romp chomp shop host a play street is your kid coffee-curious ... · birthday parties, preschool...

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

ROMP CHOMP SHOP

Host a Play Street Is your kid coffee-curious? Relovable

YOUR GUIDE TOA KID-FRIENDLY CITY

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Seattle’sChild

MONTESSORI SCHOOLS

Enrolling for the 2019 school year!

OPEN HOUSESaturday, October 27th from 10-11

PLEASE [email protected]

Enrolling for the

MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF SEATTLE

Educating Children 2.5 - 6

Nurturing a child’s love of learning since 1979

Open House January 27, 2019

10:00 - 12:00

montessorischoolofseattle.com720 18th Ave. E. 98112

The Sammamish Montessori School In Redmond

www.sammamishmontessori.com425-883-3271

The Sammamish

Call 425-883-3271 for a tour.• Child-centered, joyful atmosphere with

strong academic focus•Experienced,Montessori-certifiedteachers• Preschool, kindergarten and STEAM

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Learn. Grow. Become.

Woodinville Montessori School

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425-482-3184Ask about tuition assistance

in Bothell &WoodinvilleAccreditedMontessorifor ToddlerthroughHigh School

Montessori & contemporarymethods

college prep academicsinclusive community

WOODINVILLE MONTESSORI SCHOOL

OPEN HOUSESJan. 10, 6-8 p.m., T-HS

Jan. 12, 10-11:30 a.m., pre-K-KREGISTER:

January/February 2019 S E AT T LE ’S CH ILD 3

>>ContentsSeattle’sChildJanuary/February 2019 // Issue 470

„Find us online at seattleschild.com

Cover photo by JOSHUA HUSTON

p.13

p.9

p.16

WHAT PARENTS ARE TALKING ABOUT ...... 5DAD NEXT DOOR ............... 7ROMP ..........................................9CHOMP ...................................... 11SHOP .........................................13FEATURE MAKE SOMETHING THIS WINTER! .......................16CALENDAR ............................21

MONTESSORI SCHOOLS

Enrolling for the 2019 school year!

OPEN HOUSESaturday, October 27th from 10-11

PLEASE [email protected]

Enrolling for the

MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF SEATTLE

Educating Children 2.5 - 6

Nurturing a child’s love of learning since 1979

Open House January 27, 2019

10:00 - 12:00

montessorischoolofseattle.com720 18th Ave. E. 98112



The Sammamish




Now Enrolling






Now Enrolling






Now Enrolling

Learn. Grow. Become.

Woodinville Montessori School

www.woodinvillemontessori.org

425-482-3184Ask about tuition assistance

in Bothell &WoodinvilleAccreditedMontessorifor ToddlerthroughHigh School

Montessori & contemporarymethods

college prep academicsinclusive community

WOODINVILLE MONTESSORI SCHOOL

OPEN HOUSESJan. 10, 6-8 p.m., T-HS

Jan. 12, 10-11:30 a.m., pre-K-KREGISTER:

Month 20XX S E AT T LE ’S CH ILD 3

YOUR DREAM IS OUT THERE.

MAKE IT A REALITY.

ONLINETop-ranked degrees

David BeardsleeB.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Okanogan, WA

ecampus.oregonstate.edu

20+undergraduate degrees

25+graduate programs

Do you know a girl who LOVES to sing?SEATTLE GIRLS CHOIR Let her voice be heard! has a non-audition prep choir for girls in K-1 which provides a foundation for choral singing!

Learn more and register at seattlegirlschoir.org/Piccolini

Let her VOICE be heard!

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4 S EAT T LE ’S CH ILD January/February 2019

ANN BERGMAN Publisher, Founder

[email protected]

BOO DAVISArt Director

[email protected]

SYDNEY PARKERManaging Editor

[email protected]

JULIE HANSONWebsite Editor

[email protected]

JENNIFER MORTENSENCalendar Editor

[email protected]

MIKE MAHONEYCopy Editor

JEFF LEE, MD Columnist

REBEKAH DENN Contributing Editor

CARLA BELL ERIKA ALMANZA BROWN,

MEG BUTTERWORTH JIAYING GRYGIEL

Contributing Writers

AMY CADWELLPublisher’s Assistant

ISSY BELZILMarketing & Sales Coordinator

ADVERTISING

KIM LOVEAd Production [email protected]

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STEPHANIE KONATSales Account Manager

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Seattle’sChild“Seattle is my town. I know this city

inside and out… or so I thought until I had kids.”

Seattle’s Child is your guide to getting to know your city all over again. Finding things to do, places to eat, and how to

get around — it’s a whole new ballgame with kids in tow. We’re interested in how parents make homes in a space-challenged urban environment, how families create

community, and what parents are talking about. Seattle’s Child reflects real

Puget Sound families and their broad range of parenting experiences.

January/February 2019 // Issue 470

Seattle’s Child has been providing useful information to parents since 1979. In addition to our monthly

magazine, look for our special themed publications — Explore, FamilyPages, School and SummerTime — distributed free throughout the Puget Sound area. Seattle’s Child is published monthly with combined

issues in January/February and July/August.

ONLINE seattleschild.com

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Deadline is first of the month, one month prior to publication (Feb. 1 for March publication).

Include date, time, cost, appropriate ages, address, contact information and description.

Seattle’sChild

4 S EAT T LE ’S CH ILD Month 20XX

roaringmouse.org 206.522.1187

We offer award-winning mini-day camps, birthday parties, preschool programs and more!

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Dream big. Plan ahead.Washington College Savings Plans can help you start saving towards

a brighter future.Learn more at wastate529.wa.gov

GET and DreamAhead are qualified tuition programs sponsored and distributed by the State of Washington. The Committee on Advanced Tuition Payment and College Savings administers and the Washington Student Achievement Council supports the plans. DreamAhead investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. If in-state tuition decreases in the future, GET tuition units may lose value.


E d u c a t i o n , h e a l t h , d e v e l o p m e n t a n d m o r e

Making equity our priority

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >

Educators must gain knowledge and skills to

advocate for black studentsby CARLA BELL /

photo by JOSHUA HUSTON

»What Parents Are Talking About

„Find more local news for families on seattleschild.com

Don’t miss these stories on seattleschild.com

Winter excursions Take your family skiing or sledding

DNA test pros, cons Things to know if

your kids want one

1 2

Kristin and Troy Jackson are proud parents of Collin and Caleb

Smith-Jackson, happy 11-year-old twin boys. Both are reserved, the Renton mom explains, until they know you better.

a punitive outcome for Collin. Both boys were questioned by the teacher,

but the teacher only believed the white student’s account. Collin was reprimanded, but the other boy was not. “He was really upset,” says Kristin. “He felt the teacher was calling him a liar.”

In that moment, for every child who observed that incident, and for Collin, who experienced it, long-held ideas of black inferiority were validated. When this offense

Rainy-day fun Inside places where

kids can run wild

3

Last year, Collin and another student were engrossed in reading their books — not following the teacher’s instruction to tran-sition to another activity. Collin often reads when he’s supposed to be doing something else, she explains, so there’s no doubt that the incident occurred. But the other student, who was white, was reading too, and when he was caught, he told on Collin. Thinking back, Kristin says it’s almost as though the white child already knew, at just 9 years of age, that he could use privilege to influence

The Jackson familyout and about in Columbia City.


«What Parents Are Talking

AboutCONTINUED

lands on a black child, it brings an aware-ness at first, and a reminder thereafter, of his difference, how he is set apart, a member of the non-preferred class, and this reinforces, time and again, a sort of societal badge of servitude, which begets resentment and anger.

