If you’re looking for summer camps or day camps around the South Sound, I’ve got exciting news!

It’s the Sounds Fun Mom South Sound Summer Camp Guide. Say that ten times fast! Tricky, wasn’t it?

You’ll find it in the menu bar, cleverly titled, “South Sound Summer Camp Guide.”

While it doesn’t come close to including every camp, it does have something for every age and interest!

If you know a great camp I should add, let me know!

Better yet…..let their marketing department know, so I can talk to them about how to reach the coolest campers around (that would be you and your kiddos)!

Woot! Hey, Olympia, it’s Scholastic Books Warehouse Sale time.

There is also one in Auburn coming up soon!

These sales are a great opportunity to stock up on Scholastic titles at a fraction of the regular price (Just in time for summer reading!)

Now, note that these sales are officially only for school district employees, book fair volunteers, and homeschool directors, but I’ve been going to them for Years-first as a teacher, and then as a book fair volunteer and no one has ever, even once, asked to see my pass.

If you’re concerned about it, you could register as a home schooler or grab a teacher pal to shop with, but I will really be surprised if it’s an issue. You could also make a point of helping at your next book fair. I know the gal who runs ours is always desperate for volunteers!

Here’s the link to the scoop on the sale with hours and a sign-up option. There are also some coupons if you’re planning on really stocking up, or you’d like to help build a classroom library. I know many of you have shopped these events before, so feel free to leave a comment with your best tips!

Here are the hours and dates for the Olympia Scholastic Warehouse Sale

Here are the hours and dates for the Auburn Scholastic Warehouse Sale (I’ll remind you)

Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse 5103 D Street N.W. Suite 101 Auburn, WA 98001 (253) 854-4272

June 12 – June 22 Weekdays (June 12-21): 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays (June 15 and 22): 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sunday

View map Download a flyer (PDF)

Looking for a baseball or softball camp for the kids this summer? Grand Slam Baseball Camps have fun sessions planned for Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Sumner, and more South Sound locations. I’m especially pleased to have Grand Slam back as a sponsor this year because this is a camp I can personally recommend to you.

My big kid’s very first experience with baseball was at the Grand Slam Camp in Sumner the year before last, and  I’m happy to say he loved it! Everyone on staff is a high school coach and/or has played college or professional ball. They love the game, and they make sure the kids are having a blast and also really learning-it’s not just glorified babysitting. I saw kids of all levels there, and I was very impressed with how positive and encouraging the coaches were, while still giving lots of specific pointers. Your future all-stars can do the complete camp in the morning, and then there is an option of adding on an afternoon skills camp to focus on pitching, catching, or infield. The coach to camper ratio is low, so kids get lots of personal instruction.

They run both baseball and softball  camps all over the South Sound, and the price is very reasonable. If you have boys or girls interested in baseball or softball-whether they’re seasoned veterans or just starting out-I encourage you to check them out.

Disclosure: I was so impressed with Grand Slam that I asked them to become a sponsor last year. I’m so pleased to have them back again. If you check ‘em out, I do hope you’ll tell them you’re a reader. Thanks for that!

If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably noticed a fair amount of posts about ice cream shops and cupcake spots. It’s no secret I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, and so do do my boys. Lately, however, we’ve been making an effort to reduce the amount of sugar in our diet. I have a condition characterized by insulin resistance, which is just a fancy way of saying my body would prefer not to be stuffed full of sugar and carbs even though my cravings say otherwise! My oldest, whom we are now calling Mr. Yuck Mouth, recently had pretty much the worst dentist check-up ev-uh! The fillings may have hurt him, but the bill was painful for me!

Not much better than getting a giant box of candy in the mail!

How to solve our craving for sweets without the sugary stuff? Well, I was pretty excited to get to try new Werther’s Original Sugar Free Candy. Werther’s caramel hard candies are one of my favorite things, and guess what? The sugar free versions taste Exactly like the real thing, even though each yummy piece has just 8 calories and 3 carbs.

So, it’s really hard to get an action shot of someone enjoying candy, but trust me-these were a hit!

