Recent Articles
Let's go glamping! A decidedly un-rugged guide to family camping
If you’re a Northwest parent, you may have spent several uneasy years fending off the suggestion that you should be taking your kids camping. After all, easy access to spectacular camp sites is one of the best reasons to live in our area, right? But, unless you were raised by camping parents yoursel
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Ready, set, camp! Is your child ready for overnight camp?
Food fights, hilarious pranks, young summer crushes: these are romantic images of the overnight summer camps of your childhood and countless movies. Toss in a few sleepless nights and mosquito bites, and suddenly reality hits you: Your own kids may soon be old enough to head to an overnight summer c
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Summertime boredom busters
We’ve found some great toys and books to help your family have fun all summer long. Blow it! Visit Gasworks Park Kite Shop just east of Fremont and owner Kathy Goodwind will custom fit your child with the right kite for his or her age and ability. For kids younger than the age of 5, she recommends
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SummerMap 2008 issue
SummerMap is your family's guide to summer time fun and learning around the Puget Sound. Looking for a great summer camp? We've got extensive listings here. We also have fab ideas for family adventures - biking, hiking, and beachcombing - plus a summer reading guide and boredom busters that are sure
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Safe to Play? Check Your Yard for Common Hazards
Summertime — a time for free-form play in the backyard. What could be more idyllic? But before you set your sprouts loose on the lawn, take a few minutes to size up the scene for potential hazards. We’ve asked the experts to offer a few tips. Pass on the pesticides Maria Mergel is a research and e
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Preparing Your Child for Sleep-Away Camp
For many children, camping away from home offers the first taste and test of independence. There are ups — new friends and fun activities — but there are sometimes downs, too, such as homesickness. Those downsides can be minimized with a little preparation. Think of this suggested timeline as a reci
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Scared to swim? Helping your child take the plunge
Just say the word “summer” and some kids can already feel the cool rush of water on their hot, dry summertime skin at Lake Sammamish, Lake Tapps, or wherever they go to cool off on a hot summer’s day. For some children, summer means one thing: kids swimming. I grew up in Southern California, and I
Read More »2008 summer reading guide
Editor’s note: We asked our friend, writer and children’s librarian Lora Shinn, to recommend great books for summertime reading. Here are her picks. Baby/toddler In the Tall, Tall Grass (An Owlet Book) by Denise Fleming. What’s hidden in plain sight? This book suggests looking a little c
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