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South Sound Weekend Kids Calendar: Family Fun and Things to Do July 13th, July 14th, and July 15th

July 13, 2018 by Maegen Blue

Just Need to Keep Cool?

There is a list of fun things to do today under “Sunday,” but if you just want some ways to keep cool today, you might want to head straight to my South Sound Beat the Heat List! Be safe and keep cool!

Things To Do With Kids Around the South Sound This Weekend

The summer just keeps on zooming by, and the weekend calendar is getting fuller and fuller! This weekend you can choose from some really cool library programs, huge FREE festivals, and so much more. If you’re looking for things to do with the kids in Tacoma, Auburn, Puyallup, or anywhere around the South Sound, you have come to the right place!

South Sound Kid's Calendar

There are more than 60 family events this weekend (not kidding!) so if you’re reading this from the home page, you’ll need to do one more click. I promise it’s worth it!

Friday

Friday Daytime

Summer story time at the Job Carr Cabin Museum

Tiptoe through the tide pools with Metro Parks TacomaFree tide pooling event at Titlow Beach 11AM

Harbor WildWatch is hosting a low tide walk today.

There are also Low tide events at South King County beaches with Seattle Aquarium naturalists

There are a bunch of cool library programs today. We’ve included the highlights below.

Jeff Evans magic show at the Buckley Library  2:00pm – 3:00pm
Miho and Diego Duo – Musical Trip to Japan and South America
Graham Library 2-3PM
Gansango Music & Dance – African Beats at the Tillicum Library 2-3PM
Summer Stories and Crafts – at the Orting Valley Farmer’s Market
Orting 3-4:30PM Drop by to hear a story, make a craft and meet your local library staff.
Friday Fun at Kobetich in Tacoma  Join us each Friday from 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm for a fun activity! Activities will vary each week, but will consist of Family Game Days, S.T.E.M. activities, crafts, and more!

Friday Evening

Friday Family Fun and Movie at Skansie Brothers in Gig Harbor

Activities with Harbor WildWatch begin at 7:30;movie is at dusk. It’s Top Gun tonight, which I think is PG.

Auburn Community Junior Players present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in Auburn 10.00 tickets/also Saturday and Sunday

Movie in the park with Pierce County Parks at Meridian Habitat Park-South Hill See a free movie under the stars! It’s Rock Dog tonight, and you are invited to bring your well behaved, non aggressive dogs!

Summer Bash and movie at Stewart Heights Entertainment; vendors; movie at dusk!

Family movie and Glow Play Night at WiggleWorks

Youth yard sale and book exchange in Fife-plus music and a Recess Monkey concert 5-8:30 Bring down your old, unwanted books and trade them in for new (to you) books at the Book Exchange tent; shop for treasures from enterprising kids!  Vendor booths and food truck will be open from 5-8:30 p.m. with live music from Gansango at 5:00 p.m. and Recess Monkey at 6:30 p.m.

All Weekend

Kent Cornucopia DaysJuly 13-15. South King county’s largest family festival features a street fair, parade, entertainment, and more.

Pacific Days – Friday-Sunday, July 13-15. 4-9PM Friday; 11-9 Saturday; 11-4 Sunday Music, parade, food trucks, vendors, and more family fun.

Capital Lakefair, Lacey– Wednesday-Sunday, July 11-15. Enjoy a parade, fireworks, and rides.

Saturday

All Over

Story time at Barnes and Noble It’s The Princess and the Pit Stop at most stores at 11AM. We do suggest calling to confirm, as participation in these is inconsistent.

Kids’ Club at Michael’s Stores  Low cost kids’ craft events. “Camp,” theme today. There is also a tie dye shirt event for the family at 1PM.

South King County

Low tide events at South King County beaches with Seattle Aquarium naturalists

Meet Cat Boy at Learning Express Toys in Renton

Kent Cornucopia DaysJuly 13-15. South King county’s largest family festival features a street fair, parade, entertainment, and more.

Pacific Days – Friday-Sunday, July 13-15. 4-9PM Friday; 11-9 Saturday; 11-4 Sunday Music, parade, food trucks, vendors, and more family fun.

Kids Festival at Lake Wilderness Park

Come out to Lake Wilderness Park and join in the FREE FAMILY FUN at the City of Maple Valley’s Annual Kids’ Festival! Make crafts, play games, slide, jump, swim, and get your face painted!