Naturally, the boys loved them, too. In fact, I had a hard time keeping them out of them. They come in all kinds of yummy flavors (The caramel apple is amazing), and I found them to be a really great way to keep my mouth, “Occupied,” rather than mindlessly shoving in the nearest treat. If your kids are old enough to have hard candy, I think these are a nice alternative to jelly beans or some other sticky goo. Personally, I’ve taken to stashing some in my car and my handbag. Even though they’re sugar free they have a smooth, creamy taste that makes you feel like you’re having a real treat. You can check out all the flavors and see some fun promotions at the Werther’s Original Sugar Free Facebook page!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

As I predicted (darn, I’m good!) Great Wolf Lodge has announced a new 48 Hour sale. If you’re missing balmy temperatures already, you may want to get in on it!

Now, if you bought a Groupon or Living Social offer recently, you still got a better deal for the nicer rooms with more water park passes.

But, this sale should give you the cheapest rate you can get on the least expensive rooms. You’ll find the very lowest ones mid week, which are around 160.00 before tax, which is a real kick in the teeth. You’ll note they’re now quoting their rates, “Per person,” so it’s possible those of you with smaller families will get a better deal, but I suspect it’s going to be almost exactly the same as in the past.

One heads-up: If you’re a member of the military, law enforcement, or a first responder, SFM Facebook readers have reported that you can do better with the code HEROES. I tested it, and it did work out to be cheaper on the dates I checked, though not by much. You will be asked for i.d. at check in.

If you don’t qualify for the HEROES code, the sale codes are 48HOUR or R48HOUR if you’ve been before. The rates seem to be the same to me, though I only checked a few dates.

If you’ve never done Great Wolf before, you’ll want to read this post with tips and links. If it’s out of the budget even with the sale prices (I Totally get that), you can always hit the pool at the Federal Way Community Center for water park style fun at an eensy, beensy fraction of the price.

Btw, GWL does these sales at almost exactly the same time every year. You can mark your calendar, or sign up for their emails. Oddly, I didn’t get one this go-round, so thanks go to Angela at The Coupon Project for the heads-up. Have you checked TCP lately? Angela does so many fun things-way beyond coupons!

Need something to do with the kids in Tacoma, Puyallup, Auburn, Olympia, or your part of the South Sound?

Here’s a whole list of family events and activities right around here.

For Indoor Play Options See My Lists of

•  bounce house places,
• indoor playgrounds
•  malls with soft play sections

Other Weekday Events and Fun

Monday

Military Monday at Discovery Village in Gig Harbor  Special discount for members of the military

Indoor Toddler Play Park in Fife  see  my indoor playground list for more options.

Play to Learn at the South Hill Library  Special program for children up to 6  and caregivers. Play, songs, stories. Drop-in 1:30

Free Bike Helmet fitting at Valley Medical Center in Renton  Anyone over 1 can get a custom fit helmet for 8.00. Wearer must be present

Air Conditioning Fitness class for grown-ups at Trampoline Nation in Federal Way 7PM  Kids can jump for a discounted price, so bring ‘em along! Jumping is not childcare, so they should be old enough to take care of their own bathroom needs and be able to understand that you are nearby but busy (Getting a workout on a trampoline! Awesome!) TN is a great sponsor. Tell ‘em I sent you!

Tuesday

New drop in play times at Jump! Gig Harbor  9:30-11:30 for 6 and under today; all ages 12:30-2:30 or 3:30-5:30

 Shop the 6th Avenue Farmers Market

It’s 1.00 day at the Starplex in Federal Way! Tickets are just 2.00 other days. Small upcharge for 3D Wreck it Ralph in 2D looks like the only kid-friendly option right now

Lego Club at the Auburn Library  Kids 5-12 are invited to join Bricks 4 Kidz. Registration is required; limited to 20 children. 4:30 Scroll to the date for the listing; I regret that I can’t seem to link to individual events in the KCLS.

Power Parenting Workshop at the Hands-on Children’s Museum in Olympia  Free, evening programs on various parenting topics with supervised childcare in the museum  Registration required

Homeschoolers Support Association Used Curriculum Sale at the Church of the Nazarene in Kent

Wednesday

Frog n Kiwi’s Safety Series  9AM  Free events for kids and parents with safety tips from local agencies  The kiddos will probably want some time in the play area after!

