMBAT ARMOR MUSEUM SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Flying Heritage Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
One fast bird This funny-looking bird can be found painted on the Messerschmitt BF 109. It was the fastest military plane in the sky for six years during WWII until another German plane surpassed it.
Sherman tank
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Learn about history in a fun and interactive way! Let your kids roam through two expansive airplane hangars full of vintage planes and tanks, play on giant touch screens in the new Why War exhibit, or see the museum come to life during event days.
Take a walk through history with your family and immerse yourself in the stories of people and machines that lived during wartime. In our working hangars, you will have a chance to talk to mechanics working on the planes or take a tour with a knowledgeable docent.
More Sherman tanks were made than any other tank in U.S. history. During WWII, the M4 Sherman was operated by the U.S., Russia and the United Kingdom, among others.
Il-2 The Il-2 operated close to the ground, attacking enemy tanks, trucks and troops near the front line. Soviet pilots lovingly named the plane “the winged tank.”
MUSEUM info Website: www.flyingheritage.com Address: 3407 109th St. SW, Everett, WA 98204
M55
Hours: Seven days a week, 10 am to 5pm
The M55 was the largest U.S. Army artillery piece in service in the 1950s. The rise of armored forces in World War II led to the need for artillery that could follow the tanks cross-country.
Cost: Adults $14, Youth (6-17) $10, 5 and under free Free/Discounted Museum Days: First Thursday of every month is free Special Events for Families/Kids: FHCAM SkyFair on July 22, European Theater Day on Aug. 26, Monster Bash on Oct. 7, Tanks Giving on Dec. 2 Summer Day Camps/Classes: Yes: www.flyingheritage.com/Learn/ Summer-Camps.aspx
Afterschool/Weekend Classes: Yes: www.flyingheritage.com/Learn/ Adult-Programs.aspx
P-51 Mustang
Programs for Schools/Homeschoolers: Yes: www.flyingheritage.com/
In the 1940s, the P-51 Mustang quickly became one of the best-known and most feared fighters in the world, able to escort heavy bombers deep into enemy territory.
Learn/School-Programs.aspx
Parent Kid-Friendly Features: Why War: Causes of Conflict Exhibit, Event Days, Educational talks, Summer Camps, War Gaming, and more!
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Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
hands on children's museum SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Hands On Children’s Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Sasquatch Did you know the Sasquatch is hiding in two places inside and outside of our museum? Take a spin around the Trike Loop and see if you can spot him!
Bees at work Spot our hard-working giant (hand-felted) honey bees as you work your way through the Tides to Trees climber and look for their huge honeycomb near the Animal Rescue Center.
Mist bell This favorite feature in the museum has kids touching mist created with ultra-sonic waves.
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
150 interactive exhibits including Emergency!, Ballcano, Art Studio, MakeSpace and two-story Climber. Magical Outdoor Discovery Center with Driftwood Fort, chickens and water play inside and out. Summerlong Summer Splash! event features headline shows, live animals, guest performers, and special activities. Don’t miss Spring break weeks, Boo Bash and Snow Days.
Washington’s award-winning museum on Olympia’s waterfront, adjacent to Wet Center and Plaza with a 250’ interactive stream. Near Farmers Market, Percival Landing and the downtown. Beautiful, clean facility featuring yummy fresh food in the Café. Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence and top 5 in the Best of Western Washington!
MUSEUM info Resident chickens Visit the Outdoor Discovery Center garden and chicken coop to meet Bok Bok, Rubarb, Butterscotch and Chilliwig. Spot them pecking for bugs, laying eggs or playing their xylophone!
Website: www.hocm.org Address: 414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia, WA 98501 Hours: Tues-Sat: 10 am to 5 pm, Sun-Mon: 11 am to 5 pm Cost: General admission (ages 2-64): $12.95, Seniors (65+): $10.95, Military/First responder/Foster (with valid ID): $10.95, Free for members
Free/Discounted Museum Days: Free 1st Friday Nights 5 to 9pm, see www.hocm.org for more!
Special Events for Families/Kids: Summer Splash! (June-Aug), Boo Bash (Oct), Noon Year’s (Dec. 31)
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Eagle’s nest
Summer Day Camps/Classes: Yes! www.hocm.org/summercamp
Challenge yourself! Climb to the second level and explore the life-sized eagle’s nest 70 feet in the air! Spot the eagle flying in, then come swirling down the stream slide!
Afterschool/Weekend Classes: Yes! www.hocm.org/special-guests-activities/
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Programs for Schools/Homeschoolers: Yes! www.hocm.org/field-trips/ Museum Café: Yes! www.hocm.org/cafe/ Parent & Kid Friendly Features: Preschool, Birthday Parties, Private Events, Adult Event Series
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Henry art Gallery Families can explore and enjoy the exhibition Fun. No Fun. Kraft Duntz featuring Dawn Cerny.
SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Henry Art Gallery
CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Skyspace
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This Skyspace is by James Turrell and is called Light Reign. You can see, feel, smell and hear the sky from inside! Take your time here and enjoy!