This is not an isolated incident. In 2012, Seattle Public Schools was the subject of a federal investigation into the imbalanced severity and frequency of its discipline of black students. In the Greater Seattle area and nationally, the black male student demographic has consistently ranked as most often removed from the classroom, suspended, and expelled from school.

“They would kick me out of class for talking too much, for 30 or 40 minutes at a time,” Logic Amen, assistant principal at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, told City Arts magazine of his time in grade school. Eventually, through this loss of instruction, Amen says, he truly didn’t know what was going on in class. But this is the norm, he says, “in an overtly racist academic institution.”

Outcome inequalities from low test scores to truancy to high dropout rates to inability to obtain and retain employment to crime, incarceration, recidivism; and impacts to mental and physical health and wellness, even death, aren’t indicative of the mindsets of black students. These aren’t cultural markers.

It’s educators, a mostly white, female populace, who are intimately linked to a wide range of outcomes and factors critical to the lives of black boys. In fact, when black teachers are managing the

classroom, behavior-related removal of black boys is reduced significantly; by 2 to 3 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

So how do we mend this disparity? The answer could be cultural competency development at every level of the academic hierarchy, says Erin Jones, former OSPI Assistant Supervisor turned independent consultant in the field of equitable education.

“It’s our primary role as educators to be a mirror to reflect the beauty and talents that reside within each student,” Jones said in a recent lecture at the Teaching Equity South Sound Conference. Her talk closed out what has been, for her, a whirlwind year of equity initiatives. Jones has key-noted, led or participated in more than 20 equity trainings in the Greater Seattle area and beyond in just the past month.

Jones says that it’s the duty of school districts, boards and educators to gain equity literacy, and then erect a frame-work of equitable education. Her conversation is about doing equity, no longer just talking about it.

What would it take to deliver a cultur-ally relevant, culturally sensitive quality education? How would the Greater Seattle area look 10 years from now, if today we began to require ethnic studies training, curricula and delivery?

Reach out to change-makers like Erin Jones. Learn to recognize subtle biases and inequities. Prioritize the needs, chal-lenges and barriers experienced by black students in every school discussion.

Let us all finally begin to uphold and highlight the humanity of black boys, who should have the protection, care, support and right to someday become black men.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carla Bell is a Seattle-area writer focused on civil and human rights, social impacts, abolition, culture and arts.


Challenging K-12 students in an intellectual community through early entrance,

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In fifth grade, I was the undisputed spelling champion of Wildwood Elementa-ry School. Each week

we memorized a list of words, and on Friday we had a test. That year, I scored 100 percent every time. So naturally, to this day, my spelling is unbelievably… average. Let’s just say that spell-check and I are very close friends.

It turns out that my singular talent as a fifth-grader wasn’t my ability to spell — it was my ability to pass a test. And as the years went by, I discovered that this one skill could propel me to success at virtually any school, without being particularly good at anything else.

Flash forward a couple of decades, and my own kids had to clamber up that same academic ladder. And how did I judge their progress? I scrutinized their test scores. I obsessed over their grades. I exhorted them to play the game, never once asking who wrote the rules, or why. I just knew I wanted them to win.

The school system we all grew up in first emerged in the early 20th century, in response to a particular problem. The Industrial Revolution was transforming our economy from a sleepy agrarian lamb into a voracious manufacturing lion, and to satisfy its enormous appetite, we needed workers — lots of them. But not just any workers. Factories and assembly lines were prof-itable because they reduced complicated processes into a series of simple tasks.

They required workers to do the same thing in exactly the same way, again and again. This led to a model of school-ing that placed one virtue above all others: compliance.

Students were seated in neat, par-allel rows and taught to sit up straight and fold their hands on their desks. They repeated exactly what the teacher said, and copied exactly what the teacher wrote. They were tested, and their an-swers were declared right or wrong. If they made the grade, they were passed on to the next level. If they failed, they were reprocessed, or discarded. Schools not only populated our factories, they emulated them. They became an educa-tional assembly line, mass-producing students who were obedient, service-able and more or less interchangeable.

These days, the rows are less straight, and the activities less repeti-tious, but not much else has changed. If anything, standardized testing is more entrenched than ever. Teachers spend half the year preparing their classes for statewide exams, often knowing that their school’s funding will depend on their students’ scores. Meanwhile, the manufacturing economy that created this system is disappearing, and the few factory jobs that remain are better done by robots than robotic human beings.

If we were to reimagine our schools for today’s world — or even better, tomorrow’s — what would we design? How can we prepare our children

»DadNextDoor

A little encouragement from across the fence


by JEFF LEE, MD

That’s old school If we were to reimagine our school system

to prepare students for today’s world of “alternative facts,” fake news and pseudoscience, what would we design?

„Read all of Jeff Lee’s columns on seattleschild.com


206.691.2625 seattlecountryday.org

Inspiring Gifted Students

K-8

206.691.2625 seattlecountryday.org


K-8206.691.2625 seattlecountryday.org


K-8206.691.2625 seattlecountryday.org


K-8


«DadNextDoor

ABOUT OUR COLUMNIST

Jeff Lee continues his inexorable decline from grade-school domination in Seattle.

for the challenges they will actually face?

First of all, we should stop making them memorize facts to spit out on demand. Every one of them will carry a cloud-based su-percomputer in their pockets. Their problem won’t be finding facts, it will be differentiating real facts from “alternative facts,” legitimate news from fake news, and science from pseudoscience. We have to develop their critical thinking, so they can navigate the tidal wave of information that threatens to drown them daily.

We need to stop teaching to the test. By emphasizing test scores, we stamp out their curiosity and replace it with the fear of failure. In a world where “correct” answers are just a click away, our kids will need to see more deeply into the systems, networks and processes that underlie them. To understand that level of complexity, they’ll need to explore and experiment, and most of all, to fail — repeatedly, creatively and fearlessly.

Finally, we need to stop pitting our kids against each other like little academic gladiators, or con-testants on Survivor: Ivy League Island. Success in today’s world requires collaboration. A strong team outperforms a collection of individuals every time.

I know what you’re thinking: this all sounds great… someday. But what about now? If you don’t have enough money for a fancy private school, or enough time to home-school, where is this education of the future going to come from? The same place that 90 percent of your kids’ learning comes from already — from you.

Their education isn’t con-strained by the walls of a school or the hours of a school day. Curi-osity and critical thinking aren’t chapters in a textbook. Ultimately, what our children value and pay attention to depends on what we value and pay attention to.

If we want them to learn differ-ently, we’ll have to question, and maybe abandon, the things that we ourselves once learned. It’s that simple.

It’s that hard.


Week One: July 8–12 Global Voyagers Create a mixed media map, weave a story in cloth, and construct a tale in clay.

Week Two: July 15–19 Earth Guardians Explore the natural world, create masterpieces with recycled materials, and paint the landscape en plein air.

Week Three: July 22–26 Inventive Builders Create a city of the future, engineer a masterpiece inspired by past artistic inventions, and tell a story using graphics and designs.

JUL 8 – 26 2019Olympic Sculpture Park Monday–Friday, 9 am–3 pm After-camp care available until 5:30 pm

Make art and new friends at SAM Camp! Learn from local arts educators and get inspired by SAM’s collection. Early registration discounts and need-based scholarships are available.

visitsam.org/samcamp

Photo: Robert Wade


»Romp

„Find more things to do on seattleschild.com

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) issues permits for Play

Streets — the legal closure of non-arterial streets to thru traffic to allow people to socialize and

play safely — year-round, but find that they are unpopular during wintertime. So why gear up and play outside in the cold?