Tot Time at Learning Sprout Toys in Tacoma  Always a good idea to confirm first 10:30

It’s Free Day at the White River Valley Museum in Auburn(Admission is just 2.00/1.00 other days). Small, but kid friendly

Caspar Babypants concert in Burien CASPAR BABYPANTS LIVE! at the BURIEN LIBRARY
400 SW 152nd Street Burien, 98166
(206) 243-3490
set time – 11:00am

Play to Learn at the Parkland/Spanway Library at 10 or Graham at 1:30 Special program for children up to 6  and caregivers. Play, songs, stories. Drop-in 1:30

Fetch With Ruff Ruffman at the Fife Library  Science club for kids in grades 3-5 based on the popular PBS series 4:30  Register

Stop! Motion at the Summit Library at 3-5  Kids 9-teenage can learn about film animation and begin the process of making a claymation figure and a stop motion movie

Read to a Dog at the Sumner Library at 4   Kids can drop in and spend a few minutes practice their reading skills with a patient, canine listener

Juice and Jammies story time at the Olympia Barnes and Noble 7PM

Air Conditioning Fitness class for grown-ups at Trampoline Nation in Federal Way 7PM  Kids can jump for a discounted price, so bring ‘em along! Jumping is not childcare, so they should be old enough to take care of their own bathroom needs and be able to understand that you are nearby but busy (Getting a workout on a trampoline! Awesome!) TN is a great sponsor. Tell ‘em I sent you! 

Thursday

Play to Learn at the Lakewood Library at 10  Special program for children up to 6  and caregivers. Play, songs, stories. Drop-in 1:30

Indoor Toddler Play Park in Fife  See this my indoor playground list for more options.

The Broadway Farmer’s Market

 Anagrams and Word Games at the Puyallup Public Library-Part of a series for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders based on the book Chasing Vermeer. Kids are not required to attend all events of read the book, but children who participate in 3 or more will receive a free copy.  3:45

Bonney Lake Library Used Book Sale begins

It’s a 3rd Thursday in Tacoma  Browse area galleries and enjoy extended hours and free admission at the Children’s Museum (free tea tasting in Cafe Play tonight), the History Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, and The Museum of Glass  as part of the newly named Art Mingle  (formerly the Art Walk).

Friday

 Harmonica Pocket!  Free concert for young children at the Gig Harbor Library 10:30

New drop in play times at Jump! Gig Harbor  9:30-11:30 for 6 and under today; all ages 12:30-2:30

Free Ready, Set, Read! Tacoma program at the Children’s Museum

Play in Peace Day at McCarver Park in Tacoma  Games and activities followed by program and march

Active Play Night at Wind Up Here toys in Olympia

As always, I’ll have plenty more fun coming your way in your weekend list up Friday morning, and I have lots coming this week, too-including the Mother’s Day Guide, an Awesome give away, and several specials from my sponsors just for you!

I also Love to list fun things you know about, and I’d be Glad to include your group’s event! Just drop me a line!

New here? I’m so glad you found Sounds Fun Mom!  You might consider subscribing to my emails, joining us on Facebook, or following me on Twitter!  You’re also always welcome to drop me a line if you know something great I missed, or just want to give me a tip.

Looking for something fun to do with mom? Here’s a list of fun things to do with mom today in Tacoma, Olympia, Federal Way, and Your area of the South Sound.

Free Admission for Mom on Sunday, Mother’s Day, at the Museum of Glass, The Tacoma Art Museum, and The History Museum  There are also special events planned-most of those require fees and reservations, so check in advance. If you just want to enjoy the museums, it’s free (If your “Name,” is Mom, that is).

Free admission for moms and grandmas at the Hands-on Children’s Museum in Olympia  Sunday, May 12th

Half-off admission for all at the newly renovated maritime museum at Foss Waterway Seaport

A Little Princess at Sumner ManeStage Theater. Did you enter to win tickets yet?

Open Trails at the Morse Wildlife Preserve in Graham

Emerald Downs Family Fun Day  chance for mom to win special giveaways; kids’ activities including pony rides and face painting start at 1

Moms Jump for Free at Trampoline Nation with a paying adult-also Sunday

Visit our new sponsors at City Goat Farm and Petting Zoo in Spanaway Here is their fb page . Open 12- 4 today.Moms get in Free!

