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Archives for October 2010

Sounds Like (Classical) Fun!

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Here’s a fun idea for today, that’s a little different. Just here for the Halloween guide? It’s just one post down!

My friend Christy emailed me about Koncerts 4 Kids. I have to confess, I had never even heard of these! Despite the annoying K on concerts, these sound really cool. 

Koncerts 4 Kids are put on by the Tacoma Philharmonic on select Saturdays at 10:00 or 11:30 in the Theater on the Square in Tacoma. Tickets are a very reasonable five bucks. What I think is really fun is that both before and after the show kids can check out instruments as part of the, “Instrument petting zoo.” My boys did this at the farmer’s market once, and they had a blast (literally)!

The shows themselves are about 40 minutes, and they’ve been specially designed to appeal to kids. If you’ve got a little one who loves to dance, bang on the pots, and otherwise make a production, this would be a fun thing to try.

If you’re ready to jump right in, there is a concert this Saturday.

Readers, if you’ve done this before, I’d love to hear about it!

Thanks for the tip, Christy!

Don’t forget to go just one post down for your spooky-sized weekend event list.

Drop and Shop! South Sound Mall Play Areas

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On a rainy day, the soft play area at your neighborhood mall can look like an oasis. Just leave your credit cards at home if you want to keep this outing frugal!

Here’s a round up of area retail stores with play spaces.

Tacoma Mall-A “Kidgit,” themed play area near the food court

South Hill Mall-Noah’s ark themed soft play area near Old Country Buffet

Super Mall Auburn-Northwest themed soft play area  There is also a merry-go-round by the food court. My friend Brenda and I used to come here a lot. We’d let the kids play until  Henry tried to bite someone. Then we’d do the merry go round and end with a pretzel (after a little hand sanitizer). While the play area is often Swamped, the mall itself is never crowded and easier to navigate than the biggies. *There is a bunch of construction going on here-not sure of the status of the merry go round right now.

Federal Way Mall-I’ve actually never been to the play area here, but my old neighbor Joel used to take his beautiful daughter here from time to time, so I asked him for the scoop. Here’s what he had to say

It is a great distraction for a spouse to take their 2-5 year old while their significant other shops at Target or the mall. It is right outside the Target and is a large padded “train or tugboat” I can’t remember exactly… The only thing to look out for is the “older” kids jumping off of the structure and potentially landing on your little one. The “maintenance” guy enforces that the children wear socks and don’t bring or eat food in the play area. It is also nice because there are mirrors allowing you to see your kid on the other side of the play structure.    Thanks, Joel!

Southcenter-Recently remodeled play area. Wins kudos from me for being next to the new, family lounge areas. A boon for any parents looking for a place to feed babies…’um…organically.

Ikea-Ball pit for kids to play in while parents shop. Children must be potty trained (thank heaven)!

Fred Meyer-Supervised kids’ play area for use while parents shop. Yes, you must remain in the store, and no, this is not your date night solution. On the other hand, if your shopping list consists of a People magazine and a pumpkin latte, I won’t tell!

Cabelas-No play area but lots to look at. Your kids can feed the fish and stare at all kinds of huge, dead animals. There is also an old-fashioned shooting gallery.

Olympia-Westfield Capital Mall has an animal themed play area near JCPenney Reader Crystina says this mall has a lot to offer for the family. You can read her tips here.

While policies vary, I personally think the soft play areas are best for kids 5 and under. It’s very hard for bigger and larger kids not to knock over the smaller ones, and you really don’t want to be the mom of that kid. Please also watch your kids while they play. When I went to research this post the first thing I found was a bunch of articles from people ranting about pint size bullies roaming wild.

Know a good one I missed? Let me know!

What’s Up for Thursday?

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I’ll admit, this isn’t my most inspired headline. But, if you’re just here for something fun to do, read on!

My pick of the day is horrorgami for ages 6 and up. Go one post down to read about it.

or get on some rain gear and head to the Tacoma for the last Broadway Farmer’s Market of the year. You could park at The Tacoma Dome Station (not the dome itself) and take the link for more free fun.

Many area libraries  have storytimes today. These are worth trying at least once, if for no other reason then to meet other parents with children of similar ages.

Pierce County Branches  This link has a good explanation of what to expect at different story times.

Sumner has story playtime for ages 3-6 at 10 AM

Milton/Edgewood has one for young toddlers at 10:30; Parkland/Spanaway also has one at this time. University Place has their prewalker storytime at 10:30 and their young toddler stories at 11:30

Orting has a family time at 1:00

Puyallup Public

Story time for 1-3 year olds from 11:00-12:00

Tacoma Public Branches

10:15 or 11:00 at Kobetich and Wheelock or 10:30 at Moore

Note that you are asked to choose One time to attend.

Active Play

The indoor playpark in Sumner is open this morning, and there is also an open playtime at the Metropolitan Gym in Kent. You’ll find more details in the Indoor Playground post which is filed under Rainy Day Play. Or just go here.