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FU N. N O FU N. KRAFT DU N TZ FE ATURIN G DAWN CE RN Y.” IMAGE CRE DI T: JON AT HA N VA ND ERWEI T. SKYSPACE: JAM ES T URRELL. LI GHT REI GN ( EX T ERIO R DE TA IL). 2 003. PERMA N EN T S KYS PACE AN D EX TE RI OR ILLU MIN ATI ON WORK. CO PY RI GHT: JAM ES T URRELL. PHOTO CRED I T: J O NAT HAN VANDE RWE IT CA RVE D Q U OTE PHOTO C RE DIT: JO NATHA N VA NDERWE IT. JACO B LAW REN CE: EI GHT ST UD I ES FO R T HE B O O K O F GENESI S [I NSTALLAT I O N VI EW ]. 2 017. H EN RY A RT GA LLE RY, UN IVE RSI TY OF WAS HIN GTON , S E AT TLE . PHOTO C RE D I T: M ARK WO O DS. SUM M ER WHEAT. VALLEY O F LI FE WI T H S NA KE (DETAI L). AC RYL IC AN D RE S IN O N A LU MIN U M ME S H. CO URTESY O F T HE A RTI ST. [I NSTALLAT I O N VI EW O F SUM M ER WHEAT: FULL CI RCLE AT TH E H E NRY, 2 017.] PH OTO: M ARK WO ODS . FU N . N O FU N. KRA FT DUN TZ F EATU RING DAW N CERNY AT T HE HENRY, 2017. PHOTO : M ARK WO O DS.
Carved Quote
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Kids will love exploring the unusual spaces and shapes of the museum and how art can be immersive and often interactive! Their imaginations will run wild as they are encouraged to sketch in the galleries and discover completely new ways of thinking about what art is and can be!
Parents will love the friendly staff who can answer questions about the art or point out the best places to snack or take a break with their kids. They’ll love unpacking big ideas alongside their kids and will discover multigenerational programs that can further the creative interests of the whole family!
MUSEUM info Website: www.henryart.org Address: Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, 15th Ave NE & NE 41st St., Seattle, WA 98195
Hours: Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun: 11 am to 4 pm, Thurs: 11 am to 9 pm, Mon, Tues: Closed. The Henry is closed on Independence Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Admission: FREE for Henry members; UW students, faculty, and staff; students, and children, $10 General Admission, $6 Seniors (62+) Discounted or Free Days: Museum entrance is free to everyone on Sundays. We are also free every First Thursday.
Family events: Held on select Sundays throughout the year, ArtVentures encourage families to play, learn, and create alongside artists and creative facilitators.
Café: City Grind at the Henry is open Tues-Fri from 9 am to 4 pm and 11 am to 2 pm on the weekends. We serve coffee, sandwiches, salads, pastries, and cookies.
In our upstairs galleries, you’ll find several quotes carved into the walls of our original 1927 building. Find one. What does it say? What does it mean to you?
“Jacob Lawrence: Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis”
3
Upstairs, you’ll find Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis by Jacob Lawrence. Look for a small object hidden in seven of the prints. What might it symbolize?
“Summer Wheat: Full Circle”
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This is a detail of Nightshade by Summer Wheat. This artwork looks like a textile but is actually a painting. How many animals can you spot? What stories do these make you think of?
“Fun. No Fun. Kraft Duntz featuring Dawn Cerny”
5
In the installation Fun. No Fun. by Kraft Duntz featuring Dawn Cerny, you can go up and down and around. Look for the spiral staircase—where does it lead?
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Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
hilbulb cultural center and natural history preserve SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Hilbulb Cultural Center CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Longhouse Traditionally, longhouses were homes made from cedar planks that were used for gatherings and communal living. Today, Tulalip Tribes has one central longhouse that is still used for ceremonies.
Helmet This helmet belonged to a tribal member who served in the Army during the Vietnam War. He had 600 hours of flying as a helicopter pilot.
Dentalium shells
PH OTO COU RTESY OF XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX
Dentalium shells were used as currency and regalia. Mostly used for trade, these small tubular mollusks were symbols of wealth and were commonly incorporated in traditional wear.
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Stories are given as gifts to make one more knowledgeable. Young people can immerse themselves in the stories, music, canoes, cedar and salmon interactive exhibits of the Tulalip people’s past and present at the cultural center.
Our senior curator described the cultural center as the intellectual and cultural soul of the Tulalip people. The center incorporates history, language, science and art in the hands-on activities for a unique, enjoyable learning experience.
MUSEUM info
Teaching pole
Website: www.hibulbculturalcenter.org
Teaching poles were carvings that represented stories and the morals behind them. In the winter months, grandparents would tell stories to children in the longhouse.
Address: Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve, 6410 23rd AVE NE Tulalip, WA 98271, 360-716-2600
Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday-Friday 10 am-5 pm, Saturday-Sunday noon-5 pm. Free the 1st Thursday of each month, open until 8pm
Admission: Adult (18 and over): $10, Senior (50+): $7, Student (6-17): $6, Military & Veterans: $6, Child (5 and under): FREE, Family: $25 (2 adults and up to 4 children)
Special Events for Families: Yes
Stone net weights Stone net weights were used to weigh down nets for beach seining and fishing. These weights helped the net sink down to catch fish, or to anchor nets in place.
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Summer Day Camps/Classes: Summer Tour programs offered. Afterschool/Weekend Classes: Yes Programs for Schools/Homeschoolers: Yes Museum Café: No Family-friendly features: Interactive exhibits, hands on activity options.
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Kids Discovery Museum SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Kids Discovery Museum (KiDiMu) CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Outdoor Climbing Wall Get ready for high adventure! Rain or shine, young explorers will have fun practicing motor skills and getting their wiggles out, as they conquer the Olympic Mountains range in KiDiMu’s outdoor space.
Giant Teeth
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Young explorers will be thrilled to have grown-ups follow their lead at this museum of a “please touch” variety, with adventures awaiting them at every corner. They will feel inspired sailing imaginary seas aboard the Pirate Tree House, making friends in Our Town or experimenting with physics and… golf balls!