Farmer’s Market at South Tacoma’s STAR Center

Sleeping Beauty from Ballet Northwest  Shows at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts  Tickets start at 15.00 get them at olytix.org

Some Mother’s Day brunch and tea ideas are at the bottom of this post (scroll down to “Treat Mom”)    

We also got a list of suggestions on the Facebook page   Yeah, most of these are probably full, but you can always start calling around!

For restaurant and store freebies (cause nothing says, “Thanks for the 12 hours of labor,” like a 6 oz. froyo) there is a great list (all kidding aside) over at ThriftyNorthwestMom

Whether you go by mom, grandma, stepmom, or serve as a “Bonus mom,” cleverly disguised as auntie or dad, we at Sounds Fun Mom love you all and thank you for letting us be a small part of your family.

New here? I’d love to have you use the buttons at the top to join us on the Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or get my posts in your feed or reader. I also Love to hear about readers sharing this page with their pals and mentioning it at the places they visit, so thank you So Much for all of that!

Mom wants something to do with the family? If you live near Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Olympia-or somewhere in between-I’ve got you covered!

South Sound family fun is right here!

Headed elsewhere? For Seattle or Portland area fun you’ll want to check out the fantastic list over at ThriftyNWmom compiled by the newest member of their frugal finding team, Annaliese of Grays Harbor Deals!

Saturday

All Over

Kids’ Club at Michael’s Kids can stop in between 10-2 to make a heart necklace 2.00 per child/sessions start on the half hour

Lowes Build and Grow  Many stores are full already. You might want want to register for the next one and mark your calendar now!

Some Mother’s Day brunch and tea ideas are in this post (scroll down to “Treat Mom”)  We also had a thread of fun suggestions on the Facebook page.

South King County

Creme Brulee Kids Consignment Sale in Kent  Publicity partner-let ‘em know you saw it on SFM!

Rely on Renton Family Fair   Booths with info. on services and activities for Renton families; Caspar Babypants performance

Reptile Expo in Renton 

Backyard Wildlife Festival in Tukwila Bring wildlife to your backyard! Lots of kids’ activities and crafts

Story Time at the Federal Way Barnes and Noble 11AM

Water Weekends with HCC Mast at Redondo Every Saturday visit the center for free from 10-2 and get up close with sea critters in their touch tanks

Mother’s Day at the Rhododendron Garden in Federal Way  Enjoy music while you stroll through the rhody garden; food cart on site with treats  Not a super exciting place for kids, but very pretty and reasonably priced. Also Sunday

Saturday Story Time at Southcenter Barnes and Noble  11AM  Stories celebrating mom this week

Moms Jump for Free at Trampoline Nation with a paying adult-also Sunday  Great sponsor! Tell our friends you’re a reader if you get a chance!

Family Day at the White River Valley Museum in Auburn  12-4  Special activities and crafts included with admission (which is cheap). Japanese heritage theme today

Auburn Avenue Kids Presents Rapunzel  Tickets just 6.00!

Puyallup/Sumner/Greater Pierce

A Little Princess at Sumner ManeStage Theater. Did you enter to win tickets yet?

Family Day at the Karshner Museum  Small museum but lots for kids to touch and do  Free admission 10-2  Pioneer History and Asian Culture is the theme

Block Play at the Sumner Library at 1PM

Moms skate free with a paid child’s admission Saturday night 7-10PM at Tiffany’s Skate Inn Puyallup

Tacoma

Kids need to cool off? The spraygrounds are On in Tacoma! Free, open 10AM-8PM

Family Nature Walk  Nature Center Staff leads these free, family friendly walks. You are asked to register; not suitable for strollers; great for 3 and up Two today-a 10AM at Wapato and a 1PM at Titlow

Tacoma Youth Theater  Spring auditions for Tom Sawyer  Unique, pay-as-you-can theater experience for young actors

The Working Waterfront Museum at the Foss Waterway Seaport is open again! Enjoy half-off admission today. 11AM-5

Half-off admission for moms at Pt.Defiance Zoo Saturday, May 11th, plus many special activities. The live show and budgie exhibit also open today, and there is a rhody sale in the garden (free admission if you want to rhody shop). SFM suggests doing something less crowded and investing in an annual pass to save on your zoo trips. You are free to tell me I’m full of beans!

