As I type, it’s mid-morning on Monday, Dec. 21, the first real day of Christmas vacation and because of the solstice, the “shortest” day of the year. I have already been to work, been reminded of why it’s easier to shop alone when it’s not pouring, and been to the library. I feel a mix of pressure and nerves narrated by a judgmental inner voice of Mom message board commenters. What will we do? How much fighting can one person listen to? And a dueling banjo style trade-off of TV didn’t kill me/they can entertain themselves.

I know I am not the only one. I have one friend who is braving a bowling alley to get the kids out of the house and another who works at home full time who has the task of working AND managing her kids at home. For my friends who work, there are additional arrangements for care among the juggling of the holiday extras. We just ran into my son’s first-grade teacher, who we LOVE — she opted to take her son to daycare to finish up her last-minute errands.

While at the library Monday (the Lynnwood library because it’s closer to Target), I saw that the Sno-Isle Library has a few events coming up as part of their Winter Science Extravaganza. I have often lamented about what felt like the lack of fun events in this middle space between school and the holiday and was pretty surprised to see the events listed. So, if you’re like me and looking for something to do, check out the great local events below!

Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the Brier Library, kids ages 5 through 11 can attend “Animals in Winter.” The library calendars explains how kids can learn “how animals survive the winter by moving to warmer climates or adapting to their environment. Come as your favorite animal getting ready for winter with wings, pajamas or camouflage!” This event is at many other local libraries throughout the break including Mountlake Terrace from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23 and Lynnwood on Monday, Dec. 28 from 10-11 a.m.

“Solstice Science,” held at the Lynnwood Library from 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, will teach kids why it gets so dark in winter, while they explore the planet and science of the season. The event will also go over how people around the world celebrate winter. This event will also be held at the Edmonds Library from 2-3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 29; Mountlake Terrace from 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29 and Brier from 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Dec. 30.

This Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 10 a.m., the Lynnwood library will have “Volts and Jolts.” In this event presented by the Pacific Science Center, kids can do “shocking” experiments while they “explore the properties of electricity with a hair-raising Van de Graaf Generator and Tesla Coil.”

Most of these Sno-Isle events don’t require registration, but “Rockin’ Rollercoasters” at the Mountlake Terrace Library Monday, Dec. 28 at 1:30 p.m. — put on by Imagine Children’s Museum — does. Kids can learn about energy as they engineer a rollercoaster of recycled materials and test the tracks of the coaster. Registration can be done online at sno-isle.org/events or by contacting the library.

While I have listed a lot of the events, you can find a complete list of holiday-season library activities at sno-isle.org/events.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds Mom of two young boys, is a traffic reporter by dawn and writer and PBJ maker by day. She is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time. You can find her trying to make sense of begging kids to ” just eat the mac n cheese” at jen_marx . If you have a kid-friendly event you’d like to share, email her at play@myedmondsnews.com.