Last weekend, I went through the Edmonds School District Calendar to put the half days, non-student days and all other important dates into our shared calendar. I have to do it all at once because the start of school is like an newly-turned-over hourglass full of my ability to stay on top of things.
Of the 40ish weeks in a school year, including both winter and spring break, I counted just 21 weeks with five full days of school in them. That is not only a lot of calendar entries, but it’s a lot of planning ahead for child care. The City of Edmonds offers some camps for non-student days and, as I found out when talking to Debbie Johnson of Edmonds Parks and Rec, some winter break camps as well. I also discovered there are a couple of great local evening events designed to occupy the kids, giving the adults a dinnertime break.
For the two non-student days in October and November, Edmonds Parks and Recreation is offering Discovery Day Camps for kids ages 6 to 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Friday, Oct. 20, kids can attend Owls of Edmonds. This day camp covers the multiple species of owls that live in Edmonds. Campers will find out “which owls call this place home and where to find them” while walking to a local park to explore one of Edmonds’ resident owl habitats. They will also dissect an owl pellet to “see what these predators eat, and learn the role they play in a healthy ecosystem.”
On Friday, Nov. 22, kids can attend the Star Light, Star Bright day camp. Campers can learn about the “earth’s solar system and why constellations were named from mythical stories, agriculture and maritime navigation.” Kids will play games and do crafts and, weather permitting, they’ll take a trip to a local park. Camps are taught by Discovery Programs staff, and I highly recommend them! You can get more details or register at RecZone.org or by calling 425-771-0230.
When I was catching up with Debbie and getting the info about the day camps, she brought me up to speed on some newly added programs. On Thursday, Sept. 21, kids ages 5 to 12 can attend a Parents Night Out: Game Night with Lego Materials from 6 to 8:30 p.m. which is during Art Walk Edmonds. Play-Well staff are there to help your kid design and play their own Lego board game. You are asked to provide a nut-free snack and water bottle as no other food will be provided. The cost for Parents Night Out is $37 for Edmonds residents, and you can also register at RecZone.org or by calling 425.771.0230.
Before I tell you about the winter break camps at the Frances Anderson Center, I want to tell you about Kids Night Out at Glazed and Amazed, 514 Main St. On Friday, Sept. 29, Glazed and Amazed is having a “Kids Night Out” from 6 to 9 p.m. for kids ages 6 to 13. Kids Night Out includes pizza and snacks for the kids plus a movie and movie-related projects. This month, the kids are watching Smurfs 2 and making a painted plate and a glass project. Next month, the event will be held on Oct. 20, the non-student day in the district and the movie is Kiki’s Delivery Service. Cost for the night is $30 and you are asked to RSVP for the event ,which you can do by calling 425-673-5474.
Now I know that winter break is far away, and I don’t typically like to get so far ahead of myself while thinking things like ‘how does back-to-school start in June and get replaced by Halloween in early September’ while in Target. However, I also know that a smoothly executed child care plan often takes research ahead of time. In that vein, I will quickly tell you about the winter break camp options at the Frances Anderson Center. There will be a half-day Gymnastics Camp from Dec. 18-21 for kids ages 5 to 12. There will also be Batman Master Mechanics with Lego Materials camp with half and full day options from dec. 20-22. Kids ages 5 to 12 can participate in the half-day portion of the camp, 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m., or if you child is 7 or over, you can choose the full-day option. As always, you can register for Edmonds Parks and Recreation at RecZone.org or by calling Debbie, my preferred method, at 425-771-0230.
— By Jennifer Marx
Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two young boys, 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 on Twitter trying to make sense of begging kids to ”just eat the mac n cheese”
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