There are open jump times at The Bouncy Place in Kent and Jump! in Gig Harbor. See The Bounce House List in the menu bar for more details, or just go here.

If nothing here suits your fancy, check back later. I have at least two more posts planned for today (although I do have to clean Something)!

It’s Horrorgami!

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Horrorgami is my new favorite word. Or at least my new favorite made-up word.

Horrorgami is Halloween themed origami and there are two upcoming chances to make some

Thursday at the South Hill library

Friday at the Gig Harbor library

Both events are at 4 pm and are designed for kids 6 and up.

Preregistration is requested, although I’ve gotten lucky just showing up for library events in the past.

Want to try your own instead? Here’s a big list of Halloween origami crafts. It’s best to get real origami paper. You can get a big pack at Michael’s for around 8.00 (less with a 40% off coupon from the Sunday paper. Remember that you can use Joann’s coupons at Michael’s and vice versa).

To be honest, I completely stink at this stuff, but my 7 year old has been happily making all kinds of folded critters for a few years now. I’m told it enhances kids’ performance in math, among other things. There are origami books just for kids, and I do recommend these, because some really challenging pieces will just lead to frustration.

It’s Why Don’t You Wednesday!

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If you’re just getting here today, I have a whole bunch of fun suggestions one post down. If none of those appeal, it’s Wednesday, so why don’t you…..

Make a different version of the usual roasted pumpkin seeds.

Here’s a recipe for a cinammon sweet seeds.

Make an apple tree with popcorn blossoms. Remember: I am not crafty! If you see a craft on here, you can do it in ten minutes. This one paints the tree first, but I’d use crayons and construction paper-or just crayons.

For a little old-school fun, stop by Albertsons or Top Foods and get a coloring contest sheet for your kids. If you know of other stores hosting a contest, let me know. These are just two I’ve picked up personally.

Make a gravestone rubbing These are surprisingly cool looking and not hard to do. Do make sure it’s o.k. first. If you find this creepy/disturbing/offensive, you can apply the same principles to make cool rubbings of other interesting textures. Coins, leaves, and tree stumps are all good candidates-although for these I like to use thicker paper and crayons.

Head to your favorite park and take some snaps of the kids. Playgrounds are so much less crowded now, and fall gives you the best lighting and backdrops.

Leave me a comment here or at the Facebook page if your school, church, Cub Scout group etc. is hosting a great Halloween event this weekend. I’m working on your list now, and…Phew!…I could use a hand!

Have a great one!

Lego Madness!

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Congratulations to Megan H. and Kristin, the winners of the My Baby Apron giveaway. If you didn’t win, Yoko would love to have you visit her at My Baby Apron.

On to some more fun…

If you’ve got some Lego mad kids, take them to Lego Madness today between 1-3 PM at the South Hill branch of the Pierce County Library. Basically, the idea is that kids drop in and create! You are asked to stay, but if you have a younger one along, I think the staff will be fine with you heading to read some picture books while big brother or sister does some Lego.

Not your thing? Most PCL branches also have story times Wednesdays. It’s free day at the White River Valley Museum, and there are open playtimes today at several area bounce house places.

Of course, I’ll also do your “Why Don’t You Wednesday,” post.

Got a great idea? Don’t be shy-drop me a line!

The Webcast List

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Welcome to followers of The Coupon Project. I had a great time talking about frugal fun with Angela Russell last night. I’ve been a regular reader of hers since she began, so it was a real thrill, and she was kind enough to let me bend her ear a bit about blogging, too. My head is spinning-in a good way!

I have the list of ideas we talked about below. Of course, I hope you’ll stick around a while and consider making this site a regular stop. I maintain the listings you’ll find in the menu, and I also update daily. You’ll always find something local, affordable, and fun.

For my regular readers, a few of these items have been mentioned on the blog previously, but others are brand new, so do have a look. If you missed me last night, it was recorded, and I’ll get up a link up for you soon.

White River Valley Museum Open W-S from 12-4. Free on Wednesdays. Two dollars for adults and one dollar for children other days. Right by the excellent Discovery Playground at Les Gove Park.

HC MAST at Redondo touch tanks to get up close with sea creatures. Free   Open Saturdays 10-2

Starplex cinemas in Federal Way Two dollar shows and cheap hot dogs, too! Eep! Forgot to mention tickets are just a buck on Tuesdays.

I’ve written more about movie bargains, including shows at The Blue Mouse in Tacoma and sensory friendly nights at AMC right here.

Link light rail in Tacoma and free museum passes from the library  Check my link for the train schedule. Ask about museum passes at your favorite library. Remember that parking for the link is at the big Tacoma Dome transit center-not the actual Tacoma Dome.

