KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Fri, Jun 12: Community Access Skate Night at the Everett Community Ice Rink
Fri, Jun 12: The Taming of the Shrew | Studio East
Sat, Jun 13: Youth Student Art Show | Picket Fence Art Studio
Sat, Jun 13: Summer Street Festival - Crown Hill Village
Sat, Jun 13: Beach Naturalist Shore Stroll at Olympic Sculpture Park
Sat, Jun 13: Sensory-Friendly Hours at Pacific Science Center
Sun, Jun 14: Family Game Day! at Blue Highway Games
Mon, Jun 15: Beach Naturalist at Seahurst Beach | Seattle Aquarium
Wed, Jun 17: Summer Splash! Festival of Fun
Wed, Jun 17: Mini Golf at Olympic Sculpture Park
Wed, Jun 17: Explore the Shore at Owen Beach
Thu, Jun 18: June Art Walk Edmonds
Fri, Jun 19: Moomins' Sea Adventures & Tove and the Sea: Stories of joy, imagination, and belonging
Sat, Jun 20: Vegetarian, Vegan and Raw Food Festival
Sat, Jun 20: Fremont Fair 2026
Sat, Jun 20: Pride Celebration at the Zoo Thu, Jun 25: June Moomin Movie Night | National Nordic Museum
Fri, Jun 26: Community Pride Shabbat 2026
Fri, Jun 26: Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing at Legacy Square
Sat, Jun 27: Cascade Rock, Gem & Jewelry Show - FREE
Sat, Jun 27: Evergreen State Fairgrounds Summer Food & Art Festival | PAC NW Artisans
Sat, Jun
27: Gobble Up Seattle 2026
Sat, Jun 27: PrideFest Capitol Hill 2026
Sat, Jun 27: Meet the Beach at Squaxin Park
Sun, Jun 28: Strawberry Moon Festival - Litha
Sun, Jun 28: The Concert Truck | Bellevue Botanical Garden
Wed, Jul 1: Salish Sea Storytime - July | Harbor WildWatch |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was homeschooling Madison and Ella, one of my favorite sanity-saving tools was the Theme of the Week. If the theme was "Birds," then yes, we'd go on a bird walk. But we'd also read my favorite-ever children's book, talk about the physics of flying and of colors, and probably also do some math and logic involving eggs and
baskets. The theme made ordinary learning feel like an adventure, but more important, it gave us a focusing tool: It helped the girls connect with what they were seeing and doing, and it helped me feel that we weren’t wandering randomly through our days. Summer planning can benefit from that same kind of gentle structure. Last week, I wrote about how summer is not supposed to be a guilt-inducing race to cram in every concert, splash pad, festival, hike,
camp, road trip, library program, ice cream stand, and sunset before the school buses roll again. Trying to grab everything is a good way to miss the point; instead, to plan the summer without overstuffing it, we need to consider the kinds of experiences that make our family feel more awake, connected, and alive. The five summer lenses I keep coming back to are: music, motion, making,
nature, and food. Music helps kids hear the world differently and live what they love. Motion lets bodies teach what words cannot. Making reminds us that we can bring something new into the universe. Nature offers perspective and wonder. And food connects us to place, culture, and each other. Over the next
few weeks, I’ll address these one at a time—not as assignments, but as invitations. Even as the days fly by, a summer seen through some useful lenses can still be lazy, loose, spontaneous, and wonderfully imperfect.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong
Communities
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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. |
Please click through to our 2026 survey to vote for your top 3 places to take kids... it will be used to compile our 2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Seattle area. Voting is live through June 20; believe me, winning a place on the Top 20 list matters to the people who
create amazing family-friendly experiences. Take 3 minutes to choose your favorites as your way of saying thank you... and use the list to build your summer bucket list at the same time! You have my personal and fervent thanks for your participation! —Deb |
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Summer camps at The Center for Wooden Boats give young people the chance to learn, explore, and build confidence on Seattle’s waterfront. From beginner sailing for first-time sailors to hands-on woodworking and boatbuilding camps, our programs combine skill-building, teamwork, and outdoor adventure. Campers learn to sail small boats, work safely with tools, solve problems, and develop independence in a supportive, welcoming environment. Camps run throughout the summer for ages 5–14, with experienced instructors and a strong focus on safety, curiosity, and fun. Scholarships are available to ensure cost is not a barrier. Explore sessions and enroll now to give your child a summer they will remember.