“Even in winter, kids still want to be outside,” says Dawn Schel-lenberg, SDOT spokeswoman. “And closing your block provides

a safe space right outside the front door.” There are health benefits, too.

“No matter what season it is, spending time outside promotes


Learn to ski/snowboardThis Jan. 12 and 13, Stevens Pass hosts Grom Playground, where instructors

provide gear and offer free 30-minute lessons

to kids ages 3-7 on snow-covered, friendly

hills in Leavenworth. On-site registration

opens at 10 am. 3stevenspass.com

Become a curler What’s so hard (or

exciting) about pushing a granite rock on ice? Visit North Seattle’s Granite Curling Club for its open house on

Feb. 16 to find out! $25/adult, $10/child

3curlingseattle.org

Take to the iceYou have your choice of ice-skating rinks

in the area, including at Seattle Center

Winterfest through Jan. 6. Don’t forget to layer and wear gloves! $8/adult, $2-$6/child

3seattlecenter.com/ winterfest

Sled it outChannel your

favorite skeleton or bobsled athletes while

slip-sliding away at the popular Hyak Sno-Park, located off I-90 at Exit 54. Take your own sled/snow tube.

For permit requirements: 3parks.state.wa.us

Go to a hockey game

Hockey is alive and well here; the Seattle Thunderbirds are a major junior hockey

team that plays its games at Kent’s ShoWare Center.

Regular season ends in mid-March. $18+

3seattlethunderbirds.com

T h i n g s t o d o w i t h k i d s

Host a Play Street!Winter months may not seem ideal for an outdoor

party, but it’s just what the neighborhood kids needby ERIKA ALMANZA BROWN / photo by JOSHUA HUSTON

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5 things to do

Winter sports for off-year Olympic fun

Right under your nose!

Join the fold at Seattle ReCreativeJanuary is National Hobby Month and serves as an incentive to take up a new family hobby: origami at Seattle ReCreative. This Family Folding Class teaches basic folding techniques and instructs attendees how to better follow directions and translate symbols found in common origami manuals — just in time for Chinese Lunar New Year on Feb. 5.

Saturday, Jan. 26, 2 to 4 pm at Seattle ReCreative, 8408 Greenwood Ave. N, $30 first child, $25 for siblings. seattlerecreative.org

This Play Street drew out kids from the Broadviewneighborhood.


active lifestyles, exercise, and better mental health,” says Ying Zhang, family physician with UW Medicine and a Seattle mother.

Keeping these benefits in mind, hosting a winter Play Street makes sense, but rallying neighbors to

attend may come as a challenge. “Consistency and communication are

the key to having a great Play Street,” says Schnellenberg. Try printing invitations decorated by neighborhood children and hand-delivering them together to ensure all neighbors, including those on adjoining streets, get invited to the Play Street.

She also suggests applying for a reoccurring Play Street permit to “create visibility and provide over time awareness that something cool is happening.”

Another way to entice neighbors to join in: assign a theme like “Glow-in-the-Dark Play Street” where each attendee receives an inexpensive glow stick during nighttime play.

Schellenberg proposes a “Game Day” theme, where neighbors play flag foot-ball or street hockey during a Play Street

«RompCONTINUED

Escape from Seattle!

Look! Squirrel! Author Kate DiCamillo’s “Flora & Ulysses” comes to the Olympic Family Theater. This wacky tale follows the unconventional friendship between 10-year-old Flora and a squirrel, Ulysses, who develops human intellectual understanding and superhero strength after she saves his life. Will Flora’s mother accept her daughter’s new fuzzy friend? Visit and find out! Feb. 1-17, various times at the Olympic Family Theater (612 4th Ave. E., Olympia). $15 youth, $20 adults. olyft.org/flora-ulysses

Plan it!Visit seattle.gov/transportation to down-load a permit application, which can be submitted online or in person, and allow at least 14 days to obtain the permit.

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before the TV watching and feasting begins. Just remember to follow all SDOT safety guidelines for barricading and monitors for proper visibility.

Once you have support from your neigh-bors, there’s plenty of winter fun to be had!

Set up an obstacle course incorporating ride-on toys and puddle jumping. Supply children with pails to collect natural objects, or plan scavenger hunts where neighbors hide clues in their respective yards. At the end of the game, the kids will have a com-munal treasure chest full of outdoor toys. Fill a kiddie pool with rocks and experi-mental toys or old pots and utensils where children can prepare “meals.”

Remember to provide comfort by drap-ing cozy blankets over lawn chairs, keeping guests extra warm and providing a canopy for quick refuge from the elements to keep people coming.

With all the memories you’ll create, Play Street will become a year-round tradition in no time.


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Bring your family for new adventures, beautiful views and memories that will last a lifetime.

Pullman Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center

Bring your family for new adventures, beautiful views and memories that will last a lifetime.

Pullman Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center

Known for our exceptional personal service, long-term

support and unique approach to finding just the

right fit for your family.

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„More on feeding your family at seattleschild.com

When your child asks for a mocha or Frappuccino, at what age is it not unreasonable to say “yes”?

by REBEKAH DENN / photo by JOSHUA HUSTON

Breaking up our usual hot chocolate vs. steamed milk debate

at the coffee shop counter, my 11-year-old says, “I think I’ll have a mocha today.”

“That’s got espresso in it!” I say.

No way, right?But then, why not?Coffee drinks have caffeine,

sure, but so does soda, which we don’t wholly forbid. Even hot chocolate contains a little caffeine.

Official recommendations run in line with the old “coffee will stunt your growth” warn-ings. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend caffeine until children reach adult height.

“While there isn’t evidence that caffeine intake affects growth directly, some of the


New in town

Blissful bakeries

Fine new bakeries and expansions of old favorites are opening all over:

Celine Patisserie: Definitely don’t miss the “cruffin.” 36801 Greenwood Ave. N.,

celinepatisserie.com

Damsel and Hopper: It’s mostly to-go, but there’s babka! 34405 Wallingford Ave. N., damselandhopper.com

Deep Sea Sugar & Salt: Tall cakes and possibly the city’s best cupcakes. 36601 Carleton Ave. S., deepseasugarandsalt.com

Good Day Donuts: Try the “buttermilk hunk.” 39823 15th Ave.

SW, gooddaydonuts.com

Grand Central Bakery’s bright new Wedgwood branch offers lunch too. 37501 35th Ave. NE, grandcentralbakery.com

Lowrider Baking Company: Cookies only, weekends in Georgetown. 35805 Airport Way S., lowriderbakingco.com

Macrina Bakery’s new branch at the old Surrogate Host-ess spot. 3746 19th

Ave. E., macrinabakery.com

»ChompE a t i n g w i t h k i d s

Coffee-curious kids?

„Get our monthly

Chomp newsletter

by food writer

Rebekah Denn

» seattleschild.com/

newsletters

Right under your nose!

Raw cookie dough? Sure! One of the joys of childhood is back. The new Sugar+Spoon food truck sells fun flavors of cookie dough that kids (and you) can eat raw, thanks to heat-treated flour and an egg-free batter. Their schedule is online. Mrs. FrogLegs, which opened earlier this year at University Village, sells edible dough too.sugarspoondough.com, froglegskca.com

Coffee aficionadosDrew and Sara Billupshave a daughterwho’s coffee-curious. Their son? Not so much.

Lowrider Baking Company’s Full Tilt Sammie


side effects of caffeine intake such as poor sleep can impact growth and development, and caffeine is addictive,” says Dr. Natalie Muth, a pediatrician and AAP spokeswoman. Kids — like adults — might get jittery from too much coffee, or develop a dependence and then with-drawal symptoms, or take in loads of sugar in sweet-bombs like Frappuccinos.

