This month marks 10 years of Playtime, which as it turns out is 350 columns. It seems that somewhere between the second college tour and the third — which is a plane ride away — is the time to throw in the towel. The towel in this case is screenshots of any event, resource or…
Edmonds Kind of Play
Edmonds Kind of Play: Steel drums, mermaids — and programs on crabs, fisher birds and owls
Outdoor activities — the fun, local and free variety — were all I had planned on covering this week. While we will most definitely get to them, I have got to cover Summer Music School put on by the Edmonds School District and Steel Magic Northwest, which offers a Steel Drum elective at SMS. My…
Edmonds Kind of Play: All-Star Game activities, outdoor movies, story time, cosplay workshop
The Edmonds Kind of Fourth parade was doubly exciting for us this year since it was the first time both of our kids participated. Between having kids in the parade and not really loving all of the chair management, we adopted a new parade plan in 2019. We watch them go by near the start…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Civic Center Playfield now open, free summer meals and PAWS fundraiser
Edmonds’ Civic Center Playfield is officially open after a ribbon cutting and local celebration! The revamped area features Mika’s Inclusive Playground,”designed to encourage engagement and participation by children of all abilities,” the Hazel Miller Pollinator Meadow, a new skatepark, plus, I saw a walking path when I drove by on the north side of the…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Sno-Isle summer reading, Mukilteo skate park reopening and Kingston Pirate Festival
Summer reading kicked off this week for Sno-Isle Libraries and will last through Sept. 10. This popular program had 5,537 finishers last year, which surpassed 2019’s pre-pandemic participation level and logged “close to 2.3 million minutes of reading.” Kids and teens “who read (or are read to) for 10 hours,” and per Sno-Isle “All reading…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Spray parks opening soon, plus $2 movies and artsy camps
Last weekend, my oldest and I took a trip to an out-of-state college for a tour of the campus and the department he is currently considering. It is wild that you can drive somewhere afraid your baby might not try something and then drive home trying to wrap your head around the fact that they…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Comic Book Day, fitness expo and a high school job fair
This week brought Star Wars Day, May the 4th, as a play on “May the force be with you.” We like to celebrate by bringing out some Star Wars-themed items to display next to our year-round Star Wars items including Baby Yoda, who sits with our indoor cactuses ,and our original Yoda, who was designed…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Immerse your kids in the arts with Summer Music School, Edmonds Arts Festival and Community Art Day
Summer Music School (SMS) is on for summer 2023! I am always excited to talk about SMS. It is such an incredible program at a lower- than-average cost and an incredible local resource (though you don’t need to be an Edmonds School District student to attend.) From June 28 through July 14, campers will attend…
Edmonds Kind of Play: April 18 school board meeting on budget cuts, summer jobs, parents night out
Lots of signs of spring and summer are popping up, which are always fun to share, but we gotta talk a bit about school first. On Tuesday, April 18 there is a School Board Special Meeting at the Edmonds School District office scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Per the Edmonds Education Association, “At this…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Sketcherfest scholarships, spring break activities, summer camps
This weekend, tickets for Sketcherfest, held in Edmonds, went on sale. They had originally been slated to go on sale this past Friday, but the demand for tickets did a number on their website. Per Sketcherfest.com, this is “The first travel sketchbooks festival in the United States” and it is happening right in Edmonds as…
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Edmonds Kind of Play: Art and bird classes for kids and adults, plus music scholarships
When we moved to Edmonds, one of the moving company employees taught us about “An Edmonds Kind of Day.” It was also March and one of the faux spring days we’ve been experiencing and at that time, it didn’t mean much since we were new to Edmonds and mostly knew about the gray days and…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Korean drumming and T-ball, plus ‘Study Hall’ for those thinking about college
While going to all the typical corners of the internet I visit looking for stuff to do with the kids or specifically without the kids, I read that the Edmonds Hub is out of backpacks for secondary students (those in seventh grade and up). The Edmonds Hub opened in response to the pandemic as one…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Spring and summer camp options, from sports to STEM