Grown-ups will be thrilled to enjoy a carefree family adventure. Thanks to the museum’s layout, they will have no trouble keeping track of their explorers or keeping them engaged. With KiDiMu located in beautiful downtown Bainbridge, a short walk away from the ferry terminal, families can make a day of it!
Smile! Practice oral hygiene with an oversized toothbrush, play doctor to get ready for your next checkup and discover other anatomy secrets in KiDiMu’s medical center.
Light Wall (aka Giant “Lite-Brite”) Get in touch with your creativity and make an original design! Everybody’s favorite; toddlers are mesmerized, practicing color recognition and parents have a blast getting transported back into childhood.
MUSEUM info Website: www.kidimu.org
DISCOVERY Videomicroscope
Address: 301 Ravine Lane NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm; Sunday, noon to 4 pm
Bring some serious science fun into focus and get ready for “WOW” moments! From bugs to the back of your palm, explore fascinating macro mysteries at your fingertips.
Admission: (Per Person) $8 General Admission; $7 Seniors/Grandparents & Military; FREE Members, Infants under 12 Months, Gold Star Families; Active Duty Military Families - Memorial Day through Labor Day
Free Days: FREE First Thursday of Each Month, KiDiMu Birthday Bash (June), Family Art Day (July), Smithsonian Museum Day Live (with free ticket; September)
Special Events for Families/Kids: Weekly programs; Events including: KiDiMu Birthday Bash & Walk (first Saturday in June); Noon Year’s Eve (December 31); Sensory Sundays (autism & SPD support; fourth Sundays; no program in May & December)
Rocket Ship Collage Get inspired to dream big as you spot this masterpiece created by artist Max Grover with KiDiMu kids. Be sure to explore more original art displayed throughout the museum!
KiDiMu Summer Camps: Half-Day Camps for Ages 3 1/2 to 6, July & August Programs for Schools/Homeschoolers: School Field Trips; Weekly Programs open to all families, including homeschoolers.
Museum Café: No (Snacks available for sale) Gift Store: Yes
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kidsquest children's museum SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at KidsQuest Children’s Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Mouse house This tiny mouse house is an homage to the shadowboxes in KidsQuest’s original Factoria location. The discovery of this tiny delight brings joy to children and adults alike.
Magnifying glass The giant magnifying glass guides you to one of our unique exhibit spaces and gives children an opportunity for reflection as they realize it is also a mirror.
Story Tree quote Run your hand across this quote as you feel the words that fill the stories in our Story Tree. Take a moment and climb up to find a cozy spot to enjoy a book.
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Kids will love that every corner of the museum offers new opportunities for hands-on play. They can drive a real truck, climb 2 1/2 stories, or get soaked in water. Looking for something new to do? Free activities are offered everyday from Inventor Hour to Storytime to Play with Paint.
Parents will love that their children are engaging in thought-provoking play. The day is made a little easier because beverages are allowed in lidded containers, and the new KidsQuest offers indoor snack spots for sitting and refueling kiddoes without leaving the building.
MUSEUM info Website: www.kidsquestmuseum.org
Toy in on the go Once home to the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art, KidsQuest has a number of display cases filled with the toys and dolls that once filled this entire building.
Address: 1116 108th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 Adjacent to Bellevue Library and Ashwood Park
Hours: Mon. 9 am to 5 pm through August 28, Tue.-Thu.: 9 am to 5 pm, Fri.: 9 am to 8 pm, Sat.: 9 am to 5 pm, Sun.: noon to 5 pm
Cost: Single admission: $12, Members and children under 1: Free Special Events for Families/Kids: Parents’ Night Out, Parent workshops, Art & Science workshops, Holiday events
Climber vent If you make it to the pinnacle of the museum’s Atrium Climber, take a look around for a special surprise. Small discoveries are sometimes found in the most unusual places.
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Summer Day Camps/Classes: Summer camps for ages 3 to 3rd Grade, www.kidsquestmuseum.org/programs/summer-camp/; Early childhood classes for ages 0 to 5, www.kidsquestmuseum.org/programs/early-childhood-classes/ Afterschool/Weekend Classes: QuestClub After School Science for ages 5 to 8 every Wednesday: www.kidsquestmuseum.org/calendar/ Programs for Schools: In-Museum Field Trips and Field Trips to Go, www.kidsquestmuseum.org/programs/field-trips/
Museum Cafe: Small snack selection available in the Museum Store
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
LeMay --- America's Car Museum SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at LeMay – America’s Car Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
1922 Dodge Standard A Roadster A replica 1922 Dodge Standard A Roadster is one of three cars in the museum that you can touch. Hop in, test the buttons and pedals, and try working the crankshaft on the front of the car.
The Flintmobile
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
America’s Car Museum offers our youngest guests the opportunity to explore our galleries, filled with over 300 very cool cars. Kids can race cars in the driver’s seat of a race simulator or on the slot-car track in the Speed Zone. In the Family Zone, children of all ages can compete in Pinewood Derby races or climb into a car from the 1920s and pretend to drive!
America’s Car Museum aims to inspire curiosity and imagination. Visitors are surrounded by cars ranging from horseless carriages to modern-day race cars. This nontraditional classroom provides a unique learning experience, exploring the science, technology, engineering, art, history and math of automobiles through discussion and engaging hands-on projects.
Included in America’s Car Museum’s collection is Fred Flintstone’s car.The “Flintmobile” was custom built by designer George Barris and was featured in the 1994 movie “The Flintstones.”
1911 Baker Electric Car That’s right! Long before the Toyota Prius and Tesla cars of today, automobile companies were making electric cars. In 1900, electric cars were the most popular vehicles sold in the U.S.
