Where to get or donate free school supplies around Tacoma, South King County, Puyallup, and Lacey and Olympia

Do you need a hand getting your kids school supplies this year? Did you score extra glue sticks or pencils that you’d like to donate? Here’s a round up of places you can donate or receive school supplies around the South Puget Sound, roughly organized from north to south (at least it seems north to south on the map in my head).

I have tried hard to confirm details, but please do use the links to confirm them before you show up. Keep in mind that the vast majority of these events are run by volunteers, so if you’re attending one, go with a spirit of adventur,e and be sure you’ve read up on the time and any eligibility requirements. If you’re in a position to help or volunteer, most events will also welcome you!

South King County/Federal Way Red Canoe locations in Federal Way, Covington and Puyallup  Red Canoe Credit Union hosts an annual, “Fill the Canoe,” drive and donates supplies through Communities in Schools and other charity partners.  Donation event only. Link has lists of drop off locations.

Covington/Maple Valley Maple Valley Food Bank is collecting donations. 

Federal Way Christian Faith Center Federal Way  Currently collecting donations of backpacks and school supplies for a giveaway event on the 18th in Federal Way.

Enumclaw I don’t see current information, but Youth and Family Services has collected supplies in the past.

Auburn/Seattle Area TreeHouse works with foster kids in the Seattle area and has information on how you can host a school supply drive.

Edgewood/Milton/ Puyallup Mountain View Community Center  Edgewood  Free back to school barbecue and school supply giveaway August 25th.  Donations are being accepted now.

Bonney Lake Lions 4 Kids Bonney Lake hosts an annual Back To School Event. Students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch in any of the 5 school districts served by the organization are welcome to attend pick up school supplies, including backpacks. Hair cuts are also available, and food will be served. 3-5:30

Parking on site is limited – it is best to park at Grocery Outlet and walk over. Adult volunteers are needed – must be able to pass Washington State Background Check. Donations of school supplies and backpacks are also being accepted now.  Call the House and leave a message with questions. 253-447-3844

Puyallup St.Francis House accepts donations of new and gently used household and clothing items year round, and would love your donations of school supplies and backpacks. Link has info. on how you can host a drive or donate directly via Amazon.  Contact them if you are in need. There is a screening process for new clients.

Puyallup Red Canoe locations in Federal Way and Puyallup  Red Canoe Credit Union hosts an annual, “Fill the Canoe,” drive and donates supplies through Communities in Schools and other charity partners.  Donation event only.

FourSquare church already held their great event.

Tacoma  Back to School Jam event at three locations August 25th

Lacey/Olympia/Thurston County

Little Red Schoolhouse Distribution Day is August 16th.

FREE Distribution of supplies and clothing will take place Thursday, August 16th, 2018 from 8am to 6pm at Komachin Middle School, 3650 College St. SE, Lacey, WA 98503. Open to all Thurston County families in need. Link also has info. on how you can donate.

City Gates Ministries already held an event on August 9th.

All Over Food Banks-Nearly all food banks accept school supply donations and provide supplies to clients. If you are not a current client contact them about eligibility before you go.

Other Ideas If you don’t see an event near you, contact your school district. I promise they will be able to tell you whom to talk to whether you are looking to donate supplies or are in need of a hand getting some.

Many schools are also glad to accept donations directly. Please do ask what items they can use. Backpacks, calculators, good pencils, and glue sticks are always welcome! The fifty tons of slightly musty old graph paper you found in the closet last week? Not so much.

If you know of a donation drive or event I missed, PLEASE don’t be shy about sharing it. You can just leave a comment on this post, or send me an email at soundsfunmom@gmail.com.  You can also post in the fb thread we have here. 

If you found this post looking for this information, I hope Sounds Fun Mom will become a regular stop for you. We are dedicated to providing information on area events and activities just for South Sound families!

PS If you’re a teacher or homeschool parent, don’t forget to read about how you can get up to 50 FREE books from Goodwill!

Pay As You Can Children’s Storytimes at the Job Carr Cabin in Tacoma

Here’s more cheap fun to do with the kids in Tacoma this summer!

We’re longtime fans of the Job Carr Cabin Museum, which is a replica of Tacoma’s first permanent non-Native residence. You might have seen this little cabin in Old Town before and not realized it’s a cabin sized museum you can go in!

The inside of the cabin is a very faithful recreation of what life would have been like in an 1800s cabin, and my kids always had a lot of fun learning about old fashioned chores and living.

