The first semester in the Edmonds School District wrapped up and now it’s time for summer camp registration?!? I understand all of the reasons cities and other care providers have to plan this far ahead, but it doesn’t mean that the gauntlet of finding care and predicting the needs and interests of your kids isn’t tiring for many. I don’t want to think about August today, but I am sitting next to three pages of printer paper, each with an empty summer month calendar on it, so we can figure out how to manage the time off of school and also work in driving school and some “time off.” We can also hopefully get into that tennis camp that the district offered last summer that filled right up — seriously this tennis teacher has it figured out. So, here are some of the local camp options, a “New Program Alert,” and a skate park update!

As promised, Edmonds Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services have posted summer camp offerings on RecZone.org including the return of their Day Camp – which shows availability this summer for students entering 2nd through 6th grades. You can head to RecZone.org and then choose Programs and then Camps to find this information. Some weeks of Beach Camp are already full, though the offerings via Parks and Rec, including options like acting, and movie making, are not available for registration just yet.

I received an email from the City of Lynnwood explaining that due to current staff levels, their initial Kamp Kookamonga registration, which started on March 4, will include a smaller number of spots for campers. This number will increase with the possible addition of counselors so you can join the waitlist if you are interested and don’t get in. I am expecting this first round of registration to fill up super fast.

They are also adding a preschool summer camp for kids 4 to 5 years old who are entering kindergarten in the fall. “This program is a great stepping stone to kindergarten as well as being able to attend Kamp Kookamunga in the summer of 2023!” Campers will be at the Lynnwood Rec Center and take a weekly walking field trip.

For the teenagers, there are two options for camp in the City of Lynnwood. Campers entering 8th to 12th grades can join Kamp Kookamonga as a “JC” or junior counselor or those entering 7th to 10th grades can register for TACO (Teen Adventure Camp Outdoors) which is back after two years. JCs “gain valuable leadership and work experience” as they assist Camp Staff in “providing engaging activities for our young campers.” JCs also have activities designed just for them with time to hang out with the other JCs, which are all referred to by their camp names only.

TACO campers “travel all around the PNW going on day trips which include, hikes, swimming, exploring parks, attending sporting events, trying new things and so much more.”

For information on all of the Lynnwood offerings, you can visit PlayLynnwood.com.

Registration opens Monday, March 7, for children’s summer activities and camps offered by Mountlake Terrace Recreation and Parks.

The various programs serve ages 3 and up, and include Aqua Kids, dance camps and dance classes including ballet, creative, jazz and lyrical (dance registration opens March 14); day camps for kindergarten through seventh grades; sports and specialty camps include half-day and full-day schedules; and HappyFeet Soccer classes for ages 3-5. For more information about specific programs, or to register, visit www.mltrec.com/summer.

For a year or so, my youngest son was skateboarding all of the time. After his favorite skate teacher moved away, it was just never the same and it wasn’t long before he was onto something else. While he was skating, the Edmonds Skate Park was a frequent stop after school and before we had to pick up his brother. When the park renovation was first in its planning phase, I got to sit in on some of the meetings with the city and Grindline Skateparks, the subcontractor building the park, and it was a really incredible experience. The people at Grindline showed a great presentation and a local skater, whom we’d met and befriended, was there to give their input as someone who uses the park. I mentioned what I’d heard from the nice older skaters who were supportive of my little, at-the-time skater, and of course his preferences which were mainly whatever the older ones had said in front of him. So I was excited to see the update on social media this week and to see the city reply to a commenter that the park was due to be finished in winter 2022.

The City of Edmonds also put out a “New Program Alert” on social media as they welcome Emerald City Floorball to their roster of activities. This is another of the local kids activities that I wish I could do! The post asks “Have you wanted to try hockey but aren’t ready for the ice?” Floorball is described as a “fun way to be introduced to hockey or brush up on your skills off the ice” and is available for players of all skill levels ages 6 to 12. There are summer camps and single-day clinics available, including one as soon as March 19. For more information on the sport ,you can visit RecZone.org.

Or you can always fall back on the library. The Edmonds Library, for example, is  offering a chance to “Come in and get crafty!” They have supplies for kids to make their own bookmarks set up in the children’s area.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time.