MUSEUM info
Historic Plates
Website: www.americascarmuseum.org
Did you know that there are many different types of license plates for vehicles? “Historic” or “Collector Vehicle” plates like this one require the car to have been made more than 30 years ago.
Address: 2702 East D Street, Tacoma, WA 98421 Hours: 10 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week Admission: Adults: $18, Seniors (Age 65+): $16, Military: $16 Students: $14, Youth (Ages 6-12): $10, Child (5 and under): Free Special Events for Families: Family STEAM Days- June 17, July 15, Aug 19, Sept 16, Oct 21, Nov 18, Dec 16
Lucky’s Garage: A Tribute to Harold LeMay
Summer Day Camps/Classes: FUNdamentals of Car Design and Engineering for 7th-9th graders (July 24-28), High Speed Fun for 3rd-6th graders (August 7-11)
Programs for Schools/Homeschoolers: Inquiry-based tours, hands-on
Lucky’s Garage is a representation of a car garage where Harold E. LeMay, the founder of LeMay – America’s Car Museum, would have stored and worked on one of the cars in his collection of over 3,000 automobiles.
workshops, and gallery activities
Museum Café: Classics by Pacific Grill Parent and Kid-Friendly Features: Family Zone, Photo Car, Speed Zone and four floors of awesome cars, trucks and motorcycles!
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Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Living Computers: Museum + Labs SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Living Computers: Museum + Labs CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Apple ][ From crossing the country in Oregon Trail to navigating spreadsheets of data, experience the history of personal computing.
Robotis Say hello to the robot with all the moves. Watch as Robotis side-steps, waves and even does a mini workout!
CDC 6500 The only working supercomputer of its kind, the Control Data Corporation (CDC) 6500 provided some of the fastest computing of the 1960s.
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
With everything from waving robots and retro computer gaming to interactive workshops and self-driving car simulations, kids can play with nearly every object in the museum and learn about computers in the process. Empower their curiosity with technology from the past, present, and future.
With free museum parking and great membership rates, parents will be hard-pressed to find a better place to connect with their kids over technology. With a full schedule of workshops, programs, demos, and drop-in activities, LCM+L will help you beat the summer slump.
MUSEUM info
IBM 029 keypunch
Website: www.livingcomputers.org
Punch cards were a fact of life for decades. Experience computing’s early years firsthand and take home your own souvenir punch card.
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
Address: 2245 1st Ave S. in SoDo, Seattle, WA Admission: General: $12, Children (up to age 5): Free, Discounted (various): $10 Free/Discounted Museum Days: Free First Thursdays from 5 to 8 pm Special Events for Families/Kids: YES: www.livingcomputers.org/calendar Summer Day Camps/Classes: YES
Self-driving car Take a test-drive in the self-driving car simulator and see for yourself how autonomous vehicles may transform our cities.
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Afterschool/Weekend Classes: YES Programs for Schools: YES: www.livingcomputers.org/schools Parent & Kid-Friendly Features: Regular workshops and demos Wed.-Fri. during the summer season. Free parking, tech shop, and café/eating area. Field trips, group reservations, and private rentals are also available.
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
MOHAI: THE museum of history & industry SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at MOHAI
CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
“Wawona” This enormous wooden sculpture was made from a decommissioned sailing vessel called the Wawona. Push it to see it sway, or walk inside to discover what’s under the museum!
“Toe truck”
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Create, collaborate and explore at the Bezos Center for Innovation where young visitors can tinker and solve real-world problems in the Idea Lab. Stop by MOHAI’s popular Great Seattle Fire Theater, hammer away on the Northern Pacific railroad, and use Exploration and Innovation Packs to discover history in fun, hands-on ways.
MOHAI’s big open floor plan allows kids to get their wiggles out as they explore the museum. Hands-on interactives supplement in-depth exhibit content to entertain everyone in the family. On the last Saturday of every month, come to Maker Day to tinker, experiment and create alongside some of Seattle’s most innovative makers.
MUSEUM info Website: www.mohai.org
Lincoln Towing’s pink “toe truck” was once a landmark in South Lake Union and was featured in local parades for years. Get an up-close look at this quirky Seattle icon.
Periscope Try out a real working periscope from a World War II-era submarine, and get a 360-degree view of Lake Union and downtown Seattle.
Address: 860 Terry Ave., Seattle
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm daily (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas) Summer Extended Hours: Thursdays, July and August, 10 am to 8 pm
Glue pot
Admission: Admission to select special exhibits is included with regular MOHAI admission of $19.95 for adults, $15.95 for seniors (62 and above); $13.95 for students and military (with ID); free for children 14 and under and MOHAI members.
This humble little glue pot started the Great Seattle Fire, which burned down most of Seattle’s commercial district in 1889. Visit the Great Fire Theater to experience the whole story!
Special Events for Families: Virginia V Cruise: Bridge to Bridge, July 26, 7 pm. Cost: $25 MOHAI and Virginia V members / $30 general public / $15 under 21 / 5 and under free. Learn more at mohai.org/calendar
Special Ongoing Programs for Families: Maker Days (last Saturday of every month): Cost: Included with admission. miniMOHAI: Mondays, July 3–Aug. 28, 10 am to 1 pm. Cost: Included with admission. Learn more at mohai.org/calendar
Programs for Schools/Homeschoolers: MOHAI’s hands-on educational programs make local history come alive for students. Learn more at mohai.org/education
South Lake Café at MOHAI: Catered by Chef Eric Bauer’s Eatdrink, our café offers sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts. Learn more at mohai.org/program/cafe
MOHAI Store: A unique selection of hand-crafted gifts, books, toys, and more— all made by Puget Sound artisans. Learn more at mohai.org/program/mohai-store
Slinky dog Did you know that the slinky dog was a Seattle invention? Discover this and many more stories of local ingenuity at the Bezos Center for Innovation.