Rockin’ Rocket Art Workshop at the Federal Way 320th Library 11AM
Ages 3 to 7 with adult. Learn about making galactic friends in outer space while constructing a paper rocket through a series of steps using angles, shapes and folds. During the program, enjoy stories, songs and even science!

Free tickets available 30 minutes before performance time at the Information Desk on the day of the program.

African Beats Rhythm Workshop at the Auburn Library

Presented by Gansango Dance Company. Get ready to get your beat on with this program! Shake, rattle and roll with two exceptional African arts teaching artists, who will demonstrate the wide variety of drums found across Africa, and how to play basic rhythms using shakers, bells, drums and clapping.

Visit the Mary Olson Farm in Auburn Tour the farm house, meet the animals! Nice, low-key, unplugged outing

Free and open to the public on summer Saturdays and Sundays (donations are suggested). June 23 – August 26, Noon – 5pm.

Visit the HCC Mast Center  at Redondo   The center and its touch tanks of sea critters are free and open to the public every Saturday from 10-2 Ask about their weekday evening open times during the summer! Free

Auburn Community Junior Players present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in Auburn 10.00 tickets/also Sunday

Puyallup/Sumner

Bubble Run at the fairgrounds in Puyallup Running! In bubbles! Registration and fees required. Have you done this before? I’d love to know how it was if you did!

Pacific NW Reptile and Exotic Animal show at the fairgrounds  Also Sunday

Graham Jam at Frontier Park

Free, family fun of all kinds for the community sponsored by Graham Emmanuel Baptist Church

Ice skating at the South Hill Mall 

This event is FREE! Skates are provided, please bring your own pair of socks. Also Sunday

Tacoma/South Tacoma/University Place/Lakewood

Sharks! at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Special themed activities included with admission. The zoo does get spendy quickly. SFM recommends investing in an annual pass unless you can take advantage of free days for City of Tacoma residents.

2nd Saturday story time at the Tacoma Art Museum.PS Hot tip alert! Kids under 18 now get free admission to the TAM every Saturday.They have a great space to make your own art on the first floor.

Craft Saturday at the Job Carr Cabin Museum

PBS Playdate at the Children’s Museum It’s Odd Squad!

The Venardos Circus is at the STAR Center select dates through the 22nd. The ticket site is here or check Goldstar. Three showtimes Saturday and two Sunday.

Knights of Veritas at the Main Branch of the Tacoma Public Library10AM Learn about chivalry, historical combat, and more; also at Wheelock Library at 2PM Note from SFM: This is totally fine for children, although they will likely be sword fighting for the rest of the weekend. My boys always loved it, though.

Free nature walk at Wapato Park

volunteer naturalists lead these free walks in Tacoma parks. Advance registration now required; not suitable for strollers; perfect for ages 3 and up. 10AM

Ranger-Led Nature Walk

Meet the Park Ranger at the Rhododendron Garden Pavilion for an exploration of the plants and animals in the special old-growth forest of Point Defiance Park. 1-2 Free! Not suitable for strollers; perfect for ages 3 and up.

Saturday morning cartoons at Fern Hill Library 

Play and Grow storytime at Wheelock 10:30

Preschool story time at Moore at 10:30

Tacoma Pride Festival
activities, fun, and engagement with the beautiful LGBTQ community from Tacoma and the surrounding Pierce County area. Tacoma Pride will run from noon until 6:00 pm, complete with entertainment, booths from local organizations and businesses, food trucks and stalls, and much more! Admission is completely free.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is at the TMP

Various times Fridays-Sundays through the 29th. If you have trouble ordering online or see that tickets are limited, call their box office. This should be a Great show with super cute photo ops.

Color in Motion 5K at Swan Creek Park in Tacoma

Family friendly race; run around and get splashed with color! I’ve never done one of these before. If you have input, let us know! It looks a little spendy to me, but I’m sure it’s fun?

South Tacoma/Lakewood/Parkland-Spanaway

SummerFest in Lakewood– Saturday, July 14, 11:00am-11:00pm.  FREE all day festival with activities, food, entertainment, car show, Kids’ Zone and more! Free outdoor movie in the evening, too! This is a LOT of fun for free!

Free family activities at Bass Pro Shops

Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays through July 22nd beginning at noon. Try out games, make a craft, and enjoy more fun.

Nature Rocks – World of Wolves at the Parkland/Spanaway Library 11AM-12 Learn about wolves: biology, history, current status and recovery, as well as Wolf Haven’s role in the wildlife community. Presented by Wolf Haven.

