Big news! If you’ve been looking for a place to take the kids sledding or to see or play in the snow, you’ll be glad to know that the Snowplay area at Mt. Rainier is finally open! 

This area is the only location to sled at Mt. Rainier.

Read on for all the information for 2021 Sledding/Snowplay at Paradise at Mt. Rainier. You can also use the links to find out information on snowshoeing.

For more sledding and snow fun options, check the list I’ve linked to at the bottom of this post!

Note that this information is straight from the park.

Sledding/Snowplay Status: OPEN
The official Snowplay Area is the safest and only location that sledding is permitted in Mount Rainier National Park.

Know Before You Go:  Sledding and sliding are permitted only in the designated snow play area at Paradise, located immediately north of the upper parking lot. Trees, tree wells, and cliffs make other areas dangerous. For everyone’s safety, use “soft” sliding devices-flexible sleds, inner tubes, and saucers. No hard toboggans or runner sleds (SFM note-you bring your own). Note: Check the status of road and avalanche conditions before leaving home. Remember all vehicles are required to carry tire chains when traveling in the park in winter.

You can read the complete press release for more information on the SnowPlay area at Mt. Rainier here.

For more options for area snow play and sledding, see the list here! 

Are you looking for Tacoma area light shows or places where you can safely walk around or drive thru Christmas Lights?

I’m excited to have some new options for you!

First up: LeMay Lights!

This is a new light show at the LeMay Collection at MaryMount (NOT the same as the ACM by the Tacoma Dome).

This is a new event, so the info is straight from their fb post and Eventbrite page.

We’re excited to let you know that many of the museums in Tacoma are reopening. These are great indoor places to take kids during the rainy season!

Unfortunately, the popular Children’s Museum of Tacoma is NOT yet open, but many of the other Tacoma area museums have lots for curious kids to enjoy.

As ever, I ask that you choose outings and experiences for your family. I’m not in charge of any of the rules and regulations, and I definitely want you to continue to choose what is right for your circumstances. Stay safe!

Here is a rundown of Tacoma are museum opening dates:

Museum of Glass: Opening Sept. 25; operating hours Friday through Sunday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LeMay – America’s Car Museum: Opening Sept. 25; operating hours Friday through Sunday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Washington State Historical Society: Opening September 29th. Operating hours will be Tuesday through Sunday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with seniors-only hours Tuesdays 10:00 a.m.-noon (ages 65+). Initially, the Great Hall of Washington History (third floor) will be open and fifth floor galleries will remain closed for installation of new exhibitions; admission will be half price during this time. Tickets may be purchased online or using credit/debit card at the museum (cash will not be accepted). Read more here.

Tacoma Art Museum: Opening Oct. 9; operating hours Friday through Sunday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Foss Waterway Seaport: Opening Oct. 16; operating hours Fridays from 3 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

Children’s Museum of Tacoma: Will remain closed until 2021 due to the hands-on, interactive nature of the galleries. Greentrike, the museum’s parent company, will continue to provide Distance Learning Camps and licensed child care for our community’s youngest children.

We’re excited to share that the history museum in Tacoma is opening again!

This is a surprisingly kid friendly space with lots for school aged children to explore. It would be a particularly good outing for those of you doing your own homeschooling this year, or for those of you with some independent time built in your distance learning day.

Here’s more from our friends with the history museum:

Washington State History Museum re-opens Tuesday, September 29

Tacoma, Wash ─ Your Washington State History Museum is re-opening on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, after having been closed since mid-March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The History Museum’s visitor hours will be Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with the first two hours on Tuesdays (10:00 AM-noon) reserved for ages 65+. The museum is closed to visitors on Mondays.