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Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
MUSEUM of glass SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at the Museum of Glass CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
The Cone This 90-foot tall part of the museum looks like someone dropped their ice cream! It also looks like old sawdust furnaces. It’s where things get hot at MOG.
Ready to be an artist? This special room is for you to stretch your creative wings and fly! Pick up supplies at the front desk, and make something beautiful!
Hot Glass
E XTE RIOR PHOTO CO URT ESY O F C HU CK LYSE N, M OLTE N G LASS PHOTO COU RTE SY OF TARI N ERI CKSO N
What’s this strange, gooey gob? It’s hot glass! Can you see the artists in the Hot Shop use this spectacular material? They’ll take it out of a furnace that’s 2400°F.
Cappy Thompson You’ll find works of art all around MOG. The galleries are full of beautiful things that grown-up artists have made. Which work of art makes you think?
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Museum of Glass in downtown Tacoma inspires kids with live demonstrations from artists working with hot glass, and with amazing works of art in the galleries by some of the world’s greatest glass blowers. After watching artists blow glass in the Hot Shop, your child-artist creates their own work in MOG’s Education Studio.
You’ll love watching the look on your children’s faces as they see artists transform molten glass into works of art. Along the way, you’ll learn, too! Our exhibitions provide adults the fascinating history of glass art, and the role the Pacific Northwest has taken in leading the Studio Glass Movement.
MUSEUM info Website: www.museumofglass.org Address: 1801 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402 Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday noon to 5 pm Closed Monday and Tuesday, Labor Day through Memorial Day.
Free/Discounted Days: Free Third Thursday, on the 3rd Thursday of each month Special Events for Families/Kids:
Kids Design Glass It’s not just for the grown-ups! Down Art Alley is a line-up of Kids Design Glass. Check out what children under the age of 12 have designed and the MOG Hot Shop team have created.
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Family Day the 2nd Saturday of every month. Each Family Day has a theme and a fun project related to that theme. Entertainment too! Hands-on workshops cover fusing, mosaics, and other cold and warm glass topics. Workshops are guided by an art educator who provides high quality materials enabling creative expression in many ways. Offered in the Education Studio the 2nd and 4th weekend of each month.
Museum Café: Yes
E XTE RIOR PHOTO : MA RTIN BLAN K. F LUENT STE PS, 2 009. HOT- S CU LPTE D GLASS, STA IN LESS ST EEL. CO LLECT I O N O F M USEUM OF G LASS , PH OTO BY C HU CK LYSE N; # 3 M OLTE N G LASS : CO U RTE SY O F TARIN ERIC KS ON ; #4 CAPPY T HO M PSO N: GATHERI NG THE LI GH T, 2 003; # 5 DE SI GN ED BY HA NNA H W ILS ON ( AG E 11), SOCK NE SS M ON STER, 2 009
The Education Studio
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
nordic heritage museum SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Nordic Heritage Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Travel trunk At the turn of the 19th century, many Nordic people arrived in the U.S. in search of new opportunities. They left behind cherished possessions, carrying only the essentials that would fit in trunks for the long journey.
Old Ballard
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Multimedia exhibits, life-size replicas, please-touch displays, and music and sound effects transport young visitors back in time to experience life as a Nordic-American immigrant in the 19th century. Then, kids will enjoy more contemporary favorites such as an American Girl doll case and a thousand plus piece LEGO display.
The program parallels the museum’s themes such as Nordic emigrants’ experience in early America up through their contribution to contemporary culture. Adults will appreciate children receiving a thorough understanding of Nordic culture, as the museum is the only one in the U.S. to honor contributions of all five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Step into 1852 and see what Ballard looked like to Nordic immigrants. Peek in the window at the Cascade Drug Store for a glimpse of the medicinal remedies offered back in the 19th century.
Bait station Fishing has long been a part of Nordic culture and was a livelihood for many early immigrants in the Pacific Northwest. Try baiting a hook on this replica of a fishing boat bait station.
MUSEUM info Website: www.nordicmuseum.org
Early LEGO
Address: 3014 NW 67th Street, Seattle, WA 98117
LEGO bricks are a Danish invention. Their creator, Ole Kirk Christiansen, fashioned the first LEGO bricks out of wood in 1932.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday: noon to 4 pm Admission: Adults: $8, Seniors and college students: $7, Children 5 and older: $6, Children younger than 5: Free
Free/Discounted Museum Days: Free admission the first Thursday of the month. The Museum Store: Open during regular Museum hours. Special kids and family programs: Nordic Stories: First Thursdays, 10 am. Featuring stories from the Nordic countries along with fun craft projects, this program is geared toward preschool-aged children and their grown-ups. Moomin Mania: Thursday, August 3, 1 to 2:30 pm. Join us for a celebration of all things Moomin! Listen to stories, watch classic cartoons, and make crafts at this fun-filled event. Viking Days: Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20, 10 am to 5 pm. Fun for all ages, this outdoor festival offers Nordic food, lively entertainment, a Viking Encampment, and much more. Enjoy a Swedish pancake breakfast and/or a salmon barbeque, and shop in true Nordic style! Special craft programs for kids.
American Girl Brought to life in 1986, Kirsten Larson was one of the original American Girl characters. A Swedish emigrant to America, Kirsten’s story as she adapted to life in a new land was eagerly followed by young girls.
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Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Northwest Railway Museum SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Northwest Railway Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Pocket watch Time is important to railroads. Train crew has to carry a watch and be aware of what time it is to prevent accidents. Conductors and engineers compare time every shift.
