KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sun, Jan 25: Holy Rosary School Open House
Sun, Jan 25: St. Brendan
Catholic School Open House
Tue, Jan 27: Math Club: Math Games at Redmond Library (Study Zone) at King County Library
System - Redmond Library
Fri, Jan 30: Cirque du Soleil ECHO – Under the Big Top, At King County’s Marymoor Park
Fri, Jan 30: 2026-2027 Enrollment Open House at Kirkland Co-operative Preschool
Sun, Feb 1: Inspiration from Afar:
Philharmonia Northwest concert ft. Canadian cellist Noémie Raymond
Mon, Feb 2: First Day of Creative Art Classes for Kids on Mondays at Picket Fence Art Studio
Sat, Feb 7: Cascade Symphony Orchestra presents The Story of Babar at Edmonds Center for the Arts
Sat, Feb 7: Free Dental Screenings at Hands On Children's Museum
Thu, Feb 12: Mid Winter Break Camp (ages 5-13) | Alpha Gymnastics |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
If it weren’t for a Polish pastry, I might not exist. When my great-grandmother Karolina Stelmach was a teenager in a small village in Poland, she was told she’d be entering an arranged marriage. But her heart belonged to Sylvester Nowakowski. So she left... on her own, by boat... and made her way to America. She found work in a restaurant, where
she made her family’s signature dessert: chrusciki. One day, a “distinguished gentleman” insisted on meeting the pastry chef, and he offered her a better-paying job in his own kitchen. She took it, saved enough to bring Sylvester over, and they married. Which means if chrusciki didn’t exist, neither would I. Stories like this do more than entertain. According to psychologist Robyn Fivush, interviewed on a recent episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, they help kids develop
identity, resilience, and self-worth. The more children know about their family’s past—not just the “big” stories like crossing oceans, but even the day-to-day moments and struggles—the more connected and grounded they become. Fivush and her colleagues at Emory University found that kids who know more family stories have higher self-esteem, greater emotional understanding, and a stronger sense of meaning and purpose. But it’s not just the information that matters...it’s the telling. When we sit
down and share what came before, we help kids feel like they’re part of something bigger, and that they belong. No AI can replicate that. A chatbot can write a story, sure. But it can’t tell your kids how Grandma’s meatloaf could’ve doubled as a construction material, or how two little girls in the 1950s turned a couple of ice cream cones into a front-porch endurance contest. So this year, make a point of telling your kids about your family's shared history:
about mistakes, about perseverance, about love, about dessert. Connection doesn’t have to be complicated: Just pull up a chair, pass the cookies, and pass down the stories.
—Debra Ross, publisher
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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From November 21, 2025 through January 19, 2026, Downtown Olympia transforms into a winter wonderland, complete with our own pop-up ice rink at Isthmus Park. Whether you’re lacing up for the first time or perfecting your spins, Oly on Ice is the place to make memories with friends and family. Stay tuned—more details on this season’s events, hours, and special activities are coming soon!
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Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music unveils the profound legacy of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul artists who shaped the soundscape of American culture and used their music as instruments of resistance, identity, and representation.
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The Museum of Flight’s dazzling new exhibit for 2025 is the world premiere of The MiG-21 Project, South African artist Ralph Ziman’s 5-year, multidisciplinary project transforming a decommissioned Cold War-era, Soviet-designed MiG-21 fighter jet into a stunning work of art entirely covered in tens of millions of colorful glass beads. The reclaimed jet turns an icon of violence into a symbol of resilience and collaboration.“The aim of The MiG-21 Project,” said Ziman, “is to take the most mass-produced supersonic fighter aircraft and to turn it from a machine of war into something that looks beautiful, changes the meaning of it.”
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Use a microscope to explore things up close, both from the natural world and from human-made objects Ages 6 to 12, ages 4 to 5 with adult. Registration not required.
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Join Seattle Parks and Recreation as we come together to honor the enduring life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This special day of reflection, unity, and community action will be highlighted by a youth-led march and celebration, guided by the theme: “Your Time is Now.” We invite you, your family, and your neighbors to participate in this free event designed to celebrate Dr. King’s message while uplifting the powerful voices of our community’s youth.
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Join us on the farm to meet our newest additions! We’ll gather on our covered party pad to cozy up with our featured babies (usually a combination of bunnies, piglets and baby goats/lambs). The perfect animal experience for parents with younger kiddos, or those "kids at heart" who need some snuggle therapy. This is a more mellow animal encounter, perfect for rainy days and accommodate littles, but fun for all ages!
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Explore a wonderland of arctic adventures as you sock skate across our indoor rink, discover the magic of snowy science, and watch sparkling Dr. Science experiments.
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Commemoration | Monday, January 19, 2026, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Washington State History Museum | FREE
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- Lap Sit Baby Story Time | Redmond Library - Redmond Library - 15990 Northeast 85th Street, Redmond, WA 98052, Friday, 01/16/2026, 12 pm - 1 pm
- Family Story Time - Shoreline
Library - King County Library System - 345 Northeast 175th Street, Shoreline, WA 98155, Friday, 01/16/2026, 10 am - 10:30 am
- 2026 MLK Day March & Celebration on January 17 - 2200 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Seattle, WA, Saturday, 01/17/2026, 11 am
- Microscope Exploration | Burien Library - Burien Library - 400 Southwest 152nd Street,
Burien, WA 98166, Saturday, 01/17/2026, 2 pm - 3 pm
- Storytime at the Garden - Elementary - Bellevue Botanical Garden - 12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005, Sunday, 01/18/2026, 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
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Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school options - we've got you covered.
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EXPERIENCES create memories much more than stuff does. As you're considering gifts for family and friends, consider giving the gift of a family membership to one of our local attractions in and around the Seattle Area. Here are local organizations that
offer memberships.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Seattle area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas! In addition to Seattle there are
locations in Mercer Island, Bellevue, Kirkland, Newcastle, Shoreline, Renton, Lake Forest Park, Redmond, Kingsgate, Kenmore, and SeaTac.
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2025's best places to take kids in the Seattle area. Each May-June, thousands of parents vote in the KidsOutAndAbout survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids. Our Top 20 results page is an annotated list of the winners, both of the top 20 slots and of the
three category winners: Who won for Top Arts Educator, Top Sports Educator, and Top STEM Educator?
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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