Friday
Olympia Arts Walk is a semi-annual community event celebrating the arts. Thousands gather in downtown Olympia for this unique event. The spring arts walk includes the incredible Procession of the Species on Saturday and a luminary event on Friday.
Link has maps you can view to plan out the most kid friendly events/locations.
Saturday
All Over
Parks Appreciation Events Area parks all over are hosting clean ups, plantings, and other opportunities to help out. There are just too many to list, but contact your parks dept. to see if your favorite could use some young volunteers!
Most all area YMCAs are offering a free, healthy kids day
Activities include swim times, helmet fittings, and other fun. Open to the public
Kids’ Club at Michael’s Stores
Weekly crafts for kids. Click on, “Kids’ Club,” and input your zip code to navigate to your store for sign up and options!
Storytime at Barnes and Noble stores
South King County
Meet Captain America at Learning Express Toys in Renton
The program will celebrate STEM poetry written by African American poets. Explore the theme of nature and participate in writing exercises. Grades 4-12
Ages 5 and older, adults and younger siblings welcome. 2-3pm
Join members of the Auburn Symphony for an interactive program about how music is composed. Learn how different melodies and harmonies, rhythms, instruments and cool special effects can make very different music. Then, with the help of the musicians, we’ll try creating some music of our own!
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
Puyallup/South Hill/Orting/Greater Pierce
“Spring Local,” event at Karate Edge vendors, bounce house, other fun
Paint to Learn at the Puyallup Public Library 10:30 – 11:30 am
Families are invited to paint together on canvas. This program is open to all ages. Space is limited and registration is required. Call the library at 253.841.5454 to register.
Read With A Princess
Meet some of the wonderful young women who represent our community as Daffodil Princesses. The princesses will read stories and pose for pics (Bring your own camera), and our wonderful role models of scholastic achievement and community service.
Yoga Story Time at the South Hill Library 10:30am Yoga movements, books and songs for preschoolers! You do need to register
Family Movie Matinee at the Fife Library 2pm It’s “Christopher Robin.” Rated PG.
Read to a Dog at the Eatonville Library 3-4pm
Kids can share a book with a furry friend while improving their reading skills.
6am-Noon for ages 14 and under. Note from SFM: I believe this is open to the public, but you will have to pay a day use fee. There is also a boat launch fee.
Annual kids’ fishing derby in Eatonville Lion’s Club event at SmallWood Park
Farm Days at Left Foot Farm Eatonville Email info@leftfootfarm.com or Text 253-370-6884 to confirm; $20 per family
Tacoma/South Tacoma/Lakewood/Parkland
Family and Community Learning Academy at Lister hosted by TPS
6th Annual Family & Community Learning Academy (FCLA) for Tacoma Public Schools students and families. Free event with lunch and activities. I believe you do need to register in advance.
Family nature walk at Wapato Hills
1-2pm Advance registration is now required for these popular, free walks lead by naturalists. Not suitable for strollers; perfect for ages 3 and up.
In 1855, Fort Nisqually was home to people from around the world and they greeted each other with the Chinook Jargon word “Klahowya.”
At this event all Pierce County residents are welcome with free admission for hands-on activities, performances and demonstrations of 19th century skills. Activities will be facilitated in multiple languages.
Family Storytime at Moore 10:30
Family Storytime at Wheelock 10:30
Family Storytime at Swasey 10:30
Screenless coding robot that moves by placing pieces into a puzzle shaped slots. Arrow shaped puzzle pieces are color coded and each points to direction of movement. Child needs to distinguish green, red, and yellow colors OR straight, right, left arrows. 3-4pm; for ages 4-6; a helping adult is required, and the child only should be registered.
Spring into action at Oak Tree Park
Spring Into Action is a community festival celebrating Oak Tree Park, S. 74th and Cedar Streets, Tacoma. Volunteer opportunities, guided nature walks, food trucks, games and booths – happy spring! 10AM-3
Block Party at the Main Branch of the TPL
Pacific Seas Aquarium Celebration at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Special activities included with admission
Read to a Dog at the Parkland/Spanaway Library 1-2pm
Share a book with a furry friend while improving your reading skills.