Kids’ coloring book and paper engineer hat Historically there was sometimes a stewardess assigned to passenger trains. Their job was to help passengers, especially families. They carried activities like these to entertain children on long rides.
WRL Co. locomotive 1 The #1 was the first diesel locomotive purchased for use in Enumclaw by Weyerhaeuser. The #1 marked the end of the steam era, which lasted for over 100 years.
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Trains, trains and more real trains! Hands-on activity areas including a “kid size” locomotive. Train ride to the top of Snoqualmie Falls, an old depot to explore, conductors and engineers to talk with. Train Shed Exhibit Building with more trains, a model train layout and a kids’ area to explore.
Historic trains and more! Visit a Victorian depot, learn how the railway changed everything, experience the excitement of a working railroad, travel back in time to experience life before interstate highways, shop in a bookstore, and enjoy a train excursion that includes the view from the top of Snoqualmie Falls.
MUSEUM info Website: www.trainmuseum.org
“Northwest” from caboose 1203 NP caboose 1203 is typical of cabooses used on freight trains across North America and acted as the crew’s office. The cupola allowed them to watch over the moving train.
NP logo Refrigerator cars changed the way Americans ate! Food, such as oranges, could be shipped long distances because the food could be refrigerated during transport. These cars expanded the foods available.
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Address: 38625 SE King St, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 1890 Snoqualmie Depot & Bookstore Hours: 10 am to 5pm, 7 days a week. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Railway History Center Campus: Included stop during regular train rides. Walk-ups: Available Summer 2017.
Admission: Free admission to visit the Snoqualmie Depot and grounds. $10 per person admission to visit Railway History Center Campus.
Train Rides: Saturdays and Sundays, April through the end of October. $10-$20, children under 2 ride free. Special Events: Day Out With Thomas; Santa Train; Halloween Train, Railroad Days, Mother’s, Father’s & Grandparents’ Days, Grand Tours, Education Programs, Whistle Stop Birthday Parties.
Online Exhibits: www.trainmuseum.org Food: A variety of restaurants are available in easy walking distance in historic Snoqualmie.
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Seattle Art Museum SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Seattle Art Museum
CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Chinese Camel The Camels served as the greeting party for SAM’s original location in Volunteer Park at what is now the Asian Art Museum. Find these former museum doormen and say hello.
SA M E XTE RIOR PHOTO : BEN BEN SC HN EI DER; A RT WO RK : CHI NE S E C AM EL, LATE 14TH -M I D 17T H CENT URY, EUGENE FULLER M EM O RI AL COL LEC TIO N; M IDDLE FORK, BY JO HN G RADE , 2017, PH OTO : BE N BE NS CH NE IDE R; BLUE PRI NCESS, BY AK I O TAKAM O RI , 2009, HOWARD KOTTL ER E NDOWM EN T FOR C ERA MIC A RT,© A KI O TAKA MO RI ; ME RC EDE S BEN Z COFFI N, BY KANE Q UAY E, 1991, GI FT O F D R. O LI VER E. A ND PAME LA F. COBB AN D MA RK G RO U DIN E A N D CYNT HI A PUT NA M IN H ON OR OF PAM M CCLUSKY, © KANE Q UAY E; EGY PT I AN FUNERARY PO RT RAI T, 1ST - 2 ND CE NTU RY, EU G E NE FU L LER M EM ORIAL COL LE CTIO N .
“Middle Fork”
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Art is larger than life at SAM! Our huge spaces allow for full-size tree sculptures, stone camels, a towering mouse, and much more. Kids and their adults can roam the galleries and then find one of the family-friendly spaces we keep stocked for making and playing during your visit.
SAM’s collection spans centuries and cultures, bringing a world of art to the whole family. Special exhibitions include exciting contemporary art and old masterworks. SAM members get access to Parent’s Night Out which includes a docent tour and a few hours to yourselves while we entertain the kids.
Middle Fork was cast from a live 140-yearold western hemlock tree in the Cascade Mountains using thousands of pieces of reclaimed old-growth cedar. Now its branches hang above our visitors!
“Blue Princess” Can you find a princess in the galleries? Akio Takamori’s Blue Princess was inspired by portraits from the 17th century Spanish court—talk about global influence!
MUSEUM info Website: www.seattleartmuseum.org
MercedesBenz Coffin
Address: 1300 1st Ave Seattle, WA 98101 Hours: 10 am to 5 pm; Closed Tue.; Thu. open ’til 9 pm
At nine feet long, this replica of a Mercedes-Benz is a large coffin. Slide the top off and inside you would find an upholstered interior and a pillow.
Cost: Kids 12 and under are always free Free Days: The first Thursday of the month admission to collection galleries is free and prices for the special exhibition are 50% off. Family Events: Family Field Day is Saturday July 29 at the Olympic Sculpture Park from 10 am to 2 pm. www.visitsam.org/summer Weekend Classes: Join us on Sundays July 2-September 10 from 11 am to 1 pm at SAM for free, all-ages, drop-in art making inspired by the exhibition Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors
“Funerary Portrait” Roman influence on Egyptian painting can be seen in this Egyptian Funerary Portrait. Parents, does this remind you of a certain ghost-busting actor?
Programs for Schools: Yes! www.visitsam.org/educators Museum Café: Yes! www.tastesam.com Family Friendly Features: SAM has multiple family-specific spaces both inside and outside our galleries. Come explore, play, and make art with us!
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Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Seattle Children's museum SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at Seattle Children’s Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Raccoon in the tree Our friend the Raccoon is trying to find a good tree to make his home in. Can you find him in Discovery Bay?