It’s a tiny museum, a good size for young school aged children, and the volunteers are always so glad to meet them. Plus you can play at the little playground after and enjoy Old Town.

Summer Storytimes are on Fridays from 11am-12 noon through 8/31. Each event includes a story with a take home craft to go with the theme. Storytimes are perfect for children 3-9 and their favorite grownups.

Admission to the museum and all events are “pay as you can!”

The Museum also has some upcoming story times at area libraries as well as some special craft Saturdays if these Friday times don’t work for you. You can get more information about all of them on their Facebook page.

Job Carr Cabin Summer Storytime Schedule

Would you like to do something Amazing with your family this summer? How about an active bike riding adventure for all ages?

I’m super excited to tell you about how you can join our sponsors with Mary Bridge Children’s Courage and Ride With Courage this summer!  This is a weekend cycling adventure for the whole family, with four different options:  the 3.75-mile Rainier Fat Tire Ride & Run;  the 23-mile Cascade Cruiser; the 50-mile Tahoma Half Century; or the Two-Day, 144-mile Northwest Brew Thru.

Whether you have an experienced group of bike riders or young two wheelers, there is a ride that will work for you! You can also walk or run the 3.75 mile option.

All proceeds benefit patient programs and family support at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Network. I’ve included an infographic below so you can see some of the work they do. Courage is an event that funds life changing and saving work!

I want to particularly highlight the 3.75 mile run, walk, ride option. It’s perfect for families, starting at Mill Pond Park and following the wide, flat Bud Blancher Trail. I think most any young rider could handle it, and they would have such a feeling of accomplishment! Registration is a very reasonable 25.00, with a suggested but not required fundraising goal of 50.00.  Remember that it’s all for a truly great cause. Of course, there are also longer options for experienced riders who want to do something truly brag worthy!

 

Base camp is at Pack Forest in Eatonville with live music, food, yoga, kids’ activities, a beer garden for the grown-ups, and Free camping for all! What a great way to make memories together this summer.

I know that many of you have a special connection to the work of Mary Bridge. I’d love for you to share your stories, and I hope you consider being part of the Courage event this year!

You can get more information about all the ride options and how to register right here! You may also want to visit the Courage Facebook page!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’d love for you to mention Sounds Fun Mom when you register as an individual or form a fun team!

 

Family Friendly 4th of July Events and Fireworks Displays Tacoma Auburn Puyallup Renton Kent Steilacoom and Beyond

Here’s our 2018 round up of family friendly places to take the kids to see fireworks or enjoy other old-fashioned fun on the 4th of July around here. Most big South Sound celebrations include fun and free things to do with the kids during the day on the 4th as well as fireworks shows if you’re going to stay up that late. If you appreciate this guide, we would LOVE it if you shared it.

We have provided links so you can double check details. You can expect crowds and traffic at all these events, so plan accordingly!

Family Fourth at the Fort, Fort Dent Park, Tukwila

This is an all day event, the park opens to the public at 9am and event activities go from 4pm to 10pm! Lots of fun for the family including bouncy houses, slides, and entertainment. Parking is limited so be sure to get there early!

Renton’s Fabulous Fourth, Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park

Renton’s largest one-day event provides an array of entertaining options for everyone; a co-ed volleyball tournament, the ActivityZone for kids, live entertainment, and lounging about with friends and family. A 25-minute firework display over Lake Washington will conclude the day’s events at 10 p.m.

4th of July Splash: Lake Meridian Park

Enjoy a variety of games, family activities and art projects from 12pm-5pm. Fireworks finale over Lake Meridian at 10PM. Be sure to read parking and shuttle instructions.  If you haven’t been to Lake Meridian before, check out our full review of this awesome park. Do see our note below.

**Lake Meridian’s newly remodeled bathrooms and lifeguard building were damaged in a fire on the evening of June 27.  The Fourth of July Splash will go on as scheduled.  Note from SFM: While the 4th of July event is going on, we have heard that lifeguards were not on duty due to this damage to their building. You may want to check on this if you’re planning on letting the kids swim.

Fireworks over Des Moines

All day the Fishing Pier will be closed for public use and at 5pm the food trucks open for business. The fireworks begin at 10:20pm! Please sure to check out the list of no’s for the festival.