Daily double-talls and main-lines of drip coffee are clearly out. As with most parenting issues, though, nuance and per-sonal judgments count for a lot.

I ask Sara Billups what she does with her kids. A mom of two, she’s deeply steeped in the drink as Director of Commu-nications for The Beecher’s Foundation and a Seattle writer whose beat includes coffee. Her husband runs the education program and lab at Atlas, a coffee importer.

«ChompCONTINUED

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“My daughter asks for coffee on the weekends or on holidays, whenever we’re not rushing to school or work… She’s 6, and since she’s still little, we pour about an ounce of coffee into a tall mug of milk, so it’s more fla-vor than substance,” Billups tells me in an email. “We want her to

be able to identify the basic taste of coffee and to enjoy the flavor.”

Her son, 9, rarely asks for coffee. But both kids have done cupping sessions, slurping and spitting coffee samples and learning about farming regions, fair trade, and different parts of the world where coffee is grown.

„Got a kids ’n’ food-related question for Chomp writer Rebekah Denn? Email her at [email protected]

What if coffeehousesoffered kid tastings?

“We know caffeine is a stim-ulant, and that even a little bit af-fects kids. We know other things kids consume (cough, sugar) affects them, too. But parents can learn the facts and decide when to let their kids enjoy coffee. Coffee culture is fun, cafés with great design and welcoming staff are fun,” Billups said.

“I’m dreaming here, but be-yond hot chocolate, what if cafés offered kid tastings featuring single origins, with, say, a sip of brewed, single-origin Kenya and a sip of Sumatra. The flight could be served with a map that shows where the countries are located, and a flavor wheel so kids can identify different tastes. That may not happen anytime soon, but if it does, my family will be first in line!”

I think mine would be right behind her.


KidsQuest Children’s Museum

Located in Downtown Bellevuekidsquestmuseum.org

Playful exhibits , art + science classes, summer camps, and more!


“I’m a bargain shopper. The Zara kids’ section in Westlake Center is good for deals. In West Seattle, there’s a great consignment store called My Three Little Birds; the stuff that gets filtered through there is usually good. And the toy store off the Junction, Curious Kidstuff, has a friendly staff, with lots of interactive toys.”

Q&A

Jose Abaoag, actor and father

of Joona, 1½, and Kofi, 5

Where do you love to shop in the city?

„More shopping local on seattleschild.com

»ShopL i v e l y + l o c a l l y m a d e

Re-love their closetWest Seattle mom launches a new service to help

families exchange gently used kids’ clothesby J IAYING GRYGIEL / photos by JOSHUA HUSTON

Nobody knows how fast kids grow better than the person doing

all that laundry. Babies are the worst offenders, typically tripling in weight in their first year.

What’s a parent to do? West

Seattle mom Shauna Causey found herself ordering clothes online (too much packaging) or running around buying off Facebook groups (too much time) for clothes her son sometimes out-grew before he even wore them.

In August, she launched Relovable, a Seattle-area sub-scription service that delivers gently used clothes to your door, and picks up all the clothes your kids are done with. The service is aimed at parents of babies and toddlers (newborn to 5T), and recently expanded up to size 10.

“Relovable is the easiest way to give and receive clothing as


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Marvelous mess

catchersMukilteo mom

Erin Davis got her start making bibs for her daughter,

Mara, who had acid reflux so bad she’d

have to change outfits five times within an hour.

Friends and family admired Mara’s bibs, and so her business,

The Bibbers, was born. Her shop’s best-seller is the

“bapron” (aka baby apron), perfect for catching mealtime messes with style.

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Shauna Causeyat Relovable HQ with son Connery, the inspiration behind her business.


«ShopCONTINUED

Know of a shop or product with serious kid appeal? „ [email protected]

your kiddo grows,” Causey says. “Our personal stylists handpick a box of items in your kiddo’s style that we drop off on your porch. While we’re there, we’ll also pick up any clothes and books you’re ready to pass along to another lo-cal family. Our vision is to be the most convenient and sustainable place in the world to get quality items to re-love.”

The subscription costs $19.99 a box, which includes 8 to 12 items of clothing in your kid’s size and style, and usually a book too. Parents answer ques-tions about style preference and what they need, so what they receive is the right fit. (Cau-sey’s 2½-year-old son, Connery Lormis, for example, is going through a phase where he only wants to wear pajamas.)

Relovable’s inventory typi-cally includes a lot of Carter’s, with some Hanna Andersson, Old Navy, Cat & Jack and some

luxury brands (Baby Burberry, anyone?). The clothes are better quality than Goodwill, Causey says, but less than half the cost of Stitch Fix because the service is local and relies on donations.

Relovable picks up the kids’ clothes you’re done with from your porch and redistributes them to another family. There’s

no required amount — it can be more or less than what was in the box they dropped off. Bonus: you’re constantly tidying up and purging the clothes your kid has outgrown. About 90 percent of what Relovable picks up is in re-gifting shape, Causey says. Nothing worn out, with holes or stains, gets passed along.

The startup operates out of a Seattle warehouse with two full-time employees, and covers all of the Seattle area from Edmonds to Burien. Relovable is look-ing to expand to Bellevue, and just launched a schol-arship program for families in need.

“Within a neighborhood, you could be helping moms who actually just can’t afford it,” Causey says. “That’s a really big

part of our focus right now, making sure we can give back. Everyone should have access to the basics for their kids.”q relovable.com

Stacey Servo, general manager (left), Causey and Kaia Davis, VP of Brand and Operations, prepare a subscription box.


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Crown: An Ode to the Fresh CutBy Derrick Barnes

Ages 4-8

This multiple-award-winning book is about a boy getting

a haircut. A haircut is magic, a transformation. Through

the haircut, a boy finds a self-confidence that’s seen by others, and that he can

see reflected in them.

Saving WinslowBy Sharon Creech

Ages 8-12

Louie befriends a sickly newborn donkey, and names

him Winslow. Everyone is worried that Winslow won’t

survive, including Louie’s new friend Nora, but as their bond grows, a series of life-changing

events prove the fragile donkey is stronger than

they believed.

MascotBy Antony John

Ages 8-12

Noah has been in a wheelchair for months. Physical therapy isn’t

helping. Scared he’ll never be himself again, Noah will have to face his fears with

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move forward.

Darius the Great is Not Okay

By Adib KhorramAges 12+

Darius didn’t fit in at home, and probably won’t in Iran.

Explaining his clinical depression to his grand-

parents doesn’t help either. Then Darius meets Sohrab,

the boy next door, and his new friend makes him feel better

than just okay.

READY FOR ANYTHING IN 2019 The new year brings exciting changes, but also challenges. These titles encourage resilience in the face of difficulty, and teach children how to bounce back with strength and positivity. — Nicholas Carr

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„From picking out paint-brushes to washing out water bowls, what ends up on the paper matters less than the ownership kids take of the process. More tips on how to promote independence and build character through art on seattleschild.com

by SYDNEY PARKER

Raven Juarez first developed an in-terest in art while

drawing on a yellow legal pad under her mother’s desk. The child of two busy lawyers, Juarez had to find creative ways to entertain herself while her parents finished up work at the office.

“I used to make up stories and characters and draw them doing different things,” says Juarez. “I al-ways felt that I had a closer relation-ship to myself through drawing than through spoken or written words.”

Today, Juarez is a professional artist and shares her love of creating with her early education students at

share your story

maketime todream

READY, SET, CREATE!