Children’s shows at the Pierce College Planetarium 

Great, low cost shows at the area’s only indoor planetarium. Definitely go at least once this summer!

Open House Event at Historic Ft. Steilacoom

Lacey/Olympia

Capital Lakefair, Lacey – Wednesday-Sunday, July 11-15. Big, multi day festival with rides, entertainment, and more!

Lacey in Tune Movies at Dusk

Enjoy a concert at 7:00pm followed by a movie at dusk at Lacey in Tune Movies at Dusk. Bring your own chairs and snacks. Concessions will also be available. Today is Lovey James-Pop/Today’s Hits followed by ET PG

Meet the Beach! Low tide events with the South Sound Estuary Association

Treatment Plant Tour and Art at the WET Science Center

Stop by anytime to make art inspired by Puget Sound and its creatures. At 1 pm, attend a program about water in our lives and what happens to the dirty water you send down the drain. Discover how LOTT cleans up wastewater at the Budd Inlet Treatment Plant and the steps taken to protect Puget Sound. Then take a tour of the treatment plant! Tour participants must be 10 or older and wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes.

OFS Kids Club Free movie for kids 12 and underIt’s Lu Over the Wall today, an anime.

“Family Camp” event at Cabela’s Also Sunday- games, crafts, and other fun. Same event as offered at Bass Pro.

Gig Harbor

 Take the trolley!  It’s back!

Harbor WildWatch is hosting Science Saturday and low tide walks today. So fun! Check out sea creatures!

Macaroni Kid is hosting a carnival style event. I believe it’s free but you need to sign up for tickets.

Sunday

South King County

Low tide events at South King County beaches with Seattle Aquarium naturalists

Mary Olson Farm Open Hours Tour the restored farmhouse and grounds on the Green River; summer weekends Nice, unplugged outing. They do now request a donation of 5.00/adults and 2.00 kids Also Sunday

Auburn Community Junior Players present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in Auburn 10.00 tickets

Reading with Rover at the Covington Library 1-2PM Kids can drop in and practice their reading skills with a patient, canine listener.

Mele Storytelling & Malasadas at the Outlet Collection

Mele Storytelling with Huraiti Mana. Listen to a story while eating a Malasada (Hawaiian donut). Please RSVP. Hawaiian storytelling includes chants, song, hula and verse. Storytelling in the Hawaiian culture has a number of unique aspects.  Location: Court by Coach / Nike Entrance
Time: 11:15am

Puyallup

Pacific NW Reptile and Exotic Animal show at the fairgrounds

Ice skating at the South Hill Mall 

This event is FREE! Skates are provided, please bring your own pair of socks.

Tacoma

Give and Grow Beach Clean-up Event at Narrows Beach Park   This is a group of parents who organize volunteer activities to do with their children.

Sharks! at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Special themed activities included with admission. The zoo does get spendy quickly. SFM recommends investing in an annual pass unless you can take advantage of free days for City of Tacoma residents.

The Venardos Circus is at the STAR Center select dates through the 22nd. The ticket site is here . You can get discount tickets on Goldstar if you’re willing to go next week.

Free walking tours at Point Defiance Park

Join park staff every weekend for free drop-in walking tours. Explore areas of the park and get a new perspective on Tacoma’s crown jewel. No registration necessary. Tours held every weekend through September 3

  • 11-11:30 am – Urban Wildlife Walk; Meet at the Point Defiance Visitors Center
  • 1-2 pm – Ranger-led Nature Walk; Meet at the Rhododendron Garden Pavilion
  • 2:30-3 pm – Garden Tour; Meet at the Point Defiance Visitors Center

Historic Fort Steilacoom is now open for Sunday tours 1-4PM I believe this is a free; donations welcome type thing. Summer Sundays until Labor Day

Free family activities at Bass Pro Shops

Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays through July 22nd beginning at noon. Try out games, make a craft, and enjoy more fun.

Gig Harbor

Harbor WildWatch is hosting a low tide walk at Sunrise Beach

Olympia/Lacey area

Capital Lakefair, Lacey – Wednesday-Sunday, July 11-15. Big, multi day festival with rides, entertainment, and more!

Meet the Beach! Low tide events with the South Sound Estuary Association

As always, if you know something we missed or you’d like publicity or advertising for your group, get in touch! You can email me at soundsfunmom@gmail.com or use one of the icons up top to find us on your favorite social media. Need still more ideas? The summer guide has links to the sprayground list, sandy beaches, and everything else you need!

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