Playtime: Family swim, Kindergarten Kick Off, Paddington Bear concert, bird count training — and the tooth fairy!

The Mountlake Terrace Pool is located at 5303 228th St. SW, Mountlake Terrace. (Courtesy of the Edmonds School District)

There are consistently fun options for kid entertainment locally and as my kids get older, there are also consistently new events not offered when we were in the age range that I wish had been! I usually put the events together in a theme, whether it be free events, indoor/outdoor events, sports options, camp options, library events, and well, more library events. But this week, while the events are great, they don’t follow any particular theme, unless you can string birds, the Tooth Fairy, swimming and kindergarten together. Though given the weather dominating most of our conversations again this week, I will say many of the events are inside for at least part of the time.

Last Friday night, a lot of us in the area lost power during a windstorm. At our house, I was equally proud of our stash of flashlights and lanterns and embarrassed at how quickly we were annoyed. To be fair to us, we had a big night of watching The Good Place series finale and hanging out with Dad, who had been out of town for work planned, and then to add perspective, we still had our phones, which we used to stream the finale after eating warm pizza. We weren’t the only ones who missed out on plans as the Move 60! Family Swim Night had to be canceled since power at the Mountlake Terrace Recreation Pavilion was also out. Move 60! was quick to reschedule this free event for all district families. The event, which does not require registration, will be held Friday, Feb. 28 from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. For more information, you can visit their Facebook events page HERE.

It is never not shocking to me that planning for the next school year happens so early in the year prior. I know that 8th graders choosing the STEM or IB programs were invited to Info Nights at the end of last year and I’ve seen notices for this month’s 8th grade parent nights at the high school that my son’s middle school feeds into. So, while it feels early, Kick Off to Kindergarten, an informational night for parents, will be held at your assigned school on Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m.  If you are not sure what school you are assigned to, you can find the School Boundary Map HERE and if it is unclear which boundary your address is in, you can follow the “Neighborhood School Finder” link next to the map and enter your address.

Kick Off is a chance for you to find out more about kindergarten, meet your child’s principal and office staff, and obtain a registration packet to complete at home. The first day you can return the packet is Wednesday, March 4, 2020. In August, registered kindergarteners at all Edmonds School District elementary schools will have the option to participate in Jump Start, a pre-kindergarten, transitional program that focuses on preparing your child for success in kindergarten — familiarizing your child with the school environment, the kindergarten teachers, and the daily schedule. This year Jump Start is tentatively scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday, Aug. 17 to Thursday, Aug. 20. I am so jealous that this wasn’t an option when we were doing kindergarten.  Had we had the chance, we would have found out that one of our kids was upset about his first alphabet packet because this was a sign that in kindergarten, you can’t just do whatever you want. For more information and help finding your school assignment, you can contact the Edmonds School District at 425-431-7000.

While on my Mom walk, which involves a trek down Main Street in Edmonds and sometimes a breakfast sandwich at Claire’s, I saw a flyer for “Paddington Bear’s First Concert.” The Cascade Symphony Orchestra will be holding this concert, designed for children 3 to 10 as a way to introduce families to the joys of classical music, on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m.. Starting an hour before the concert — at 2 p.m. —  there will be an Instrument Petting Zoo, which allows children to try different instruments. We did a version of this once at the Seattle Symphony Music Discovery Center in downtown Seattle, and it was one of those events that is learning disguised as fun. Tickets range from $3 to $10 for Paddington Bear’s First Concert and you can find more information at EdmondsCenterfortheArts.org or by calling 425-275-9595.

Our backyard is consistently full of birds often participating in what the kids call “Bird Wars” over the suet feeder hanging from the eaves. We’ve seen a Cooper’s hawk (we think), three different kinds of woodpeckers, starlings, robins, and a bunch of little birds. Whether you like to watch birds in your bird-y backyard or at a nearby park, The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is for you. This Saturday, Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon, you can participate in The Great Backyard Bird Count Training with Alan Mearns.The training, which is for first timers, beginning birders, families and kids and others who want to brush up on their backyard bird identification skills, will include time to practice outdoors. So you are encouraged to bring your binoculars and dress for the weather, which per my weather app is still rain. After you are trained and ready to go, the GBBC will be Feb. 14-17. This training will be held at the Willow Creek Habitat Demonstration Garden, 95 Pine St., in Edmonds (off Hwy 104 on the way to the Edmonds ferry terminal), and you can find more information at PilchuckAudubon.com

The Tooth Fairy Experience at the Lynnwood Library in January. (Photo courtesy Delta Dental)

This next event is something I would have loved to have taken my kids to when they were younger, and it is also a library event. The Tooth Fairy Experience at Edmonds Library is Tuesday, Feb. 18,  at 10 a.m.. This visit from the Tooth Fairy, which is part of The Tooth Fairy Experience presented by Delta Dental of Washington, will feature a presentation on fun smile facts, a story time reading of The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist, demonstrations, a toothbrush giveaway, and dental activities. Having reached the “only brush the teeth you want to keep” portion of parenting, I love the option to have someone else convince the children in your house to brush their teeth and in this case, come home with a new toothbrush. Plus, from what I understand, the Tooth Fairy’s recent trip to the Lynnwood Library was an adorable success. For more information, you can visit www.TheToothFairyExperience.com.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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