Crafts of the Past at Fort Nisqually  Each weekend, artisans demonstrate a craft that would been used in the 1880s. While not a total bargain, a trip to the Fort is fun for most children and a good resource if you have one doing some kind of report. I think intermediate age children would be most capable of joining in the craft demonstrations.

Most Farmers’ Markets have opened! Has yours? Check here.

Pierce College Science Dome Shows Special shows for children every Saturday at 2PM in the amazing new dome theater at their Lakewood campus. Tickets just 3.00; adults free! Link also has info. on other public shows. General audience at 3:15

Visit our new sponsors at City Goat Farm and Petting Zoo in Spanaway Here is their fb page . I’ve had sooooo many nice notes from readers who have loved it here. If you do, too, be sure to ask about their season pass!

Cookie Mouse (of Give a Mouse a Cookie fame) is at the Lakewood Barnes and Noble 11AM

Get Geeky! at the Lakewood Library  Fun projects for kids 7 and up and a grown-up. Inspired by the, “Geek Dad,” book series. This one is a mini marshmallow shooter. This is my kids’ new favorite thing! Registration required

Sesame Street Live at the Tacoma Dome  Not cheap, but may be worth it for your Street fan. Be sure to go early enough to hit the play area if you do this.

Lacey/Olympia

Cool Rides Car Show at Huntamer Park in Lacey  Fundraiser for North Thurston Schools  Kids’ activities include non-competitive pinewood derby

Olympia Wooden Boat Fair at Percival Landing  Wooden boats on display; kids’ activities; food for purchase **If the kids want to build on their own little, wooden boat, you’ll want to go early on Saturday as it’s, “While the wood lasts!”  10-6; Also on Sunday from 11-5

Community Fun Fair at Colombus Park on Black Lake

Friends of the Olympia Library used book sale

Free Kids’ Acting Workshop with Youth Acting Studio in Dupont  Drop-ins welcome (Sponsor this month! Tell Melissa you’re a reader!)

Dupont Library Anniversary Party  1-3PM refreshments and entertainment

Saturday storytime at the Olympia Barnes and Noble  1PM  Every Saturday

LOTT Wet Science Center   CLOSED Today due to construction related power outages.

Parents Night Out at the Hands-on Children’s Museum

Sleeping Beauty from Ballet Northwest also Sunday  Shows at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts  Tickets start at 15.00 get them at olytix.org

Gig Harbor

Harbor Wildwatch will have touch tanks full of sea critters at the Harbor History Museum  11AM-2PM

Get Your Feet Wet at Penrose  Naturalists from Harbor Wild Watch are on hand to help kids identify critters they find on the beach   You will need a Discover WA Pass for the park.

The farmer’s market at Uptown is open! From 9-10 every Saturday there is free entertainment for kids.

Trail Run Fundraiser at Sehmel Park 9AM  You’re invited to stay for a brunch by donation and card making  Benefits Jordyn’s Journey

Open Play and Family Movie Night at Discovery Village in Gig Harbor Be sure to ask about their, “Spring Sampler,” special and summer camps and preschools. Tell ‘em SFM sent you!

Mother’s Day Stories at the Kitsap Barnes and Noble 

Liveable Community Fair and Summer Camp Fair in Key Peninsula 10AM-3PM  Information about community resources, kids’ activities, plant sales

Kitsap area readers may also like to get the free newsletter from Macaroni Kid Kitsap

Beyond

Moms ride free with any paying child, Mother’s Day weekend at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie (Be sure to stop at the candy/ice cream shop).

Sunday-Mother’s Day

Free Admission for Mom on Sunday, Mother’s Day, at the Museum of Glass, The Tacoma Art Museum, and The History Museum  There are also special events planned-most of those require fees and reservations, so check in advance. If you just want to enjoy the museums, it’s free (If your “Name,” is Mom, that is).