The tightrope walk between worrying about summer too early and missing out on camps has long been a huge source of anxiety for us. I don’t want to give anyone the ol’ “wait, did I miss a deadline?” stomach drop, but also, stuff fills up! I figure since we’re registering for first semester 23-24 classes…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Great Backyard Bird Count and time to register for spring break camps
Bald eagle sightings aren’t exactly what you would expect while shopping, but this week I have seen two eagles at two different locations, though both perched on cell towers. The west Lynnwood QFC was my first sighting. This eagle was so close I could see its feathers rustling in the wind, but I didn’t stand…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Family art workshop Saturday, plus trivia and hockey coming up
The last two times I was in the Edmonds Library, currently set up inside the Plaza Room, kids and their adults were using the area festooned with toys, activities, and a colorful mat on the floor for play and reading. Both times, as I picked up my holds and took in the second floor view,…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Kindergarten planning, Running Start info, family-friendly bee workshop
During Art Walk Edmonds this week, one of the stops I made was at the Edmonds Bookshop. The window display was full of moon-themed books, including some great options for the space-loving little ones in your life and the shop was set up for a conversation between authors. When in the bookshop, I typically end…
Edmonds Kind of Play: MLK Jr. Day tribute, Lunar New Year and Parents Night Out
The 5th Annual Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be at the Edmonds Waterfront Center Monday, Jan. 16. There will be two different events starting with the FREE families and children event in the morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and the ticketed program in the evening. The morning program will include…
Edmonds Kind of Play: 365 days of art, starlight beach walk, lacrosse clinic
On the last Saturday of holiday festivities in Edmonds, we decided to fully partake, if you will. Leaving the kids at home, we went to the Holiday Market, where we bought ornaments from Mountlake Terrace Technology Student Association and photos of street art from Oaxaca from ArturoTorrresPhotography.com. We took advantage of a special at Fire…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Where to see holiday lights, find last-minute gifts
Now that school is out for the holiday break and the alarms are off at the house for a bit, we have time to do some of the fun holiday events I’ve been seeing on social media and our yearly traditions. So sure, we now have some time, but will a couple of post 7am…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Kids Art Club, virtual library classes, winter recreation sign-ups
While the Edmonds Kind of Play column is mainly about kids activities, options, and resources, I think it is safe to say the lens I see most of these things through now is for the adults. I can’t say if that has always been the case because I can’t remember the same amount these days…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Events for building holiday memories, benefiting good causes
The weekend after Thanksgiving, three quarters of my family packed up and headed to Winthrop, Washington for an outdoor hockey tournament. Winthrop is roughly 250 miles northeast of Edmonds in the Methow Valley. Before I go on to explain the Christmas movie magic that was our surroundings, I feel that it is important to add…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Holiday activities for families, plus junior hockey and Move 60! options
Lately, I’ve had a pretty exaggerated sense of nostalgia. It could be kids barreling towards young adulthood, trying to manage the incredibly early pitch black or the news or social media or the news about social media, but either way, I have a real hankering for what feels cozy. Whether it be familiarity or simplicity,…
Edmonds Kind of Play: School district preschool, teen activities and Girls on Run
Last weekend, while trying to stay the course during a power outage, the kids and I packed up our book report, history notes and rechargeable batteries to the Lynnwood Library to use their lights, Wi-Fi, outlets and heater. We had friends charging up at their hockey practices and others just resorting to candles for the…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Halloween events, hockey for free and high school information nights
Getting the most bang for my buck on a kid’s Halloween costume was a big priority when they were younger. Now that they’re older there are fewer pre-func opportunities and in our case, waning interest as well. On top of the return of Halloween Trick-or-Treat Night in downtown Edmonds after a COVID hiatus, I found…
Edmonds Kind of Play: Storybook Theater and Corner Copia, plus Dia de los Muertos drawing class
After being thrilled it finally rained, moving the smoke out of our area, it didn’t take long to remember what it’s like to navigate daily activities when it’s wet out. School pick-up took longer than it did before and the school dance I just did the drop-off carpool for required jackets and even an umbrella….