What to know about coming back to the museum:

• Half-price admission through October 23 while select spaces are open. The Great Hall of Washington History (3rd floor) will be open along with a special pop-up exhibition – the Northwest Collage Society’s Suffrage Celebration Show. The 5th floor galleries will remain closed for installation of new exhibitions.
• On October 24, the museum’s 5^th floor galleries will reopen with new exhibitions to enjoy along with the Great Hall of Washington History. Admission will return to regular price.
• Visitors will be required to wear face masks in the building and to observe social distancing. COVID self-screening will be posted at the entrances.
• The museum’s safety measures also include hand sanitizer stations throughout the building, one-way gallery paths, reduced building occupancy, and enhanced cleaning protocols.

• Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance via the museum’s website. E-tickets support touchless entry. See the yellow “Buy tickets” button on the home page of the website www.WashingtonHistory.org. Visitors who would like to purchase admission at the museum can pay with credit or debit cards only; cash will not be accepted.

There’s a lot to see at the Washington State History Museum. Explore the Great Hall and see the pop-up Northwest Collage Society exhibition. Coming October 24, Votes for Women: 100 Years and Counting and Columbia and Cascade: A River and a Range, followed in November by Just the Ticket: Railroads in Washington. This winter, the new Remembrance gallery will open. The History Museum staff look forward to seeing you soon!

The ‘Ol Swimming Hole on Anderson Island is closed as of this writing due to issues around its popularity during this time of Covid concerns. Don’t take the kids to Anderson Island if you’re hoping to swim!

This is the beach at Lowell Johnson Park, and authorities have closed it, and are asking you not to visit the island right now.

You can read the official announcement here if you want.

If you need other options for swimming with the kids, I have a list of swimming lakes here. Deep Lake at Nolte State Park is a particular favorite, though readers warn you that it does get deep quickly, as its name suggests. The lake post also has a list of rivers and creeks for wading at the bottom.

You can also go to any number of Puget Sound beaches, although the water will be cold. Here is our list of favorite beach outings. This one is the ones where you can find sand! 

Please do keep in mind that nowhere has lifeguards this year, so you need to be extra cautious with your children. As always, do only the outings that sound safe and fun for Your family!

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.

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 entry, and you can’t get them there.

The event is free, but a suggested donation of 20.00 will help fund this and future events.

Safeway Nourishing Neighbors will match your donation doubling your impact to support the community! Just about every agency around has been hit really, really hard by event cancellations and facilities closures, so if you can swing the donation, it is a nice thing to do.

Read on for the movie schedule and more FAQS as well as links to other movies this summer.

MOVIE SCHEDULE

Friday, August 7:  Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope (Rated PG)
Friday, August 14: Hidden Figures (Rated PG)
Friday, August 21: The Princess Bride (Rated PG)
Friday, August 28: FernGully: The Last Rainforest (Rated G)

And here are some more FAQS.

• Movies will run rain or shine.
• Recommended donation of $20 per car to support this event and future programs.
• Gates open at 7:00 pm. Cars will be parked from front to back in order of arrival. The first two rows, or “premium parking,” are reserved for 10 highest donors for each movie.
• Arrive early to purchase food from select food truck vendors before the movie starts.
• Large vehicles that take up more than one parking space or are tall enough to block the view of cars behind them will be parked in back rows. RV’s, buses, and large vans are not permitted.
• Movies will begin at dusk. Once the movie has begun, vehicle entry will be limited to back row and possibly with an obstructed view.
• The audio for the movie will be broadcast on an FM radio frequency (frequency to be announced prior to movie). Attendees are strongly encouraged to bring a portable FM radio in order to avoid risk of a dead vehicle battery. FM radio apps on phones will not pick up the audio signal. Audio will also be broadcast on outdoor speakers, but may not be loud enough to hear from all areas of the parking lot.
• No idling. Engines must be off and remain off throughout the event.

You can read more about Cruise-In Cinema here. 

GET TICKETS here. (We have no affiliation with this event).

Our list of all the other South Sound area drive in style movie options this summer is here. 

If you just want Tacoma options, here is info. on the movies at the LeMay ACM.

If you go to one, I’d love to hear how you liked it!