4th of July Festival, Auburn, Les Gove Park

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Les Gove Park, 910 Ninth Street SE
FREE (purchase wristband for $5 unlimited activities)

Celebrate our country’s birthday at Les Gove Park. The event includes a noon bike parade (meet East of the Bocce Courts), various entertainment on two stages, an arts & craft area with over 50 artists,a car show, 17 inflatable rides, a rock wall, euro-bungy trampolines, train rides and other fun activities for children. The event also offers bingo, mini golf, bocce, a book sale, food concessions, and so much more! Come see for yourself, this naturally shaded park and spray park will keep you cool during the afternoon.

Wristband sales begin at 10:00 AM.  You can purchase a wristband for $5 for unlimited activities which include 17 inflatable rides, tubs o’ fun, bungy trampolines, rock wall, train rides, mini golf, two pony carousels, R.C. Truck Racing and balloon art. Leashed, licensed and well-behaved pets welcome.

Red, White, and Blues Festival, Federal Way

Fireworks, food and star-studded entertainment are on tap for Federal Way’s Fourth of July Red, White and Blues Festival. Free and open to the public, the event starts at 4 pm, July 4 at Celebration Park, 1095 South 324th St. and concludes with a spectacular fireworks show that begins at 10:15 pm.

4th of July Parade, Enumclaw

Join us for the annual Stars & Stripes 4th of July Parade downtown Cole Street!

Bring the family out for this community tradition. Kids can decorate their trikes/bikes and join in as well! Those interested can find a entry form on our website (www.enumclawchamber.com) under Chamber Events. All entries will be e-mailed with staging information before the Parade. I do see fireworks on the city calendar, but no details. To the best of my knowledge they are not happening, but I am working on confirming that.

Puyallup

New! Fireworks and fun in Puyallup!

Come Spend the 4th of July in Puyallup!! The Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce and Crash Bang Booom Productions are bringing you a FREE concert on the Rotary Stage in Pioneer Park featuring Sony artist Leah Justine / Girls Love Rockets / The Chris Jones Band and Puyallup’s own Limberlost!! There will also be vendors, food, things for the kids, Car Show, Poker Run and Beer Garden!! Music starts at 5pm and ends at 10pm. Shortly after there will be a Fireworks Show!! See you there!!!

Meeker Mansion, Puyallup

Come out and celebrate America on July 4th as we perform some of our country’s greatest tunes. On July 4th from 2 to 5 pm, enjoy the Meeker Mansion Family Social & Puyallup Community Band Concert. On the mansion lawn, enjoy a display of Mini Cooper cars, family games start at 2 pm, and the Puyallup Community Band begins playing a free holiday concert at 3 pm. Relax on your lawn chair or blanket while celebrating a good old fashioned 4th of July. For a nominal fee, purchase hot dogs, soft drinks, and strawberry treats from our snack shack. Meeker Mansion, 312 Spring Street, Puyallup, WA 98372—Please call for more information: 253-848-1770

Tacoma’s Freedom Fair

A multi day event with an air and car show on June 30th and July 1st at the Narrows airport, followed by a day of fun at the Freedom Fair on July 4th that ends in a big fireworks display.

July 4th activities take place on Ruston way

Spend the day at Ruston Way for Freedom Fair, featuring 4th of July activities, airshows, great food, vendors, exhibits, rides, and events. Northwest’s biggest firework show over Puget Sound at 10:00 pm.

Point Ruston 5K and Kids 1K

A fast and family friendly downhill 5K and 1K for the kids. Enjoy this downhill course starting at Vassault Park and finishing at the beautiful Point Ruston. All finishers receive a medal and free downloadable race photos

JBLM Freedom Fest

Freedom Fest offers entertainment for the whole family!  This event is split into two days. The first day is July 3, 1pm-8pm and is only open to DOD ID Cardholders and their sponsored guests. The second day is July 4, 11am-fireworks and is open to the public!

DuPont July 4th: A Hometown Celebration

Pancake breakfast, parade, kids’ activities and more! Fireworks begin at dusk at Patriots’ Landing. More on the event fb page.

City of Lacey

Lacey does a super fun, family friendly event, but it’s on the 3rd at Rainier Vista Park. Live music, food vendors, and an evening fireworks display. Pack a picnic and bring your frisbee!

Independence Day in Steilacoom

Parade, vendors, and a fireworks display. A full day of community fun! More event details here. or here

Eatonville Fireworks + Parade

July 3, Fireworks display
July 4, Parade at noon

This is a fun event for the whole family. The festivities on the 3rd will kick-off at 5pm at the Eatonville Elementary School with food and vendors followed by a variety of entertainment starting at 6pm. Bouncy big toys will be there for the kids and a great fireworks display starting at dusk. The 4th of July Parade starts at noon. There is a family style picnic following the parade, hosted by the Eagles and open to the public. There will be games and food and beverages for sale.

