FAVORITE stay-at-home activities

ACTIVITY ideas
Arts & crafts - assemble a box that you can pull out that has all of these goodies readily available. String beads, water color, make collages, finger paint, make a diorama		Sensory play - use rice, beans, dirt, cornmeal, corn starch & water …place in a box/bin on a table cloth or lay out a big sheet on the floor. Cook spaghetti and toss with olive oil.
Assemble a "rainy day" bag that has stickers, color books, playdough, gluestics, glitter, slime, etc…		Put sugar in a pan to play with cookie cutters, little toys, etc.
Bathtime - even if it isn't needed! Play with glowsticks (available at Dollar Stores)		Glue marshmallows on paper for a snowman / snow craft
Blow up an air mattress for an inflatable trampoline		Put on a play
Blanket forts & caves		Science experiments: Baking soda & vinegar
Bean bag toss		Jump on couch cushions on the floor
Bring outdoor plastic slides, trampolines, etc inside		Indoor picnic for lunch
Cardboard boxes - use big ones to make houses, boats, rockets, puppet theaters, robots, etc		Bubbles! Recipe: 6 cups water + 2 cups dish soap + 1 cup corn syrup
Paint in a gallon ziplock for "clean" painting		Make homemade pizza
Clean up & sing the "clean up" song, play with sponges, broom, mop, dusters		Color - books, color pages, tape a big piece of paper to the kitchen floor…
Make a bird feeder		Make snowglobes with jars & glitter
Build things		Play blocks
Make cereal necklaces		Cupcake wars between kiddos & parents
Create a toy drawer in each room		Have a pretend football game
Create an obstacle course in your house or in the back yard		Fun laundry folding: Hide candy in a sock (e.g. starburst), must fold before eating!
Dance parties - have a basket of scarves or mini-instruments ready for your kids to play with while you're boogie-ing, play "freeze dance"		Bathtub paint party - check out Pinterest for tub paint recipe,  finger paint on the shower curtain
Cuddle up and read bunches of books		Tea party with stuffed animals
Do dishes together & let kiddos play in the sink		Finger paint - Crayola
Go ahead and watch a movie or a show…and don't feel so guilty !!		Veggie play! Tear apart a head of lettuce, use a child-safe knife for cutting mushrooms, etc.
Egg run - use a toy shaker egg, place on a big spoon, & run room to room		Video record - interview, performance, puppet show
Use painter's tape to make roads, hop scotch, 4 square		Make cards for family and friends, put in envelopes and mail. Kids love the mail box!
Garden - pick weeds, plant seeds, plant flowers		Have friends over for a play date!
Dress up parties		Sidewalk chalk
Go out in the rain - bring umbrellas & puddle jump		Hide & seek
Paint finger & toenails		Holiday specific crafts
Paint with water outside - get a bucket and paint rollers,"paint" the sidewalk, deck, etc…		Ice flow game - place pillows around the living room floor
Painting with fly swatters, feathers, leaves, sponges…different objects		Go to a different room in the house to play…change of scenery helps everyone!
Listen to kid music: Pandora station ideas: Jim Gill, Veggietales, Toddler tunes, Caspar Babypants		Kitchen table fort: Place a blanket or sheet over the table, get some flashlights, go inside and have story time
Pinterest - great recipes for bath paint, moon dough, etc		Pasta - glue it as a collage, string it onto some yarn
Make smoothies and have fun with different veggies & fruits - get creative! Kale, spinach, ginger, etc…		Magazine scavenger hunt - e.g. find 10 red things, find something that starts with A-B-C…etc
Draw something using only the letters of your name		Make a box with tiny toys from the $1 section at Target…kids can count/sort/play
Play card games or board games  - UNO, Memory, Go Fish, Old Maid		Craft kits: Available at JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, Target
Play dominoes		Make mosaics
Play Finders Keepers: Hide little presents around the house…say "warmer", "colder"…		Make musical instruments out of oatmeal canisters, tp rolls, milk gallon jug, rubberbands, etc
Play follow the leader		Pipe cleaners in a collander
Play puzzles		Play trains
Play Simon says		Acrylic paints on canvas
Paint a wall with chalkboard or magnetic paint in your house		Create a stuffed animal zoo and make "habitats" in different rooms
Play two truths & a lie (when kids are old enough)		Fill and decorate a time capsule in a shoe box
Play with flash lights - hide & seek, under blankets		Adorn your bike with streamers & stickers
Play with rubberband looms		Play hot potato
Play with shadow puppets		Jump in a pile of leaves & make leaf angels
Playdough!		Draw a map of your neighborhood
Roll out bubble wrap, tape it down, & jump and play!		Wash windows with a spray bottle and squeegee
Set up a water tub indoors (with towels on the floor )		Put on some music and have a parade!
Cook or bake - make trail mix, put a beach towel on the floor if needed! Let them mix ingredients (flour, sugar…pour sprinkles, etc)		Go fishing indoors with paper fish and paper clips attached. Make a rod with a magnet on one end to catch your "fish"
Tie dye coffee filters with food coloring and hang them from a window like stained glass		Play archaeologist: Bury "fossils" (plastic dinos or toys) and excavate
Shaving cream in the bathtub - easy to clean up!		Make tin can or paper cup string telephones
Silly string fights in the basement		Make sock or lunch bag puppets
Fold airplanes - check out parents.com/ airplanes for how-tos		Put on a concert & record it - check out The Little Fox Music Box app - $3 on itunes
Play "store" at home, or "coffee shop"		Fly a kite!
Use moss, twigs, leaves etc to make a terrarium		Draw a make believe animal and describe it!
See who can build the highest block tower		Toss ping pong balls into an egg carton
Listen to audio books for kids		Trace your shadow on the sidewalk with chalk
Empty a matchbox and take turns filling it with tiny objects		Press flowers and leaves between sheets of wax paper & iron
Blow up 10 or so balloons and play !

