Not at all Spooky Night Time Events at the Tacoma Nature Center

I’m working on your complete list of Halloween events, but I want to highlight a few this week in advance.

First up, two events perfect for your little wild things at the Tacoma Nature Center. They’re a great choice if you’re looking for some not-so-scary Halloween happenings for your little ones.

The first is on Friday, the 26th. It’s called Creatures of the Night, and it’s a special event just for young children 3-6 and and their favorite grown-ups. Everyone gets to enjoy a short hike, activities, and a special snack as they learn about nocturnal animals in a not-at-all spooky way.  Now, this is an open house style event, but they do like folks to register so they have plenty of snack and staff on hand. Don’t panic alert: Right now, it’s showing just 9 spots left. I spoke to Debbie at the Nature Center this morning, and she’s quite sure that the class size was accidentally set to 15 instead of 150. Unfortunately, the staff who can fix this are out of town until Friday. So, if you know you want to do this one, go ahead and register, but don’t panic if it’s full. I’m almost 100% positive you’ll still be able to go.

The very next night, kids 5 and up can bring the family to Who Goes Bump in the Night. This event features similar activities, plus encounters with animals from the Pt.Defiance Zoo. There is nothing at all spooky about this one either, except for maybe the slightly later bedtime! We did this one with the boys last year, and they had a great time making crafts and walking around with their flashlights. I will tell you, tt was pouring rain, and we got soaked to the skin. We also didn’t see even one sign of any nocturnal critters (probably because they had the sense to stay dry), but it was still fun. They were doing a little fundraiser bake sale for the center’s preschool, so you may want to bring along a few bucks for that. Otherwise, both of these evenings are a very reasonable 2.50 a child (grown-ups are free).

If you have questions about any these events, just give the friendly nature center staff a call. If you haven’t been there recently, make plans to visit during daylight hours, too. The Discovery Playground is excellent, and the small exhibit center inside has been recently renovated. Plus, there are miles of flat, easy trails to explore. Best of all, it’s all free (though it is nice to leave a donation).

And, yes, I’ll have more Halloween happenings and trick or treat spots coming your way soon!