Raven Juarez teaches kids how to connect with themselves and others through art

The crafty Kuo family opens up space for creativity

by limiting activities outside of school and work

When the sun doesn't shine and it’s too wet to play, and you’re stuck in the house on a cold, wet day, it’s time to get creative with paint, glue and clay! Here’s how three local families and artists make the most of Seattle’s rainy season.

by MEG BUTTERWORTH

If you ever have the pleasure of meeting the Kuo family, you

will likely be gifted a homemade creation. This musically talented Shoreline family of four compris-es Elena, Charles, Sam, 13, and Evelyn, 8. When they’re not filling

their home with sweet melodies, you can find them busy at work on any number of whimsical projects.

Elena and Charles grew up in what Americans would call “crafty” families. Their parents, immigrants from India and Taiwan, respectively, would call themselves “makers.” Whether it was tending to a neighbor’s garden “just for the fun of it” or leaving secret handmade gifts on a neighbor’s doorstep, Elena and her parents were always trying to make someone smile.

Charles had an artistic bent as

a child and remembers making papier-mâché and charcoal draw-ings with his mother, who was an art teacher before marrying his father. He also enjoyed creating framed art out of magazine and newspaper clippings.

This inherent love of making likely ignited the spark between Elena and Charles when they met

in college. Together, they set up craft stations in their school’s quad during exam time as a stress release for their friends. They both enjoy cooking, and have fond memories of baking an ice-cream cake that turned out lopsided. Since it stuck to the mold, they had to use a blow dryer to melt it slightly before cutting into it. The cake tasted delicious all the same.

These days the two are busy parenting, working and volunteering. Elena is a research associate at the Center for Com-munity Health and Evaluation. Charles is a stay-at-home dad and volunteer science and social studies teacher at Cascade K-8 Community School. Surprisingly, finding time for their creativity isn’t a problem.

“I don’t think you have to make time for it,” says Elena. “It’s part of daily life.” She and Charles value non-structured time; each member of the family is limited to no more than two activities outside of school and work. “If you have the time to dream and think, good things happen.”

Manifestations of their creative tendencies can be seen throughout their house. “We en-joy finding entertainment value and artistic beauty in everyday things,” says Elena. The kids draw faces on all sorts of house-hold items, like kitchen spatulas and toothbrushes. “It makes you laugh every time you use it.”

Each member of the Kuo family has a special knack for something. Sam enjoys writing fiction and fantasy. He started Pizza Cat, a YouTube channel with step-by-step instructions for making DIY creations like dragon egg candle holders and edible chocolate bowls.

Evelyn is a budding engineer with a keen sense for spatial rela-tions and form. She designs and constructs intricate fairy houses to fit under couches and between furniture legs, using repurposed household materials. Originally, they were intended as homes

an infant-toddler program in North Seattle. Her teaching philosophy is grounded in the Reggio approach; cultivating a space for curiosity and development through

play and art-making. “Just like kids babble before

they learn to talk, they also scrib-ble before they develop their own pictorial language,” says Juarez. “Art is a language that can be used for something deeper and more important than just something that looks nice on a wall.”

Not only is Juarez a trained visu-al artist, she also completed a con-centration in child psychology while earning a degree in liberal arts from Sarah Lawrence College. She says kids can learn a lot about empathy by sharing stories and feelings through art with their peers.

“I think art is a really great way of promoting social justice, and teaching kids to value cultures and communities that are different than the one they grew up in,” says Juarez.

A descendant of the Blackfeet

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 > CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE >

Raven Juarez, at an infant-toddler program in North Seattle, encourages creativity.

Shoreline's Kuofamily displays the range of their artistic abilities.

„Learn how to make dragon egg candle holders and other magical DIY crafts on 13-year-old Sam Kuo's YouTube channel: youtu.be/daia012KbMc


18 S EAT T LE ’S CH ILD January/February 2019 January/February 2019 S E AT T LE ’S CH ILD 19

READY, SET, CREATE!

by ERIKA ALMANZA BROWN

Local artist Amaranta Ibarra-Sandys stands proudly behind her booth at a pop-up makers market in downtown

Seattle. On a white tablecloth sits her original artwork: a Day of the Dead skeleton disc jockey painted on canvas. The heartbeat line behind him warps into Seattle’s skyline, a blend of her Mexican heritage and adopted home.

She notices a 3-year-old wearing a handmade paper flower crown and a white traditional Mexican dress embroidered with colorful flowers browsing her table.

“Little Frida Kahlo!” the artist exclaims. She shows the girl photos of her live art installation, “Dos Fridas,” in which she dresses like Frida to re-enact the Mexican artist’s 1939 painting, The Two Fridas. The little girl smiles and jumps with excitement; someone shares her admiration for the same painter!

Ibarra-Sandys’ passion for exposing children to the arts stems from her own childhood experi-ence growing up in Mexico City. She remembers

Art-Maranth Mobile School makes art accessible to

Seattle immigrant families

seize everyopportunity


READY, SET, CREATE!


Join us for an upcoming ProjectFUN Preview Day!

projectfun.digipen.edu/preview-days

ProjectFUN will be hosting Preview Day events on: February 2, March 2, and March 30.

This is a great chance for you and your student to learn more about our summer workshop offerings, participate in hands-on activities

and demos, and meet our teachers and staff!

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tribe, Juarez says the cultural teachings of her native relatives inform her day-to-day interac-tions with her students. For ex-ample, she encourages them to think twice before intentionally squashing bugs when they’re playing outside: “I grew up with my grandparents telling me sto-ries and teaching me to respect the earth and all its creatures.”

As an urban Native (meaning she was raised in Seattle rather than on a reservation), Juarez says she’s still exploring her connection to her native iden-tity. “I wonder if a hallmark of being Native in today’s society is that you aren’t close enough no matter what you do or where

you’re from,” she says. “With a culture that the government was actively trying to erase for hun-dreds of years, it’s understand-able that the ties aren’t as strong as they could or should be.”

Exploring complex feelings in her personal work has in-spired her to use art as a tool to guide her students through their own emotional experiences. She witnessed her efforts pay off when a student who became upset after his mother dropped him off at school turned to art to process his feelings.

“His mom left and his eyes were all full of tears and he said, ‘I would really like to paint,’” says Juarez. After some time alone with his brushes and pa-per, the boy produced a painting of his dad in a swimming pool.

“I realized that that must

have been a memory of a time he felt very safe and secure and really special in his family. He totally calmed himself down and self-regulated by having that opportunity to channel his feelings from a more positive time into this negative moment,” says Juarez. “Then he was ready to begin his day.”

To get kids enthused about art, she recommends activities like attaching markers to child-size construction helmets and having the kids use their heads to draw lines on paper taped to the wall. Pouring paint down a ramp, placing a canvas under a swing and letting kids swipe at it on their bellies with a paint-brush, and adding a little clear glue to liquid watercolor are just a few of the fun art adventures Juarez says parents can try to engage kids in art-making.

“Art is where kids can turn their memories, their dreams, their ideas and their hopes into a very symbolic, almost poetic composition,” says Juarez. “They know exactly what it means, and if you’re lucky enough for them to want to explain it to you, it can be really moving.”

< Raven Juarez CONTINUED

< The Kuo family CONTINUED

Find Raven JuarezBeginning this summer, Juarez will offer private art lessons to local kids and adults. To learn more, visit ravenjuarez.com and follow her artwork on Instagram @raven_inthetrees.

for real fairies. Now that she no longer believes in fairies, they’re just fun projects.

Charles combines his musi-cal knowledge with his wood-working abilities to make gui-tars and ukuleles. “I am building a cello as a long-term project, but that is going to take years to complete,” he says. Before her arthritis kicked in, Elena was a talented musician. She plays the violin, marimba and sings.

