From the editor:
Rushing my school-aged kids into the car on this frigid but crisp blue-sky morning brings me back to my Midwest roots. Unlike the thawing that consistently happens there in mid-April at best, our wacky weather systems have caused confusion for me and my tiny crocuses. They’re all peeking out and it’s barely February. I am not quite done hibernating. Maybe it’s because of my November birth that cold weather invigorates me. I am a fan of the early dark hours of winter that make it easy to get little ones in bed. But whether I am ready or not, unavoidable indicators like sprouting buds and longer days point to the fact that spring is in the air and summer just around the corner.
I always get uneasy in this season, being somewhat out-of-doors deficient and knowing that I am surrounded by wildly adventurous mountain-climbing indigenous moms who all seem more playful and plan-full than me. Add that to our region’s landscape, offering endless opportunities for play, and none of us has a valid excuse for not getting outdoors with our kids! It’s so easy to get them on their own outdoor adventures when our playground is Puget Sound and we have SummerMap 2008. SummerMap gives us all early access to great family-friendly bike routes (p. 12), festivals (p. 16), tidal checks (p. 4), boredom busters (p. 14) and hundreds of summer day and overnight camps and classes that are searchable at www.parentmap.com. So this year’s kindly retribution to my summer Excel spreadsheet hyper-planning friends will be this new vow: I will confidently lead the onslaught of emails suggesting adventure and creative camps!
Alayne Sulkin
Publisher/Editor
SummerMap 2008 articles:
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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