Spring break in the Edmonds School District runs from April 4-8. My kids are at an age where they definitely need less maintenance over spring break, but that seemed to surprise us this year. Maybe it’s because I feel like it’s going faster now that we’re in high school or maybe it’s because we’re happy to get some sleep since our eldest is in school long before that the next of us has to be somewhere.
This week can be tricky not only for childcare, but also for finding fun things to do. I recently saw a business on 196th (across from Wendy’s) that I hadn’t noticed before (probably because I tried to avoid it due to all the construction near Freddy’s) called Gamers Heaven – and it turns out that we have some local spots for gamers or all kinds. By their Facebook page “Gamers Heaven aspires to offer gamers and geeks a place they can call their second home.” The page says they also have board games, RPGs, a game lounge, and esports. For more information and timetables, which start in the afternoon on weekdays, you can visit GamersHeavenSeattleNorth.square.site.
Around the Table Gamers Pub, which has been on 196th Street at 76th for some time, is “an all-ages board game store and pub specializing in new and used games and RPGs, a list curated and rotating of craft beers, sodas, ciders and meads as well as a multitude of Full Tilt ice creams.” We threw a birthday party in their back room, got together on non-student days for pizza and ice cream with friends, and stocked up on Pokémon cards at Around the Table. One of the great things about being at Around the Table when the kids were a bit younger is that there was something to do for both ages of siblings and adults so we could spend time with friends. For more group events, information and hours, you can visit ATTGamePub.com
Nomad Games in Perrinville is a store specializing in board games. They have a selection from Games Workshop, Fantasy Flight, Wizkids, WOTC, CMON and more. Nomad Games also offers special in-store events which you can find through their Facebook page.
May I add that I called each of these locations to see if they have Speed Cubes, which I can best describe as a non-Rubik’s branded Rubik’s cube? My youngest is big on this right now, and I haven’t found a place to buy one in person yet. However, Around the Table said they often carry the Rubik’s brand.
Before we get to some local summer camp options, I wanted to share some book recommendations from The Neverending Bookshop in Perrinville. On March 25, Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day, the bookstore shared some book selections on Facebook. The post credits “TNEBS friend Elsa (and her parents) for helping us find great titles that center and celebrate people with cerebral palsy.”
The post explains that cerebral palsy “is the most common childhood motor disability, the severity of which varies from person to person,” adding that the books listed feature people and characters from this spectrum and invite others to learn more about people living with cerebral palsy. When I was looking for holiday gifts in the shop, I asked about one of the books on the list – Ride with, by Jamie Sumner – and owner Annie Carl said it would be great for the talented, smart tween I was looking for. I checked and the recipient liked the book. Other titles on the list include I will danceby Nancy Bo Flood, If at birth you do not succeedby Zach Amber, and The beautiful, by Keah Brown. The featured books (you can find a long list in the Facebook post) can be found in store, via TheNeverendingBookshop.comor by their Librairie.org to place. You can also place an order by visiting or calling the store.
This summer. Ballyhoo Theater offers two summer programs at Edmonds for musical theater students. There is a Musical theater workshop from June 27 to July 17 for middle and high school students, which culminates in a performance of A year with frog and toad at the Phoenix Theater in the Firdale village of Edmonds. This camp is for students ages 11-18 and all students who audition will be part of the production. Intense musical theater performance runs from June 27 to August 1. This program is for high school and college students to rehearse and play On a clear day you can see forever. “Intensive performances are designed for advanced students ready to handle the higher demands and expectations of more difficult material in a pre-professional setting,” notes the theater. Acceptance of participants aged 15 to 21 is by audition only. You can find more information about these programs at BallyhooTheatre.org under “Education”.
This summer, as planned, the Edmonds Center for the Arts is offering week-long summer camps on arts, culture and STEAM for young people aged 7 to 14. Camps will be held in person at ECA in the “state-of-the-art theater, classrooms, and outdoor green spaces.” Students aged 9 to 12 can participate in Crows: Caws and Effect Summer Camp July 11-15. This STEAM-focused camp will explore how ravens and ravens communicate as campers create raven-inspired art and “discover the significance of these birds in cultures around the world.” In Summer camp Once upon a time there was a time machine July 18-22, campers ages 10-13 will explore time travel. Students exploring time travel from a variety of angles (science, history, literature, and popular culture) will create their own time machines. Read it, see it, be it! with Book-It Repertory Theater Summer Camp is for campers ages 7-10 and will be held August 1-5. My sons did this camp a very long time ago and they loved it. “Student artists will read and perform a variety of animated picture books, ultimately selecting one to rehearse for a final performance on the last day of camp,” the camp advertisement reads. The Heroes We Need: Creative Adaptive Performance Ensemble (CAPE) Camp with Dandylyon Drama will take place August 8-12 and is recommended for students with disabilities in grades 4-8. The description states that this camp “is specifically designed for students in grades four through eight who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, who self-identify as disabled, and/or who receive special education services at school. If your student is younger or older than this age range, but you know they would like camp, please contact them. We would be happy to make an exception. Campers will create and perform a 10-minute play answering “Who is going to save the world? For more information and to register for one of these camps, visit EdmondsCenterfortheArts.org.
— By Jennifer Marx
Jen Marx, a mother of two boys in Edmonds, is always on the lookout for a fun place to take the kids that tires them out enough to go to bed on time.