“I think of everything in music,” she says.. “I’ll even assign a pitch to the beeping sound the numbers on a telephone make. It’s how I entertain myself during a conference call.”

Recently, the kids crafted a wooden door opener and deco-rated compression gloves to help Elena with her arthritis. It’s one more way to make her smile.

In addition to their entertain-ment value, Elena and Charles view their projects as a way to model healthy risk-taking: “Our projects are silly but inspiring. The kids see us trying new things, which encourages them to try new things.”

Amaranta Ibarra-Sandys demonstrates how to make a lucha libre mask at Valley View Library.

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visiting La Casa Azul, “The Blue House,” where Kahlo once lived, on free museum days, but otherwise didn’t have the opportunity to learn about art until adulthood.

“When I was in elementary school, I never really had an arts education, nor art supplies, because my mom could never afford them,” she says. Today she appreciates having the resources to share art with her 10-year-old son Lucas at home in Burien.

Her first formal introduction to art came in 1995, when she completed a pottery class at Mountlake Terrace Community Center north of Seattle: “I felt my loneliness was melting into pots and mugs in a foreign country where I ex-perienced a language barrier and felt invisible.”

Now equipped with a degree in ceramics from Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts and almost two decades of experience

Visit facebook.com/artmaranth.org for a list of upcoming classes, like its Alebrijes (colorfully painted Mexican imaginary creatures) class on Feb. 28 at White Center Library, or ask your local library to bring Art-Maranth Mobile School’s free workshops to your branch.

Draw design on construction paper and carefully cut out.

The colorful lucha libre mask is worn by professional wrestlers in Mexico City. To make a máscara with your little luchador, all you need is paper, glue, string and scissors.

Glue smaller piece of mask to bigger piece.

teaching art, the artist is dedicated to making arts accessible to all, especially to immigrants like herself. In 2013, she launched Art-Maranth Mobile School, offering free classes on creating self-portraits, dry clay, luminaries, calligraphy and more. The classes are available to children and adults at local libraries.

Ibarra-Sandys understands that some adults might have reservations about encouraging arts and crafts if they don’t identify as artistic, but says it doesn’t take too much effort to get started: “Have a corner of your house dedicated to be messy.”

If room permits, she suggests a well-stocked easel or crafts table for children to explore paints with various-sized paintbrushes, broad and fine-line markers, and paint sticks.

While allowing children to experiment with various mediums is important, she also urges parents to join in and get messy while model-ing the technique themselves.

Supplying one’s craft center doesn’t have to be expensive; you can start with materials from your kitchen: “Salvage colorful bottle and food-pouch caps, scrap paper from other projects, and paper towel tubes. Shop local thrift stores for yarn, beads, magazines, and random fabric and dollar stores for seasonal art supplies.”

And finally, the art teacher tells everyone she encounters, “Take advantage of the opportunities in front of you.”

Find Art-Maranth Mobile School

< Amaranta Ibarra-Sandys CONTINUED

READY, SET, CREATE!

Make a lucha libre mask!

Decorate mask with markers and sequins, and tape string to both sides. Play!

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by JENNIFER MORTENSEN

»Calendar

EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE Please call ahead or check the venue’s website before you go. EVENT PRICING $: Under $10 / $$: $10–$20 / $$$: $20 and over

Tuesday, January 1New Year’s DayS E AT T L E A R E A

Free State Parks. Start the year off with a free hike through a beautiful state park. FREE. Parks throughout Washington state. www.parks.state.wa.us

Resolution Run and Polar Bear Dive. 5K run/walk, kids’ dash (ages 10 and younger, FREE), optional Polar Bear Dive includes a dip in Lake Washington. 9 am registration, 10:30 am run/walk, 11:30 am kids’ dash. $$$. Magnuson Park, Seattle (Sand Point). www.clubnorthwest.org/resolution-run

E A S T S I D E

Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink. Glide around the region’s largest open-air holiday ice rink. 10 am to 11 pm today; various times through Jan. 13. $$$. Bellevue Downtown Park. www.bellevueicerink.com

Jan/ Feb 2019

W h a t ’ s h a p p e n i n g a r o u n d t o w n

S O U T H S O U N D

Polar Bear Cub Plunge. Cub Plunge (ages 9 and younger) at 11:30 am; adult and family plunge at noon. Costumes welcome. Life jackets available and lifeguards will be on duty. FREE. Point Defiance Boat Launch, Tacoma. www.metroparkstacoma.org

Wednesday, January 2S E AT T L E A R E A

Cultures Near and Far. Enjoy family-

oriented performances representing cultures from Ghana, Bolivia and Puerto Rico. 4 to 7 pm. FREE. Seattle Children’s Museum, Seattle (Lower Queen Anne). www.thechildrensmuseum.org

Thursday, January 3S E AT T L E A R E A

Free First Thursdays. Explore a new exhibit or enjoy a favorite gallery. Participating museums around Seattle

have free admission today. Various times and locations; check websites for details. www.freemuseumday.org

Friday, January 4S E AT T L E A R E A

Sing-A-Long Sound of Music. Sing along with the classic film, complete with subtitles and a costume contest. 7 pm tonight and Sat., 1:30 pm Sat. and Sun. $$$. 5th Avenue Theatre, Downtown Seattle. www.5thavenue.org

„For our mobile-friendly, totally searchable, frequently updated calendar go to seattleschild.com

by ERIKA LEE BIGELOWOur picks for January & February

1 2 3 4 5Jan. 11

Monster JamIt’s noisy, it’s messy,

it’s AWESOME! Come watch monster

trucks compete against each other in speed runs and

hair-raising stunts at the Tacoma Dome

this weekend.

Jan. 12 MLK Program

with Live Paint!Learn what

the big words of Dr. Martin Luther

King, Jr. mean through a free after-noon of storytelling,

theater arts and creative writing at

the Shoreline Library.

Jan. 12Around the World

in 80 DaysRedmond’s Second-

Story Repertory brings this madcap adventure to stage

with a succession of locomotives, steamers and plenty of hilarity.

Great for grade-school-age children.

Feb. 2 Pancake Breakfast

& Short Film Smorgasbord

Leave on the PJs and come enjoy pancakes and bacon, followed by a short children’s

film program at the Northwest Film

Forum and Greek Orthodox Church of

the Assumption.

Feb. 23 Peter and the WolfTchaikovsky’s classic

piece will delight kids age 6 and older;

three musicians and a conductor’s assistant try to outwit a fear-

some wolf threatening the orchestra and

audience. Crafts and instrument explora-tion one hour before.

