KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Mon, Feb 9: Middle School & Tween Graphic Novel Club at Sammamish Library
Tue, Feb 10: STG & Broadway at The Paramount present THE WIZ at Seattle Theatre Group
Tue, Feb 10: Ukulele Jam at Puyallup Public Library
Thu, Feb 12: Mid Winter Break Camp (ages 5-13) at Alpha Gymnastics
Thu, Feb 12: Mid-Winter Break Camp: Willy Wonka - The Chocolate Baking Experience at FrogLegs Culinary Academy - U Village, Seattle
Thu, Feb 12: Valentine’s Ballard Sunset Market - Fremont Sunday Market
Sat, Feb 14: Full S.T.E.A.M.
Ahead: Sailor Valentines at Puget Sound Navy Museum
Sat, Feb 14: Village Market: Valentine's Pop Up | Issaquah
Highlands
Sat, Feb 14: My First Valentine's Party at My Gym Kent
Sat, Feb 14: Lunar New Year at Westfield Southcenter |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
My first job out of college was as the managing editor at a small medical publishing company in New York City. I worked alongside Steve, our associate editor. My strength was structure and rhythm; his was medical accuracy and detail. We made a good team. One day, Steve walked into my office waving some printed pages. “Deb, can you do that
thing you do, so I can check out the science?” “What thing?” I asked. “You know,” he said, “that magic you work where the writing comes in muddy and you turn it into something clear, logical, and even fun to read.” I’ve never forgotten that moment. Not just because it felt great to be seen, but because of what it taught me about leadership. We’re surrounded by people with unique strengths. As parents, friends, or leaders, one of the most
powerful things we can do is notice those strengths and say them out loud. When we do, people rise. Kids rise. They lean into what they’re good at, and their futures get brighter. It’s not magic—it’s just the natural result of being seen and valued—but it feels like it. Over the years, as I raised kids, built a business team, and worked within various communities, I kept returning to that lesson: Leadership isn’t about having a title, it’s about paying attention.
You can’t run a family or a business unless you know who you’re with and what makes them shine. And once you start validating others (“You know that thing you do? Please do that!”) you become a leader. Even if you're just leading someone to be more themselves. So today, find a reason to start a conversation: “You know that thing you do?...” You won't see it right away, but trust me: Their horizon will glow.
—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. |
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The all-new 2026 Camp Invention® program, Spark, is coming to curious kids in your community this summer! Rising K-6 campers will collaborate with friends to tackle hands-on, open-ended challenges. They’ll team up with robotic capybaras, ride the waves of
entrepreneurship, uncover the power of protecting their ideas and build a DIY space rocket! Each experience is designed to spark confidence, build persistence and create unforgettable summer memories. Visit invent.org/save/camp to secure your spot! Register using CIFUN25 by 3/31 to save $25 or CIFUN20 by 4/28 to save $20 when you register. Interest-free payment plans are available, making camp affordable for all families.
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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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Ready to get creative?! We'll bring the supplies, you bring your creativity! All are welcome to collaborate or work individually on projects like making zines or comics. Explore traditional typewriters, pressed flowers, quills and ink, calligraphy pens,
specialty papers and more! Make a page or a book and use free supplies to create your own unique designs. Add your creations to our library Zine Collection. This event is drop in or stay for the whole time, with staff support.
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What started with Curly, Meadowlark, Wilt, and Geese continues on today with Hammer, Torch, Bulldog, Cheese, Jet, Wham, Thunder, TNT, just to name a few! Taking inspiration from the fun-loving & awe-inspiring players of the past, today’s Harlem
Globetrotters stars are ready to wow you on the court and in the crowd! Be there as the players dazzle, dunk, and hype the stands as they take on the Washington Generals with high-flying, all-out fun from start to finish.
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Join us for a tour of Holly Farm! On the first and third Sunday of each month, we welcome a limited number of guests to tour our farm and learn more about us. You’ll get to see our historic barn, meet some horses, peek into our stables, and see riding
lessons happening in our huge arena. And when the tour is done, spend time petting and feeding our donkeys, chickens and more small animals.
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- Lap Sit Baby Story Time - Redmond Library - Redmond Library, 15990 Northeast 85th Street, Redmond, Friday, January 29 to Sunday, February 1, 2026, 12 pm - 1 pm
- Winter in a Jar - Crea manualidades invernales - Mariner Library - Sno-Isle Libraries, 520 128th St SW, Everett, Friday, January 30, 2026, 3 pm
- Fun Friday: Playing With Puppets - Burien Library, 400 Southwest 152nd Street, Burien, Friday, January 30,
2026, 4 pm - 5 pm
- Family Story Time - Shoreline Library, 345 Northeast
175th Street, Shoreline, Friday, January 30, 2026, 10 am - 10:30 am
- La Hora de Cuentos - Greenwood Branch - The Seattle Public Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, Friday, January 30, 2026, 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
- Zine & Comic Workshop - Puyallup Public Library, 324 South Meridian, Puyallup, Saturday, January 31, 2026, 11 am - 2 pm
- Science Story Time - Sammamish Library, 825 228th Ave SE, Sammamish, Sunday, February 1, 2026, 2 pm - 3 pm
- Celebrate Black History Month at People's Community Center - People's Community Center & Pool, Martin Luther King Junior Way, Tacoma, Sunday, February 1, 2026, See website
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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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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Seattle area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping a
spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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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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