Free admission for moms and grandmas at the Hands-on Children’s Museum in Olympia  Sunday, May 12th

Open Trails at the Morse Wildlife Preserve in Graham

Emerald Downs Family Fun Day  chance for mom to win special giveaways; kids’ activities including pony rides and face painting start at 1

Moms Jump for Free at Trampoline Nation with a paying adult-also Sunday

Visit our new sponsors at City Goat Farm and Petting Zoo in Spanaway Here is their fb page . Open 12- 4 today.Moms get in Free!

Farmer’s Market at South Tacoma’s STAR Center

Some Mother’s Day brunch and tea ideas are at the bottom of this post (scroll down to “Treat Mom”)    

We also got a list of suggestions on the Facebook page

Many of the theater events I mentioned in Saturday’s listings also continue today. I’ll work on updating this later.

Know something great I missed? Want publicity for your group or advertising for your family friendly business?  Just let me know!

New here? I’d love to have you use the buttons at the top to join us on the Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or get my posts in your feed or reader. I also Love to hear about readers sharing this page with their pals and mentioning it at the places they visit, so thank you So Much for all of that!

Here’s a family theater production that would be a treat for all the moms and little girls in your life.

It’s A Little Princess from Sumner’s ManeStage Theater. This was one of my very favorite books growing up, and this production looks just charming.

If you’re not familiar with ManeStage, you really should be! They’re a homegrown company, and their performances are always high quality productions of uplifting, family shows.

They’re also doing a theater camp in conjunction with Sumner Parks and Rec this summer that you might want to check out!

There are ten daytime and evening shows to choose from, all right in Sumner. Tickets start at a very reasonable 10.00, and there are dates beginning this weekend.

On to the giveaway!

Our friends at Sumner ManeStage are very generously donating a family 4 pack of tickets to a show of your choice.

I’m going to give you three chances to enter, and you can do any or all of them this time:

• -Check out Sumner ManeStage’s website and come back and leave a comment that you did so!
• -Subscribe to my emails and leave a comment that you did so. My emails are a once-a-day compilation of posts. I never use your email for other purposes. Note: After you sign up you will get an email asking you to confirm you want ‘em. You’re not a subscriber until you do this step.
• -Share this contest and tell me what you did! Share it on fb, Tweet  it, tell the crowd at the bus stop-whatever.
• Remember that all entries must be left as comments, and they must be left as separate comments to count for extra entries (makes sense, right)?

And, finally, I’ll be off-line for a while this morning, so if you don’t see your comments right away, don’t panic. I promise I’ll approve them as soon as I have a chance. Good Luck!

Disclosure: Sumner ManeStage is donating the tickets for this giveaway. I was not compensated, and the opinions are my own. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook (I bet you knew that)!

I’m excited to be partnering with Creme Brulee Kids, a consignment event coming up this weekend in Kent. What makes a Creme Brulee sale special is that you’ll find tons of high end, name brand items-all carefully inspected and in great condition. If you like to dress your kids in boutique styles without busting your budget, this is one you won’t want to miss!

Here’s what else Jen and Jacque want you to know:

Mom’s in the know… shop Creme Brulee kids!

A Creme Brulee kids sale is a mark your calendar, cancel all appointments, load up your friends, do not miss event!

Admission and Parking are always free!

We have thousands of name brand items all organized in one place for one weekend.

We accept Cash, Visa, and Mastercard at our sales.

The Creme Brulee Kids Consignment & Boutique sale will be happening this weekend  May 10th – Saturday, May 11th at the Kent Commons.

 Want to shop early? There is still time to clean out your kids’ closets and  as a consignor you price your own items and you can make up to 80% of your sales!

Hours:

• Thursday, May 9th @ 7:30 – Pre-Sale shopping for Consignors
• Friday, May 10th – 10am – 7pm
• Saturday, May 11th – 10am – 4pm (Discount Day!)

Location: Kent Commons at 525 Fourth Ave North, Kent, WA

Disclosure: This post is in exchange for promotional consideration and includes provided text. If you get a chance to let the Creme Brulee gals know you’re a Sounds Fun Mom reader, that would be great! I’d love to hear what you score, too!