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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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Little Science Lab is a FREE hands-on, interactive program for preschoolers and their families. The program encourages children’s curiosity about the natural world and develops early science and math skills to get them ready for school. Drop in any time during the event and stay for as long as you’d like. Hands-on activities are designed for children ages 3-5 accompanied by adults. Older and younger siblings are also welcome to participate in the fun! || Pequeño Laboratorio de Ciencias es un programa interactivo, práctico y GRATUITO para niños en edad preescolar y sus adultos. El programa fomenta la curiosidad de los niños sobre el mundo natural y desarrolla habilidades científicas y matemáticas tempranas para prepararlos para la escuela. Venga en cualquier momento durante el evento y quédese todo el tiempo que desee. Las actividades prácticas están diseñadas para niños de 3 a 5 años acompañados con adultos. ¡Los hermanos mayores y menores también pueden participar en la diversión!
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Moomins’ Sea Adventures brings Moominvalley to life with illustrations and life-sized characters from the stories. In the center of the exhibit is an interactive island complete with a lighthouse and rowboats that invites visitors to imagine adventures of their own. Designed for visitors of all ages, the exhibition invites play, exploration, and emotional connection.
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Join us at 5:00 PM on the second Friday of each month for Community Access Skate Night, brought to you by Community Transit. It’s all about making skating accessible for everyone to get moving and have fun. Admission to the ice rink is free and youth aged 18 and younger can take transit for free. Bring your friends, lace up your skates, and join us on the ice!
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Join us for the Picket Fence Art Studio Youth Student Art Show, a special community art event celebrating the creativity of young artists from across the Eastside.
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Weekends in June: Get Ready for Cuteness Overload! Baby Animals & Berries is back for 2026! The farm comes alive with baby animals, hands-on experiences, and the kind of energy that families come back for year after year! Your admission includes up-close time with baby goats, lambs, chicks, and bunnies. Plus, enjoy unlimited access to 30+ farm attractions throughout the day. Zip-lines, jumping pillows, wagon rides, the cow train, low ropes—there’s always something pulling you to the next adventure. And in between, take a break at our family-friendly Cidery, Tractor Cafe, or Country Store for a bite, a drink, and farm made treats you won’t find anywhere else!
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Kick off summer with your neighbors! Crown Hill Street Festival: Live Music! Food Truck! Neighborhood Fun!
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Come experience the national parks! All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply).
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Join Us at BHG for a Game Day ~ Families of ALL AGES are Welcome to Participate! Open to all ages of families with kids (2+) & teens.
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Join us throughout the summer at your favorite local beaches to wade through the mud and gently seek out estuary creatures like crabs, worms, sea stars and clams during summer low tides! The Estuarium’s trained volunteer Beach Naturalists will help you explore and identify the Salish Sea’s unique intertidal life during our annual Meet the Beach program. Check out our Beach Schedule to learn where you can find Beach Naturalists this summer.
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Join us for our Juneteenth Community Celebration on Saturday, 13 June, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Crossroads Park in Bellevue! This family-friendly event will bring our community together for a day of live entertainment, local vendors, delicious food, cultural celebration, and fun activities for all ages. We invite families, friends, and neighbors to celebrate freedom, connection, and community with us. All are welcome!
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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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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Seattle area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more. Our
guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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The Seattle Area's Pick-Your-Own Fruit Listed below are farms in and near Seattle that offer pick your own fruits, berries, and vegetables. And... to make the most of your experience, check out our
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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