Paldo Asian Market in Lakewood  9601 S Tacoma Way Explore another culture (tasty treat optional)

Narrows Bridge Park (Almost) undiscovered park with viewing telescopes and a pebble beach

Events This Weekend

Knights of Veritas at the Puyallup library  This is part of a whole slate of Halloween fun scheduled for downton Saturday. I’ll have more about that in the weekend wrap-up

The Haunted Pool at the Federal Way Aquatic center

Events Further Out

The warehouse sale at the Mega Brands warehouse in Fife-I’ll remind you about this one when it’s closer. This is the link to their Craig’s List post.  

Santa Train rides at Camp Six  I’ll remind you about this one, too.

Lastly,

You can still enter to win an apron from My Baby Apron.

I’ll announce the winner sometime after I get back from the pumpkin patch with my preschooler.

It’s Museum Monday!

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First, have you marked your calendar and synchronized your watches? Tonight is the night I’m appearing live on The Coupon Project. Tune in at 8:00 to watch Angela Russell and I dish on all things fun and frugal. Angela says to let you know that you may see a little ad at the start of the webcast. Stick with it, and we’ll come right up.

With that out of the way, I’m pleased to announce “Museum Mondays.” Why Museum Monday? Well, I love museums, and I love alliteration (yeah-I’m a pretty big nerd). Put the two together and…voila…Museum Mondays! I’ll be featuring museums big and small, and if that sounds a little intimidating, don’t worry! I promise I’ll give you the scoop on which museums are the most kid friendly and how to keep the outing affordable.

Today I’m going to tell you a bit about The Tacoma Art Museum. We went here for the first time when my younger son was 3, and let me tell you, I lost a few pounds in sweat trying to keep him off the paintings, sculptures, and (gulp!) pieces of glass art. Here’s a hint: Even if the sculpture looks like a chair, you are not supposed to sit in it!

As you might guess, I’d suggest waiting on this outing until your children are old enough to understand a few, simple museum rules. Most 5 year olds and some 4 year olds will be fine here. For grade school children, it’s a feast for the imagination!

The museum has both permanent collections and rotating exhibits, and when you come in you can borrow a sketch pad and pencil to take notes or do drawings of art that inspires you. A fun idea for a first visit is to preview the current exhibits online and see who can be first to find the art in real life.

Once you’ve had your fill of looking and admiring, the real highlight of this visit is the Open Art Studio. Honestly, if your kids are not the stand and gaze types, you have my permission to go straight here. What’s the Open Art Studio? It’s a fully stocked space where kids and adults can make real art and use real artists’ supplies, all for free. You may choose to use one of their kits, which are filled with supplies and decorations inspired by the art in the museum, or just let your little artists choose a paint and paper of their choice and create! The first time we did this I was a nervous wreck. My kids and oil paint? Really? Once I took a few deep breaths, I was fine. Just dress them in something that can get messy (there are also aprons available). There are usually volunteers on hand to help with clean-up, but please do your part!

How to keep this outing under budget? Every library in Pierce County (yes, every single one) has an Art Access Pass that will get up to 4 of you into the museum for free. Kids under 5 are always free. You go to the library and check it out just like you would check out a book. Show it when you arrive, and just like magic, you’re in! You can also get in free between 5-8 on third Thursdays, but I’d do the pass so you can pick a less crowded day. The Open Art Studio is a fairly small space, and you want to have room to create.

You will have to pay 2.oo an hour to park in the garage, or you can park on the street and feed the meter, as Tacoma recently went to metered parking. An even better option is to park at The Tacoma Dome station and take the link, which can be an activity all by itself!

What else is coming up on SFM? This afternoon, I’m launching a really cute giveaway. I’ll also have more ideas for rainy day activities, as it looks like you’ll need some.  Later this week, there will be trick or treating options galore.

I have to figure out what to wear for my webcast, so go have some fun, and I’ll see you back here a bit later.

Your South Sound Weekend Wrap-up!

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A quick welcome to  Coupon Project and Coupon Connections NW readers. You’ll find tons of frugal fun for the whole South Sound here. I maintain the listings you’ll find in the menu, and I also update every day with something new and affordable for your family!

If you’re one of my regular readers, be sure to read my announcement. It’s your big chance to see me talking about South Sound frugal fun live! I’m doing a little poll on the Facebook page in conjunction with this. I’d love for you to come by and comment!

I see some blue blueish sky, friends! If you haven’t done the pumpkin thing yet, I’d check the seasonal fun listings and go grab your (raincoat and your) gourd! Pumpkined out? I have other great ideas below. I’d love to hear what you end up doing!

Sunday

Haunted Theater at the Tacoma City Ballet  2 PM shows today. Tickets are a very reasonable five bucks and include a spooky backstage tour, special Halloween themed dances and treats. What a great afternoon for your bootiful ballerinas!

Just Between Friends sale concludes at the Puyallup fairgrounds. This is one to go to without the kids. Read my original post about the sale here. Today is half off day and free admission.

Don’t forget to like SFM on Facebook or subscribe to my feed or emails to stay one step ahead of all things local, affordable, and fun! I have lots of rainy day activities coming tomorrow, plus the cutest giveaway yet. See you then!