Favorite get-outta-the-house activities in Seattle

ACTIVITIES	NOTES
Alliance Church in Northgate	Play area for playdates
Arena Sports bounce area
Bainbridge Children's Museum	Ferry ride & great kid's museum all in one!
Ballard Locks
Barnes & Noble story time
Boat rides on South Lake Union Wooden Boat Center	Free boat rides on Sundays & Thursdays
Bookstore story times	Mockingbird in Greenlake (daily at 11am)
Caspar Babypants concerts - they're often free at libraries or community centers!	Schedule on his website - arrive early for concerts!!
Children's Museum	$8/per person, fee goes toward year membership (pays for itself in 3 visits). Last hour of the day is free!
Country Village train & pony ride	Bothell
Dick's Drive in & Big Foot carwash - play music!	Kids are fed and car is clean!
Dinosaur Dig	Hide bones in sandbox; dress up as a geologist
Elevated sports - Bothell
Family Learning Center in Wallingford	Free play groups 2-3x/week
Farmer's Markets	Have the kiddos pick out fruit
Fred Meyer Ballard - one hour free child care while shopping
Gates Foundation family days	Fun activities for kids in their visitor center; check their website
Go for a walk outside & collect things	Put together found items, make art & take pics; do an A-B-C scavenger hunt (find an item that starts with "A", etc….)
Go to a thrift store to buy books
Greenlake Community Center Playroom	Cost is $3/per kiddo
Hiking Marsh Island by UW	Part of the Arboretum
Ikea ball room
Indoor water park in Lynwood or Rainier Beach
Jungle gym in Burien
Kelsey Creek Farm	Bellevue
Kindermusic/Gymboree/Little Gym
Library story times	All branches feature
Molbaks play areas
Montlake Ale House	Parents can dine; in the back there's a "pit" where kids play while you enjoy each other's company!
Montlake Terrace Pool	Great lazy river & wading pool
MOPS/ Thursday Bible studies at Bethany
Mosaic Church	Wallingford. Café & play area
ACTIVITIES	NOTES
Museums!	Free first Thursday at all Seattle Museums
Nature walks and looking for things in a made-up scavenger hunt
Northgate Mall play area (surprisingly fun!)
Om Culture in Fremont - play area
Pacific Science Center	Amazing dinos, touch pools, bug & butterfly experience. They also have a nursing room!
PCC - go pick out a free fruit
Play area at U Village
Playdates at friend's houses
QFC U Village - one hour free child care while shopping
REI play area
Reptile Zoo
Ride the ferry - to anywhere!
Ride the monorail	Kids can ride up front and beep the horn
Seattle Aquarium	Toddler time is great - check their website. Also 4:30-6 no one is there!
Seattle Children's Museum Everett
Seattle Children's Theater	Age restrictions, but shows are amazing!
Seattle Gymnastics Academy	Ballard. Open gym from 12-1pm daily -costs $6 per kiddo; punch cards available
Seattle Playgarden
Seattle Symphony Tiny Tots concerts	$10 per person; includes access to their Soundbridge program where kids can play with instruments
Shoreline Children's Center	play & learn
Sky Nursery	Sky has a kids club - they get a coupon for free plants
Swanson's Café	looking at fish and flowers
Taking a bus ride to anywhere
The Sandbox	SODO. $6 entry fee
Top Ten Toys	Greenwood
Town Hall Seattle	3rd Thursday concert - $3!
Tug Boat Stories	3rd Thursday of the month
Vertical World
Visit the Snoquamie trains
