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The South Sound Beat the Heat List!

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Wowza! It’s a hot one! Here is a round up of good places to keep cool with the kids around the South Sound, including places kids can splash in the water or swim and wade.

Please note that due to Covid related closures, there are NO public splash pads, spray grounds, or pools open that I know of. There are also NO lifeguards at any area beach that I know of, so please use extra caution. All the outdoor posts on this list, AND the ice cream list, are updated.

As always we remind you to be cautious in the heat, And around water with your children. Safety first!

beatheat

Whether you’re too hot in Tacoma, sizzling in Sumner, or Overheating in Olympia-well, you get the idea…..I’m here to help!

Here is my list of readers’ favorite ice cream and cool treat spots.

Tacoma area ice cream shops

Check out a beach with sand! Bring your toys!

Best Beaches with Sand in the South Puget Sound

You can also check out one of these great kid friendly beaches!

best tacoma beaches for kids

OR Here Is A List Of Ten Great South Sound Parks With Shade

Cool off by a nearby lake!-As always, make sure to be vigilant about watching your children around water. Only some of these spots have lifeguards. I’m also not sure about Lake Meridian in Kent as there was a fire earlier in the season that damaged the guard station.

GREAT LAKES

 

 

 

Sounds Fun Mom’s South Sound Summer Guide

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Updated for 2020

Summer is different this year, but it doesn’t have to be a bummer! We have dozens of great things you can do with the kids this summer.

Are you ready? Here’s our South Sound Summer Guide! It’s all our most popular summer posts in one handy place! We’ll have it here on our home page for a bit, and then it will go up in our menu bar, where you’ll be able to drop down to select individual posts (handy if you like your fun in slightly smaller doses).

If you read us on your phone, you can expand the menu by clicking on that little square with the lines (Does that have a name? Does everyone know this but me?).  As always, I’m also glad to help you find things. Send an email to soundsfunmom@gmail.com or come holler at me on the Facebook page. Let’s have the Best Summer Ever!


For those of you who prefer your fun in smaller doses, don’t worry! I’ll continue to have new, daily posts all summer long.

READ!

Sign up for one of the many awesome summer reading programs around the South Sound. There are programs and prizes for all ages!

South Sound Summer Reading Programs

 

See A Drive-In Movie

See an Outdoor Movie!  Here’s a list of spots around the South Sound offering drive in style movies this summer.

Play!

Try a new to you playground at one of our many options in our Best South Sound Playgrounds list. Most of these are open, with restrictions.

Best Playgrounds in Tacoma

Explore!

Get outdoors for a socially distant adventure! Here are some of our most popular outdoor adventures posts:

5 Great South Sound Hikes with Kids

Low Tide Exploration

Speaking of beach exploration….Hit the beach at one of our favorite beaches for a whole day of fun!

best tacoma beaches for kids

Over the barnacles? Build a sand castle at a sandy beach!

tacoma best beaches with sand

Keep Cool!

Take a swim or wade at a favorite area lake! Do note that none have lifeguards on duty this year, so use extra caution with your children.

best lakes for swimming tacoma

Too hot? Go relax in the shade! Check out our list of great South Sound parks with shade!

Get Away!

You can recreate responsibly without going too far.

We have a list of favorite camping spots here.

Check back for favorite AirBnB spots and day trip and quick road trip ideas, too!

KidFriendlyCamping

Learn!

Sign up for a South Sound Summer Camp!  Yes, there are still many great area day camps going on, and they do have space for your camper!

Tacoma, Federal Way, Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Lakewood Area Summer Camps for Kids

Pick Berries

It’s blueberry season now! 

Treat Yourself!

Try a Reader Recommended Favorite Ice Cream Spot

Tacoma area ice cream shops

(Shameless plug….) Subscribe to our Weekend List and make sure every summer weekend includes something amazing!

Need a hand finding South Sound family fun? Just drop me a line! You might also want to consider subscribing to my emails, Liking Sounds Fun Mom on Facebook, or following us on Twitter or Instagram! 

Old McDebbie’s in Spanaway is Open This Summer!

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Here’s another fun place to take the kids that is open this summer!

Old McDebbie’s in Spanaway is a petting zoo/farm where kids can meet and pet animals. Readers have really enjoyed it here, and they are open, with some special Covid related precautions.

Their hours are currently Wednesdays-Sunday from 10am-6pm. Masks are required on the grounds, and there is a limit of 1-2 families in the barn at one time.

Full disclosure-This is a stock photo because I have no Old McDebbies’s pics on hand, but they have a variety of creatures. If you go to Old McDebbies and want to send in a snap of your kiddos we can use, that would be awesome!

Admission is 10.00 and the kids get to pet all the animals. There are some extra charges if you want to fish, feed the animals, take a pony ride, etc…..Readers have always said they felt like there was plenty to do, and that they got their money’s worth.

The bathroom is a porta-potty style, so be ready for that. Personally, at any farm or outdoor adventure, I’d wear clothes and shoes that can get a bit mucky, and I’m bringing my hand sanitizer pretty much Everywhere at this point, but that’s just me!

If you try Old McDebbie’s let us know how you like it!

As with everything I’ve posted lately, I have no affiliation with this spot, and you should contact them directly if you have questions. As always, please only do things that sound safe and fun for Your family. Here is a link to Old McDebbie’s website if you’d like to check it out.

Cruise In Cinema Drive In Style Movies in Tacoma

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More outdoor drive in style movies are coming to Tacoma this summer! We’re so excited to hear about this family friendly outing. Your kids will love going to see a movie drive-in style! Movies will be held on Fridays in August at the STAR Center. Advance ticket purchase is REQUIRED. You must show them at […]

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Where to Find Sunflower Fields South Puget Sound

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Sunflowers! Everyone loves them, right? A lot of readers have asked if I know of any sunflower fields or other fields of flowers good for a pretty photo op. Until recently, I honestly didn’t know any South Sound or Tacoma area sunflower options, but just recently, I’ve learned about a couple places to get sunflowers […]

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Northwest Trek Open for Wild Walks

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Another popular area attraction is open again. Sort of. Northwest Trek is opening a, “Wild Walk.” This option will be different than what you are used to at Northwest Trek. Basically, you will get to explore the areas you walk around normally on a one way path, but it will NOT include the tram ride. […]

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Puyallup Taco Bus Opens

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The Puyallup Taco Bus is finally going to open-now as a bricks and mortar restaurant! This isn’t our usual family fun content, but tacos are MY kind of fun, and, “When is the taco bus going to open?” has been the question for Puyallup for a while now. Los Amigos Taqueria posted this on their […]

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Playgrounds Open in Fife

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Another area parks department has opened its playgrounds. The playgrounds at Fife parks are now open, with restrictions. You (or your kids) are asked to play in groups of five or less and to stay six feet apart. Playgrounds are inspected but not disinfected or sanitized, so you should bring your own hand sanitizer and […]

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U Pick Raspberries at Spooner This Weekend

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I’m excited to have found another chance for you to take the kids berry picking! All the strawberry picking that I know about is done for the season, but some places are still doing u pick raspberry picking and I have a whole list of spots for blueberry picking, too. This weekend, Spooner Farms in […]

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Fort Nisqually Opens for Summer of 2020

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We’re excited to announce that Fort Nisqually, the cool fort that serves as a living history museum at Point Defiance, IS OPEN again for the summer of 2020! This is a super fun place to take kids, and we’re so excited to see more spots like this opening. The fort reopened July 15th. You do […]

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