México Diverso at Pantages 3PM
Celebrate the diversity in our community as the Northwest’s most celebrated Ballet Folklorico company, Bailadores de Bronce, joins Trío Guadalevín in a celebration of Mexican culture. From the well-known dances and mariachi of Jalisco to the Afro-Mexican traditions of Veracruz and the Zapotec indigenous language of Oaxaca, the night will be packed with brilliant energy, mesmerizing movement, and compositions crisscrossing traditional styles.
El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros – Children’s Day/Book Day at the Lakewood Library 2pm
Celebrate childhood and reading with musicians Miho Takekawa and Diego Coy. Enjoy a concert featuring Japanese and South American folk music, as well as free books for children to take home. All ages.
A community letterpress and book arts extravaganza at King’s Books. Meet local printers and view their wares, print your own keepsakes, make paper and bind books. A highlight of the weekend is steamroller printing. Also Sunday
Norwegian Heritage Festival at PLU
The Norwegian Heritage Festival will be taking place throughout the Anderson University Center (AUC) on the PLU campus. There will be wonderful vendors selling handcrafted items, as well as delicious food. In the Scandinavian Cultural Center there will be Viking Reenactments among other great activities.
PAVE/PURPAS Book Fair at Lakewood Barnes and Noble
10AM-4PM Purchases help support organization and there will be information about area resources
See a children’s show at the Science Dome-the area’s only indoor planetarium. So fun! “Wild Weather,” is the current theme.
Tacoma Astronomical Society event-Space Rocks!
The Tacoma Astronomical Society hosts free public viewing sessions each month at Pierce College near Fort Steilacoom. On nights with clear skies TAS volunteers provide telescopic observations of the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, double stars and more. No charge; donations accepted. 9-10:30pm-an event for those with big kid bedtimes. 🙂
Lacey/Olympia/Dupont
Olympia Arts Walk is a semi-annual community event celebrating the arts. Thousands gather in downtown Olympia for this unique event. The spring arts walk includes the incredible Procession of the Species on Saturday and a luminary event on Friday.
Link has maps you can view to plan out the most kid friendly events/locations
Family Storytime at the Olympia Library
Music, movement, and books for the whole family. 11am
P.A.W.S. to read at the Lacey Library
Kids can practice reading to a patient, canine listener
Sheepdog Trials at Fido’s Farm
I believe these are open to spectators. You may want to confirm details before you head out.
Read with a Daffodil Princess at the DuPont Library 2pm
Visit the LOTT Wet Science Center and enjoy Family Fun for Arts Walk .
Visit the South Sound Estuarium interactive marine discovery! Open 11-4 weekends at their new location.
Gig Harbor
Annual community event features paddle racing for kayaks, canoes, stand up and prone paddleboards, outriggers and para-canoes, and dragon boat races. Also Sunday
Gig Harbor Arbor Day Celebration at City Hall 11am-1pm Free trees; refreshments, booths, crafts, and other fun.
Sunday
South King County
Community Drum Circle at the Kent Library
Imagine a diverse group of people listening to professional instruction while drumming together on hand-crafted instruments… smiling, laughing, and sounding great! 2-3pm
Read With Rover at the Covington Library
Pierce County
Meeker Mansion cellar to attic tour
Floors not usually included in the tour are open today. If you have older kiddos, we did this tour last year, and it was interesting.
Fix-it Fairs are free, community-based events where you can get items repaired for free. While not specifically a kids’ event, this one is advertised as kid friendly and is hosted at the fun Tacoma Nature Center.
A community letterpress and book arts extravaganza at King’s Books. Meet local printers and view their wares, print your own keepsakes, make paper and bind books. A highlight of the weekend is steamroller printing.
Kids’ Day Workshop at Soap and Clay Make bath bombs. Registration and fees required.
Interpretive walk at Kopachuck State Park
Join Harbor WildWatch’s Education Director Rachel Easton for a 1 hour tour along the interpretive trail in Kopachuck State Park. Discover Pass Required. Walks at 10 and 11 am.
Annual community event features paddle racing for kayaks, canoes, stand up and prone paddleboards, outriggers and para-canoes, and dragon boat races.