Wiggleworks in Bellevue
Zoo/Zoomazium	Creature feature at 10:30am daily, Shake Rattle & Roll at 11
PARKS	NOTES
BELLEVUE BOTANICAL GARDEN
CARKEEK PARK	Check out the train!
DISCOVERY PARK - VISITOR'S CENTER
ELLA BAILEY PARK	Magnolia
ERCOLINI PARK	West Seattle
GOLDEN GARDENS	Great for sand castles & wading - also great playground. Also really fun at low tide for creature exploring!
GREENLAKE PARK
GREENLAKE WADING POOL
GREENWOOD PARK	Greenwood
LINCOLN PARK	West Seattle
LUTHER BURBANK PARK	Mercer Island
MAPLE LEAF PARK	New play structure
NEWCASTLE BEACH PARK	Bellevue
NORTH SEATTLE SPRAY PARK	130TH NW - sprayers start at 11am
SALMON BAY PARK	Ballard - fun zip line
VOLUNTEER PARK	Capitol Hill - visit the Conservatory and check out plants!
WASHINGTON ARBORETUM
CAFES / RESTAURANTS	NOTES
Barking Dog Restaurant	Ballard
Café Momo	Greenlake - small play area
Café Vios
Half Price Books Café	Ravenna
Lynwood Playdate Café
Montlake Ale House	Parents can dine; in the back there's a "pit" where kids play while you enjoy each other's company!
Phinney Market Pub	Kid friendly restaurant
Q café	Quest Church
Rosita's Greenlake	Kids love the fresh tortilla bar (small tips accepted)
South Lake Union Playdate café	GIANT play structure!! Cost is $5 per kiddo, food/coffee is available. Friday night puppet shows! FREE last Wednesday of the month!
The Ridge - pizza on Phinney Ridge	They pass out a great little toy box for kids to play with while you wait
Third Place Books	Roosevelt area - Also free bread for kiddos at  nearby Great Harvest!
Twirl Café	Top of Queen Anne - $5 for play area. FREE last Monday of the month!
REC CENTERS	NOTES
Ballard	Bouncy house and lots of fun rideable toys
Magnuson Park	Inflatables & ride ons - $3
Northgate Community Center	TU/TH
Queen Anne	Bouncy house and lots of fun rideable toys
Ravenna Eckstien	Bouncy house
Shoreline
Spartan Gym
HOLIDAY - SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Bellevue Botanical Garden light display
Bellevue Square outdoor Snowflake Lane show - every night at 7pm during the holidays
Carousel in Westlake Center - ride monorail
Christmas Boat Parade	Check out schedule on line
Christmas Lights	Olympic Manor or Candycane Lane
Fairmont - Teddy Bear Room
Halloween:  Bethany Harvest Party, Zoo Pumpkin feeding, Phinney Ridge/Ballard/ Waterfront trick or treating
Macy's day-after-Thanksgiving parade
Phinney Ridge SeaFair Pirates Parade - 4th of July
Seattle Center Christmas Train display
Sheraton Gingerbread Houses
Swanson's Nursery - reindeer, camel, & train display	Free!
Visit Santa	Space Needle (buy one get one free ticket coupon at Bartell's, Molbaks is free, Home Depot is free, Nordstrom, Northgate Mall, etc…)
Zoolights
CLASSES	NOTES
All That Dance
Arena Sports - Lil' Kickers
Ballard or Ravenna Eckstien - Dandelion Dance
Community Centers in general have great daytime classes!
Community pool swim lessons
Greenlake Community Center Musikal Magic
WEBSITES
www.redtricycle.com	www.seattle.gov/parks

Inclement Weather Policy

Today, Stevens Pass opened for ski season!  I thought it would be a great day to remind everyone of the MOPS inclement weather policy...

When Seattle Public Schools are closed or have a delayed start due to snow or other inclement weather conditions, MOPS will be cancelled.