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Small Frye: Storytelling + Art

„ For a full

Calendar of events

for January and

February go to

» seattleschild.com

22 S EAT T LE ’S CH ILD January/February 2019 January/February 2019 S E AT T LE ’S CH ILD 23

„For our mobile-friendly, totally searchable, frequently updated calendar go to seattleschild.com

Small Frye: Storytelling + Art. Preschoolers can enjoy dramatic storytelling by Seattle Children’s Theatre in the galleries and an art-making session. 10:30 to 11:45 am on first Fridays. FREE. Frye Art Museum, Seattle (First Hill). www.fryemuseum.org

E A S T S I D E

Lewis Creek Story Time: Stranger in the Woods. Read along from the animals’ point of view as they gather their courage to find out about a mysterious visitor in their midst. Best for ages 3 to 7 with adult. Pre-register. Two sessions: 11 am to noon or 1:30 to 2:30 pm. FREE. Lewis Creek Visitor Center, Bellevue. www.parks.bellevuewa.gov

N O R T H S O U N D

Matilda. Roald Dahl’s beloved magical misfit proves everyone can change their story. 8 pm tonight; various times through Feb. 3. $$$. Everett Performing Arts Center, Everett. www.villagetheatre.org

Saturday, January 5S E AT T L E A R E A

BIG KID

PICK

Morning Treats and Tweets. Be a birder for a day as you search for birds that make Seward Park their home. Binoculars and

donuts provided. Pre-register. Ages 8 and older. 10 am to noon. $. Seward Park Audubon Center, Seattle (Seward Park). www. sewardpark.audubon.org

Puss In Boots. The Fremont Players present their unique take on this classic tale in a panto play for all ages. 4 and 7:30 pm today, 1 and 4 pm Sun. $ to $$. Hale’s Palladium, Seattle (Fremont). www.fremontplayers.com

Medieval Music Family Concert. Discover instruments and songs of long ago in this family-friendly concert. Children can try out instruments after the show. 1:30 to 2:30 pm. $. University Heights Center, Seattle (U-District). www.historicalarts.org

Shi Shi Mai Blessing. See a traditional Japanese shi shi mai (lion dance) blessing to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck. FREE, admission required to see exhibits. 1 pm. Wing Luke Museum, Seattle (International District). www.wingluke.org

E A S T S I D E

Ranger-Led Hike. Explore the natural and cultural history of Lewis Creek Park while looking for signs of local wildlife.10:30 am. FREE. Lewis Creek Park, Bellevue. www.parks.bellevuewa.gov

F A R T H E R A F I E L D

Mochi Tsuki Festival. Try the traditional art of making mochi by pounding sticky rice into a sweet treat. Watch Seattle Kokon Taiko drumming (noon and 2 pm) and learn about Japanese-American culture. 11 am to 3 pm. FREE. Woodward Middle School, Bainbridge Island. www.bijacevents.org

Sunday, January 6E A S T S I D E

Family-Friendly Ranger Hike. Join a park ranger on a guided hike and learn about the birds and animals that call the park home. Pre-register. 2 to 3 pm. FREE. Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, Bellevue. www.bellevuewa.gov

Wednesday, January 9E A S T S I D E

BIG KID

PICK

Student Wednesdays at BAM. Explore the Bellevue Arts Museum after school on the second Wednesday of every month.

11 am to 6 pm. FREE with downloadable coupon. Downtown Bellevue. www.bellevuearts.org

Friday, January 11S E AT T L E A R E A

Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. Set in the village of Anatevka, the story centers on a poor dairyman

and his five daughters. Featuring performers from Broadway Bound Children’s Theatre. Ages 4 and older. 7 pm tonight; various times through Jan. 27. $$. Rainier Arts Center, Seattle (Columbia City). www.broadwaybound.org

S O U T H S O U N D

Monster Jam. Watch monster trucks compete against each other in speed runs and stunts. 7 pm tonight and Sat., 1 pm Sat. and Sun., 6:30 pm Sun. $$ to $$$. Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. www.tacomadome.org

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. A funny Broadway musical based on the classic Peanuts characters. No children younger than 3. 7 pm tonight; various times through Jan. 20. $$ to $$$. ManeStage Theatre Company, Puyallup. www.manestagetheatre.com


Kindiependent Concert Series: Recess Monkey. Jump around to great music and fun on Saturday mornings through Feb. Buy tickets in advance to guarantee entry. 10:30 am. $$. Mount Baker Community Club, Seattle. www.mountbaker.org

Winter in the Park: Kids’ Saturdays. Families can enjoy hands-on art activities and yoga. Bring a cardboard box to decorate a car for a “drive-in” movie. 11 am to 2 pm today and Feb. 9. FREE. Olympic Sculpture Park, Downtown Seattle. www.seattleartmuseum.org

MLK Program with Live Paint! Learn about the big words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through storytelling, theater arts and creative writing. 10:30 to 11:15 am. FREE. Shoreline Library, Shoreline. www.kcls.org

E A S T S I D E

Around the World in 80 Days. A madcap adventure on a succession of locomotives, steamers and hilarity. 1 and 3 pm, weekends through Jan 27. Recommended for grade-school-aged children. All-ages shows held on Sun. $ to $$. SecondStory Repertory, Redmond. www.secondstoryrep.org

Wetland Waddlers. Preschoolers can explore the Mercer Slough with art, play and story time. Today, get creative with ice. Pre-register. 9:30 to 11:30 am. $$$. Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center, Bellevue. www.pacificsciencecenter.org

Sunday, January 13S O U T H S O U N D

Mini Maestros: The Great String Thing-a-Machine! Listen to an informal concert designed especially for children ages 2 to 8. Instrument “petting zoo” begins at 1:30 pm. 2:30 to 3:30 pm. $ to $$. University of Puget Sound’s Schneebeck Concert Hall, Tacoma. www.tacomaartslive.org

Monday, January 14S E AT T L E A R E A

Dragon Pearl: Book Discussion and Signing. Hear from critically acclaimed author Yoon Ha Lee about his story Dragon Pearl. 6 pm. University Book Store, Seattle (U-District). www.ubookstore.com


Hawaii Weekend. Dress up in Aloha wear and explore the tropics. Featuring Hawaiian entertainment, hands-on activities and diver shows. 9:30 am to 5 pm through Mon. $$$, free ages 3 and younger. Seattle Aquarium, Downtown Seattle. www.seattleaquarium.org

BIG KID

PICK

Living Voices: Journey from the Dust. Hear the stories of America’s families confronted by the stock market crash of

1929 and the Dust Bowl through live theatrical performances and archival film. Ages 11 and older. 1 and 2 pm. $$, free ages 14 and younger. MOHAI, Seattle (South Lake Union). www.mohai.org

S O U T H S O U N D

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. Hear

live music from choirs. 10 am to noon. FREE. McGavick Conference Center, Lakewood. www.cityoflakewood.us

Great Train Show. See hundreds of trains, accessories, scale models and collectible toys, plus kids’ activities and special exhibits. 10 am to 4 pm. $$, free ages 11 and younger. Western Washington Fairgrounds, Puyallup. www.trainshow.com

Monday, January 21S E AT T L E A R E A

BIG KID

PICK

MLK Youth March. Join a youth-led march to create tangible change in the community. This year’s theme is

“Affirmative Action = Justice.” 8:30 am opportunity fair, 9:30 am workshops, 11 am rally, 12:30 pm march. FREE. Garfield High School, Seattle (Central District). www.seattlemlkcoalition.org

N O R T H S O U N D

A Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Join the community in song, spoken word and dance. 7:30 to 9 pm. $ to $$. Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds. www.edmondscenterforthearts.org

S O U T H S O U N D

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration. Music, dance, poetry, guest speakers and a community service award ceremony. 11 am to 1 pm. FREE. Greater Tacoma Convention Center, Tacoma. www.cityoftacoma.org/mlk

Thursday, January 24S E AT T L E A R E A

Children’s Film Festival. The largest children’s film festival on the West Coast, with nearly 150 films from countries around the world. 7 pm tonight; various times through Feb. 9. $ to $$. Northwest Film Forum, Seattle (Capitol Hill). www.childrensfilmfestivalseattle.org

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Explore the magic of life with a toy china rabbit as he experiences love and loss over a 20-year journey. 7 pm tonight, various times through March 10. $$$. Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle (Lower Queen Anne). www.sct.org


The Little Engine That Could. StoryBook Theater presents a charming retelling of the familiar tale about a heartbroken engine. 11 am today; various times and locations through Mar.16. $$. Renton Carco Theater, Renton. www.storybooktheater.org