Independence Day Parade, Tumwater

City of Tumwater hosts its annual parade beginning at 11am! The pre-parade activities begin at 10:45am. Later that night after the parade the Thunder Valley Fireworks show kicks off! The event gates open at 6:00pm and the fireworks show begins at 10:15pm. The event is free, but parking is $10/car.

Gig Harbor

No organized displays that I know about, but (pro tip from someone who grew up there…..) try to get yourself invited to a party overlooking a smallish bay or other body of water, and you should have a  really good show!

4th of July Sinclair Inlet Fireworks Show, Port Orchard/Bremerton

Drawing crowds of 60,000 or more, the show is visible to Bremerton, the Naval Shipyard, and Port Orchard areas. Show begins at 10:30pm.

::

So many options! Which one will you and your family choose? Whatever you do, stay safe and have fun celebrating freedom!

If you know of a fun option we missed, let us know!

New here? I’d love to have you join us on Facebook or Instagram. You might also like the weekly email. It comes out on Thursday and has Everything going on over the weekend that’s fun for kids around here!

Guys!  KidsDay from Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation is coming up Friday, and you do not want to miss this full day of FREE fun just for kids! It’s totally worth the trip for families anywhere nearby!

It all happens at Les Gove Park, 910 Ninth Street SE on Friday, June 22nd from 11AM-4PM.

There will be  inflatable rides, children’s activities, live stage entertainment, mini golf, free museum admission, hundreds of cool vendors (Like US!)  and much, much more. Admission is FREE and so are most of the activities!

Do bring a little cash if you want to do attractions like the swings or get some eats from a food vendor.

Parking is available in and around the park, with overflow parking at Grace Community Church and street parking surrounding the park.

My boys and I have gone to this event several times and always had fun. The lines for the inflatables get long, so you might want to encourage your kiddos to check out other stuff because there is so much to do.

We also like to go early or late in the day for even more fun with lighter crowds, but I’ll leave that part up to you.

For additional event information, parking information, a festival map or entertainment schedule, you can check out the event page on Facebook.or look at the city website here! 

Now, I do want to give you a few tips based on my experience and reader feedback from last year

• Tip One: Read the information about where to park!! Seriously.
• Tip Two: Consider going earlier or later.
• Tip Three: Get a brochure/map. Except for a limited area of commercial vendors, every booth is required to have a free kid’s activity. Check out the map before you go or grab one when you arrive, so you can plan what attractions to hit, and don’t be shy about asking the different tables you visit what they have for you to do! You might also want to preview the entertainment schedule.
• Tip Four: You will get likely end up with a bunch of swag and things the kids want you to keep. Try to stop by a booth giving out bags early on, or bring your own.
• Tip Five: Come prepared. Yes, this is a popular, busy event. If that’s not your style, well-consider yourself warned. It also looks like it’s going to be hot, so make sure you’re ready for the weather, and you may want to bring the kids’ swimsuits for the spray park.

And, oh, yeah-We’ll be there! Do be sure to stop by the Sounds Fun Mom booth to say, “Hi!” and chat about summer activities. I’d love to meet you.

Disclosure: We are proud to be a media partner with the City of Auburn Parks Department. They’ve been super cool partners of ours since way back when. If you have a chance to say you heard about their events on Sounds Fun Mom, I’d really appreciate it!

 

South Puget Sound Area Father’s Day Events

Hey, South Sound! Need a plan for Father’s Day? Here are some ideas that might work!

These are events specifically to celebrate dads and Father’s Day. We will  have lots of other weekend happenings for dad or anyone, in our weekend events guide up every Friday. Want it sooner? We send it out on Thursday when you subscribe to our emails. 

Father’s Day Events All Over the South Sound

Michael’s Stores are offering card making for dad during their Kids’ Club on Saturday, June 16. These are 2.00 or 5.00.

South King County Area Father’s Day Events

The Museum of Flight is hosting free admission for Father’s Day! All dads accompanied by children on Sunday, June 17, are welcome to attend.

Head to Emerald Downs for events for Dad on Sunday, June 17

GATES OPEN: 30 minutes before the first simulcast race | FIRST RACE: 2 PM Bring dad to the track and get a Father’s Day ball cap and bet the ponies. I believe you will need reservations if you want to do the buffet-call ahead on that.