Theater masks They say the theater comes alive at night. The girl and her crow above the stage come down to put on their own plays. Can you find their sleeping place?
Lava river The earth is alive and so are the mountains. They shift, move and form new paths with their red-hot lava and ice. Can you find the lava river moving through the mountain?
Yellow turtle The shy little turtle hides in the garden and when she sees you approach she retreats to her shell. Can you find our shy friend in Kobe? She just wants to come out and play.
The light table Find a play table full of light that you can make colorful shapes out of plastic. You may even be able to look at an X-ray or two!
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What kids will love:
What parents will love:
• The variety of materials to explore and manipulate within the exhibits
• Open-ended guiding questions and caregiver tips, designed to get the most out of your trip
• The new STEM area, Investigation Station, with opportunities to conduct real experiments and imaginative play • Multicultural programming and perspectives provided by staff and guest performers • Awesome art programming and Imagination Studio, with multiple art mediums to try
• Welcoming staff and knowledgeable educators available to offer programs and help with your questions • Spaces designed specifically for very young and older elementary aged children • New culturally relevant programming for family and group visits
MUSEUM info Website: www.thechildrensmuseum.org Address: 305 Harrison Street; Seattle, WA 98109 Hours: 10 am to 5 pm (Monday-Friday), 10 am to 6 pm (Saturday-Sunday) Admission: $10.50/person (adult or child); $9.50/grandparent; Military, DSHS, Quest card discounts; Group visits, $9 per person (Please visit our website for information on sponsored group admission & discount information: www.thechildrensmuseum.org/visit/prices/) Special Event: Cocktails & Chemistry: www.thechildrensmuseum.org/cocktails-chemistry/ Summer Camps: Discovery Days Camps (June 26-September 2): www.thechildrensmuseum.org/programs/camps/ Other: Educator/homeschool training workshops available to suit your needs Location: Under the Armory Food Court on the Seattle Center grounds
Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
Washington State History MUSEUM SCAVENGER HUNT
Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at the Washington State History Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
Model railroad Can you find this section of our model railroad? It’s built to look just like Tacoma and Pierce County from different time periods.
Wagon
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Lots of hands-on interactives! Summer programs at WSHM connect kids with history through projects, artifacts, live demonstrations and take-home activities. Can’t make it to a program? Come anytime 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday to explore the exhibits. Gallery docents are happy to answer questions.
The museum’s real artifacts and reconstructions inspire young learners through exciting stories. This summer, visitors get a special treat with Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, featuring 200+ historic artifacts and interactives. Pop on a helmet to hear coach-to-player communication, try on shoulder pads, and more!
Take a seat in this covered wagon! It’s a great photo op! Thousands of people moved to Washington in wagons like this, and it’s filled with artifacts brought here on the Oregon Trail!
Football This football is more than 100 years old! Can you find it in the museum’s Gridiron Glory exhibition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
MUSEUM info Website: www.WashingtonHistory.org Address: 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, WA, 1-888-BE THERE
Scale
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10 am to 5 pm, Third Thursdays: 10 am to 8 pm
This scale was used for weighing gold found in mines and rivers in Canada and Alaska. Many people traveled through Washington in hopes of finding gold farther north.
Admission: Historical Society Members: FREE, Adults (ages 18 & over): $12 Seniors (ages 60 & over): $8, Students (ages 6–17 years): $8, Military Veteran (proof of service required): $8, Children (ages 5 & under): FREE Small group walk-in rate (groups of 15 or more): $5 each
Free Days: Free from 2 to 8 pm on the Third Thursday of every month. Join us Saturday, Aug. 19 from 10 am to 5 pm for a free all-day indoor/outdoor Native arts and culture festival in collaboration with Tacoma Art Museum. Blue Star Museums Program: Free admission to active military and their families through Labor Day.
Mine board
Onsite Dining: Located adjacent in the museum plaza, Anthem Coffee & Tea
Take a walk through our coal mine! In company towns like Roslyn, miners would place a number on the board before going into the mine.
serves a variety of beverages, pastries, salads, sandwiches, and other refreshments.
Family Programs: Washington State History Museum has a range of exciting programs for all ages, from talking to the model railroad operations team to handson themed Family Camps, movies, festivals and more. Get the details at Events and Programs under the Visit menu tab at www.WashingtonHistory.org.
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Explore a museum with your kid this summer!
WING LUKE MUSEUM SCAVENGER HUNT Don’t miss these five exciting treasures at the Wing Luke Museum CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU FIND EACH ONE!
A 1910 view A window in the ground, this lets you see into the basement of a 1910 import-export company. Food and supplies were delivered through a trap door at street level.
Jeremy Lin jerseys These jerseys belong to Jeremy Lin, first American player of Chinese/Taiwanese descent in the NBA, from his time with the New York Knicks and his current team, the Brooklyn Nets.
New rock This is an artist representation of a new type of rock called plastiglomerate discovered in Hawai’i, formed by plastic, wood, stone, coral, basalt, sand and seashells.
What kids will love:
What parents will love:
Kids have fun learning about Seattle history and Asian American culture by physically being in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. The Historic Hotel Tour is a must-see with its living quarters of early Asian pioneers. From handson exhibits to neighborhood tours, kids are encouraged to explore to pique curiosity and activate senses.
Give your kids an experience that opens their eyes to new cultures and perspectives in a way that textbooks can’t. Exhibits currently on display include sports, Bruce Lee, climate change. The museum also offers food and walking tours and is a great resource to help you navigate this historic neighborhood.