Tet Festival: Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Experience the cultural roots and contemporary influences of Vietnam through live performances, hands-on activities and games, martial arts and more. Today and Sun. FREE. Seattle Center Armory, Seattle (Lower Queen Anne). www.tetinseattle.org

N O R T H S O U N D

BIG KID

PICK

Ursulmas Medieval Faire. Combat tournaments, kids’ activities, demonstrations and a village

marketplace. Minors must have a form signed by a parent or guardian for some activities (download online). 9 am to 6 pm today, 9 am to 5 pm Sun. $$ to $$$, free ages 17 and younger. Evergreen State Fairgrounds, Monroe. www.ursulmas.org

S O U T H S O U N D

AveKids: The Magic of Louie Foxx. This one-man show mixes comedy and magic. 2 pm. $$. Auburn Avenue Theater, Auburn. www.auburnwa.gov

Sesame Street Live! Let’s Party! Learn new songs and sing along to familiar favorites with Oscar, Cookie Monster and more. 2 and 6 pm. $$$. Accesso Showare Center, Kent. www.accessoshowarecenter.com

Sunday, January 27S E AT T L E A R E A

Celebrate Asia. This concert features Korean

music and other festivities that celebrate the rich musical traditions of Seattle’s Asian communities. 4 to 5:30 pm. $$$. Benaroya Hall, Downtown Seattle. www.seattlesymphony.org

Friday, February 1S E AT T L E A R E A

The Sleeping Beauty. Watch the beloved fairytale come to life on stage as a ballet. 7:30 pm tonight; various times through Feb. 10. $$$. McCaw Hall, Seattle (Lower Queen Anne). www.pnb.org

N O R T H S O U N D

Arlington-Stillaguamish Eagle Festival. Guided eagle tours, demonstrations, an animal show, music, wagon rides, hands-on arts and crafts and more. FREE, fee for some activities. Today and Sat. Various locations in and around Arlington; see website for schedule. www.arlingtonwa.gov/eaglefest

S O U T H S O U N D

Flora and Ulysses. A squirrel is rescued from a vacuum cleaner by 10-year-old Flora. She names him Ulysses and discovers he has been reborn a superhero. Recommended for ages 6 and older. 7 pm tonight; various times through Feb. 17. $$. Olympia Family Theater, Olympia. www.oft.olyft.org

Saturday, February 2S E AT T L E A R E A

Pancake Breakfast and Short Film Smorgasbord. Enjoy breakfast with a short children’s films. Part of Children’s Film Festival. 9:30 am breakfast at the church, film at 10:30 or 11 am at Northwest Film Forum. $$. Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, Seattle (Capitol Hill) and Northwest Film Forum (Capitol Hill). www.childrensfilmfestivalseattle.org

Step Forward: SR 99 Grand Opening. Say “goodbye” to the viaduct and “hello” to the future of SR 99. Families can experience the new tunnel with STEM activities located at several hub locations. Viaduct tours and an 8K fun run on Sat., bike ride on Sun. 8K starts at 7:30 am; check website for full schedule. FREE, tickets required for some activities. SR 99, various locations from SoDo to Seattle Center, Seattle. www.99stepforward.com

N O R T H S O U N D

Kidstock! This family arts celebration features music, theatre and activities for kids. 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. FREE. Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds. www.edmondscenterforthearts.org

Thursday, February 7S E AT T L E A R E A

CulturalFest International Expo. Arts and crafts, games and hands-on activities with international students and volunteers representing a variety of cultures. 10:30 am to 3 pm. FREE. Husky Union Building at University of Washington, Seattle (U District). www.fiuts.org

Friday, February 8S E AT T L E A R E A

Ferdinand and the Bull. Stop and smell the flowers with Ferdinand the Bull and his friends — the brass section! The trumpet, trombone and tuba will teach how music, like Ferdinand, can be fast, slow, loud or soft. Part of the Tiny Tots concert series for ages 5 and younger. 10:30 am today and Sat., 9:30 am and 11:30 am Sat. $$. Benaroya Hall, Downtown Seattle. www.seattlesymphony.org

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The Mouse Woman. Theater For Young Children presents The Mouse Woman and How the Raven Stole the Light, two tales from native Northwest peoples. 10:30 am. FREE. Green Lake Community Center, Seattle. www.seattle.gov/parks

Saturday, February 9S E AT T L E A R E A

BIG KID

PICK

Hands-On Skills Fair. Learn skills such as food preservation, seed

saving, soap making, basic plumbing and electrical, carpentry, gardening, bike maintenance and more. 10 am to 5 pm. FREE. Meadowbrook Community Center, North Seattle. www.seattle.gov/parks

Valentine’s Arts and Crafts. Create some sweet treats and a card to tell your loved ones how much you appreciate them this Valentine’s Day. For ages 12 and younger. 3 to 4:30 pm. FREE. International District/Chinatown Community Center, Seattle. www.seattle.gov/parks

Valentine’s Day Celebration. Watch as zoo animals receive heart-shaped steaks and other favorite treats. 10 am to 3 pm. $ to $$, free ages 2 and younger. Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle (Phinney Ridge). www.zoo.org

S O U T H S O U N D

Asia Pacific New Year Celebration. Food, crafts, live

entertainment and more from a variety of Asian and Pacific Island countries. This year’s featured country is Hawaii. 11 am to 6 pm. FREE. Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall, Tacoma. www.tacomadome.org

Golden Dragon Acrobats. A show of skill and beauty combines acrobatics, traditional Chinese dance and theatrical costumes and performances. 7:30 pm. $$$. Auburn Performing Arts Center, Auburn. www.auburnwa.gov

Love at the Zoo. Watch animals eat Valentine-themed treats. 10 am to 4 pm through Sun. $ to $$, free ages 2 and younger. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Tacoma. www.pdza.org

Saturday, February 16E A S T S I D E

Sparkle Fairy’s School for Formerly Vile Villains. Sparkle Fairy gives villains a chance to mend their ways. This year’s graduating class includes Captain Hook, Cinderella’s stepsisters, The Big Bad Wolf and Snow White’s Queen. Recommended for grade-school-aged children. All-ages family shows on Sun. 1 and 3 pm weekends through March 9. $ to $$. SecondStory Repertory, Redmond. www.secondstoryrep.org

N O R T H S O U N D

The Fly Fishing Show. Two days of fly fishing fun, including casting demos, a learning center for kids,

scout merit badges and a film festival. 9 am to 5:30 pm today, 9 am to 4:30 pm Sun. $$$. Lynnwood Convention Center, Lynnwood. www.flyfishingshow.com

S O U T H S O U N D

Kids ’n’ Critters. Crafts, activities and trailside encounters with some of the park’s smaller animals, plus half-hour tram tours. 9:30 am to 3 pm through Mon. $$, up to four kids ages 12 and younger will be admitted FREE with each paid adult. Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Eatonville. www.northwesttrek.org

Thursday, February 21E A S T S I D E

Wintergrass. Bluegrass music festival includes concerts, dances, music jams and kids’ workshops. Various hours through Sun. (see schedule online). $$ to $$$, free ages 11 and younger. Hyatt Regency, Bellevue. www.wintergrass.com

Saturday, February 23S E A T T L E A R E A

Peter and the Wolf. Without upsetting the maestro, three musicians and a conductor’s assistant must outwit a fearsome wolf. Recommended for ages 6 to 12. Doors open one hour early for crafts and instrument exploration. 11 am. $$. Benaroya Hall, Downtown Seattle. www.seattlesymphony.org


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