Dad & Me Day at Wild Waves! On Sunday, June 17, celebrate Father’s Day with us! Treat Dad to a day of Rides, Slides, and Family FUN!
Dad gets in FREE with the purchase of a child’s ticket at the gate for $22.99+tax. Park Hours: 10:30am – 7:00pm

Tacoma Area Father’s Day Events

Show Dad around Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium with half-off admission Sunday, June 17! All dads receive half off general admission.

America’s Car Museum  has BBQ available. Enjoy Pacific Grill Events & Catering special BBQ and beer garden on the Anderson Plaza Father’s Day Weekend! Click here to see the full menu. ACM Members receive a 10% discount. Available June 16th and 17th.  You do not need to purchase museum admission to purchase BBQ, but if you want to see the cars you will need to buy museum tickets.

Old McDebbie’s Farm at Jim’s U-Fish offers free admission to dads on Father’s Day, Sunday I’m still checking on this for 2018.

Olympia Area Father’s Day Events

The WET Science Center is offering a Father’s Day craft on Saturday, June 16th. It’s Free!

Dads and granddads get in free at the Hands-On Children’s Museum  on Sunday, June 17.

Beyond the South Sound

Northwest Railway Museum in the Snoqualmie area has free rides for fathers with a paying child of any age June 16-17. Follow the link to check out the special schedule!

Other Ideas

Most area grocery stores have traditionally offered cake decorating events. I haven’t been able to confirm any yet, but you might check your store or weekly flyer. Let me know if you find out anything we can share!

If nothing here suits your fancy, remember we have a regular guide to weekend events every Friday all year round!  You can always find lots of ideas in it for the whole family! Want it sooner? You can get it in your in box on Thursday as an email subscriber. 

If you’re a fan of The Descendants or Tom Welling, or Transformers, or Star Wars, or you just love toys, comics, and all things geekery in general, you really must plan on going to the Toy and Geek Fest this June. The organizers were some of the very first supporters of this site, and we are Thrilled to help them promote this great event.

It’s at the fairgrounds in Puyallup again, and it’s So Much Bigger.

I’ll be honest and tell you I don’t know who all these folks are, but my kid sure does, and he is so ready to meet some of his favorites from Flash, in particular. I’m told a lot of people are excited about meeting this guy!

Or maybe your kids would love to hang out with this guy.

or this guy

or all these guys…..

In addition to the celebrities and photo ops, there will also be an interactive play area for kids, over 350 vendor, industry, and exhibitor booths, fair food, and much more.

Most everything except any merch or food you buy is included with your ticket. There will be opportunities to donate for photo ops. to benefit children’s charities, and, as you’d expect, you will need to pay for autographs and photos with the celebrities if you choose to get those. Photos with the Garrison Titan, Transformers, Star Wars vehicles and more are free/donation welcome.

While the celebrity photos and autograph sessions are totally optional, you should know that there are a limited number of slots available, and I’m told the autographs and photos with The Descendants and Tom Welling are going fast.

Just want to go to the event? Early bird pricing  is ending in just days, so I really do encourage you to go grab those tickets now if you know you want to go so you can save some bucks (More left for scones!). You’ll also want to make reservations for the celebrity photo ops. and autographs if you want those.  I’m told having all these folks in one place-especially so many Descendants-is pretty much unheard of.

More information about the photos and autographs is here.

You can get more information about the event and purchase tickets right here.

Early bird pricing ends March 15th!

I’d also encourage you to follow the Toy and Geek Fest on Facebook or Instagram  (be sure you follow SoundsFunMom on Instagram while you’re there)  to keep up with additional announcements and fun.

 

We’re excited to tell you about Tacoma and South Sound area photographers doing Spring Mini Sessions.

I think the cuteness here pretty much speaks for itself!

Your adorable kiddo + a real bunny and a darling backdrop + Angie’s incredible photography. That’s a recipe for a priceless keepsake.

You can read more and schedule your Spring Mini Session on March 24th right here.  They will fill up, so book yours now and then get busy finding that super cute outfit!

You may also want to like her Facebook page to keep up on future fun mini sessions.

Disclosure: Photographers featured at Sounds Fun Mom help support the site with a one time paid listing good for a full year! If you are a photographer, and you’d like to be featured, send me an email at soundsfunmom@gmail.com