MUSEUM info Website: www.wingluke.org
Ganesha Ganesha’s elephant head makes him easy to identify. His pot belly represents bounty, while his broken tusk symbolizes sacrifice. The mouse at his foot reflects his wisdom and intellect.
Address: 719 South King St. in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District Hours: Tues-Sun, 10 am to 5 pm; open until 8 pm on first Thursdays of the month Admission: $17 Adult, $15 Senior, $10 Youth, $12.50 Student, Free for child under 5 Free/Discounted Museum Days: First Thursdays of the Month and Family Fun Days (August 19, November 18)
Special Events for Families/Kids: August 19 & November 18 (Family Fun Days) Summer Day Camps/Classes: Yes: www.wingluke.org/summercamp Afterschool/Weekend Classes: Yes: www.wingluke.org/teen-programs
Drill team costume A costume for the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, often seen at parades. Ruby-red lips and white drill shoes help give the final touch to the uniformed look.
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Programs for Schools/Homeschoolers: Yes: www.wingluke.org/ educator-resources
Museum Café: No, though there are designated areas where food can be eaten. Admission is an all-day pass with in and out privileges to encourage exploration and eating at nearby restaurants. Parent & Kid-friendly Features: A zodiac scavenger hunt throughout the Museum with a prize; an interactive kids exhibit, Come Out and Play, opening July 15.
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Emily Vonachen and her husband created an indoor playground in their basement to keep Adam, 3, and Sebastian, 1, climbing, sliding and tumbling all year round.
All-season basement play P H OTO BY JOS H UA H U STON
A WEST SEATTLE FAMILY CREATES A BASEMENT IDEAL FOR RAINY-DAY FUN, WITH AN EVER-CHANGING ROTATION OF TOYS Don’t expect these West Seattle parents to bemoan rainy days indoors with the kids. After their second son came along, Emily Vonachen and Samih Fadli decided to create an indoor playground in their
basement so that the boys (Adam, 3, and Sebastian, 1) could enjoy physical play year-round. The playground consists of staple pieces such as a rock wall, a Quadro
playset (similar to a small jungle gym, with endless configuration possibilities), tumbling mats and a swing. In addition, the basement is full of smaller toys they consistently rotate in and out. The couple felt it was important to provide a wide array of options in order to make the most of the 350-square-foot room. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >
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MakingHome indoor playground
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The idea for the playground came about as a way to keep Adam busy after Sebastian was born. As Vonachen was finding it more difficult to get out of the house in the rainy winter months with a newborn and a toddler, the indoor playground offered a solution to meeting Adam’s physical play needs at home.
“I started off with a kitchen set, construction set and other toys that have a lot of accessories,” says Vonachen. But “I noticed that when my oldest was in a play space that had both tumbling toys and accessorized toys, he always gravitated towards the toys that met his gross motor needs, such as climbing and swinging.” In addition to providing entertainment, the
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The family opted for features that exercise gross motor skills, including a rock wall.
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easy access to physical activity has other benefits, too: With all the expelled energy, Vonachen notes that there are fewer struggles when it comes to cleaning up toys and less rambunctious play on the furniture. Keeping things fresh in the basement is no problem for Vonachen, who has become known as “The Purger” among other West Seattle moms: “Any toys that they lose interest in or outgrow, we resell.” Indeed, twice a year she sells the family’s toys to other families and hunts at consignment sales and thrift stores for new ones. She’s even able to afford larger toys that are harder to find used — like the Rainy Day swing set — with the money made from her famous purges. The rotation of toys is great for the kids, she says. Without an overwhelming excess of toys, the boys can enjoy what they have while not getting too attached to any particular objects, and it cuts down on the general clutter. With this approach, they are able to make the best of the space they have, and always find fresh ways to have fun.
when you support these businesses and mention Seattle’s Child. SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY seattle-kids-small-spring.pdf
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satsumadesigns.com
At The Landing in Renton • 425-264-3606 (Next to the Seahawks Pro Shop)
Sebastian enjoys his subterranean swing.
8511 35th Ave NE | SEA 98115
Best The East Side’stores Family Game S
„ Is your family living large in a small space? We want to hear from you! Write to us at makinghome@seattleschild.com
C R O S S R OA D S - B E L L E V U E (425) 746-1539
R E D MON D
T OWN C E N T E R
(425) 497-9180
www.unclesgames.com
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TOY STORE 206.932.3154 retroactivekids.com Historic Columbia City Discount excludes LEGO products.
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S E AT T L E ’ S C H I L D
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THE
BIGGEST
LABOR DAY
PARTY IN THE STATE! buy early and save big! xfinity dizzy Pass Unlimited Funtastic rides* with two free games! Weekend: Only Sat & Sun, Sept. 9 & 10 Weekday: Mon, Wed, Thu & Fri*
free kids Weekend Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday, Sept. 1-4 Kids 18 and under get FREE ADMISSION to the Fair all Labor Day Weekend!
giant insect adventure neW
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* Weekday Dizzy not vaild Labor Day Weekend, Fri, Sept. 1 or Mon, Sept. 4. Closed Sept 6.
Purchase by sept. 6 at thefair.com for best savings! experience larger than life insects and real life bugs in our new attraction. $7 general admission, after gate admission. Kids 2 years old and under are free.
so much
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getting here is a breeze! Pierce transit fair express
offers daily service & FRee parking!
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Tractor Tracks Kids Face Painting Fair Farm Big WA Meet & Greets Timber Gulch Wool Riders Onlyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Mutton Bustinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and so much more!
starline express from king county is available each Saturday from select King County locations.
sounder train
to the Fair runs Saturday Sept. 16 & 23.
details at thefair.com
thefair.com