Counting with cake

Learning to count can be sweet: “1 cup of butter pour right in. 2 cups of sugar, and now we begin.” Seattle author Caroline Wright’s newest addition to the HarperCollins Little Bakers series, 1234 Cake!: A Count-and-Bake Book, uses colorful pictures by illustrator Alison Oliver and charming rhymes to help children practice their numbers. With the book’s kid-friendly cake and frosting recipe, children can count to 10 – and eat their cake too. — Jasmin Thankachen   

At English Camp on San Juan Island. (Photo by Jillian O’Connor)

Escape from Seattle: Explore the San Juan Islands

The San Juans are home to some of the most stunning landscapes in the United States and are a must-do for anyone visiting (or living in) the Pacific Northwest. Orcas Island’s Moran State Park features more than 30 miles of hiking trails, five freshwater lakes and gorgeous views from the top of Mount Constitution. Friday Harbor on San Juan Island bustles with shops and restaurants. Drive to the island’s west side and whale-watch through September from Lime Kiln Point State Park. Lopez Island – nicknamed “the friendly isle” – is a bicyclist’s dream with its gently rolling landscape. And check out its Shark Reef Sanctuary, where you’ll be sure to spot sea lions basking in the sun. — Allison Holm

Bracelets at Child Wonder the World in Burien. (Photo by Julie Hanson)

Wearable art

Among the globally sourced goodies at the new Child Wonder the World shop in Burien are these Mommy & Me roll-on glass-bead bracelets, which were made by women in Nepal and ethically imported by Aid Through Trade. (The brightly colored designs have fun names like Dollhouse, Finger Paint and Fruit Punch.) — Julie Hanson

“My favorite place to shop for all our very deserving teachers is Blue Poppy Floral in Wedgwood. Deb and Audrey are a wonderfully friendly mom-and-daughter team and they are incredibly knowledgeable. They source small and local, creating unique curated flower arrangements. They have gorgeous houseplants, succulents, handmade gifts, jewelry, spa products and all kinds of items you don’t know you need until you see them! 

— Christi Cruz, owner/founder of Wedgwood Drama Studio and pre-K teacher at University Cooperative School

A festival of chocolate

Chocolate lovers, get ready: The Northwest Chocolate Festival is returning live in 2021 (on Oct. 30 and 31) and will feature cooking demonstrations, chocolate pairings and workshops. Taste your way through the more than 50 exhibitions, learn about sustainable cocoa practices, and watch chefs take milk chocolate and dark chocolate to the next level. Bell Harbor International Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way; nwchocolate.com — Jasmin Thankachen

(Shutterstock photo)

In every print edition, we present Seattle’s Child’s top picks for food, activities, travel, shopping, kid restaurants and more. Here are the highlights from the May/June 2021 issue.  

4 great taco restaurants for 5 de Mayo

These kid-friendly Seattle restaurants offer fantastic takeout tacos for Cinco de Mayo – or any time you might need a taco. 

La Vaca: Pike Place Market stand
1429 1st Ave., Seattle

Tacos Chukis, seattlechukis.com
Capitol Hill: 219 Broadway E.
South Lake Union: 832 Dexter Ave. N.
Central District: 2215 E. Union St.
Beacon Hill: 1608 S. Roberto Maestas Festival St.

El Borracho, elborracho.co
Pike Place Market: 1521 1st Ave.
Ballard: 5465 Leary Ave. NW
Tacoma: 2717 6th Ave.

El Camion, elcamionseattle.com
West Seattle truck: 9250 45th Ave. SW
North Seattle truck: 11728 Aurora Ave. N.
Roosevelt truck: 6319 Roosevelt Way NE
Sand Point truck: 4529 Sand Point Way NE

(Courtesy of Kelley Reese)

Shiny objects

Many women have wanted a pair of diamond earrings at some point. This Mother’s Day, you might instead covet these locally made, conflict-free gems – silver studs, each with a cheeky picture of a sparkling diamond. They work as well for children as for adults, and they’re handmade by Seattle jewelry maker Kelley Reese, who has many creative, exquisite silver  designs where these came from, including a matching necklace. etsy.com/shop/kr47jewelry

(Courtesy of Tres Sandwich House)

Japanese-style sandwiches for dinner – and dessert

Japan’s sando craze has made its way to the Pacific Northwest. Sando means “sandwich” and TRES Sandwich House in Bellevue offers a wide selection. The restaurant uses savory fillings like pork cutlet, fried shrimp, yakisoba and miso katsu on fluffy white bread. Feed your sweet tooth with treats like strawberry cheesecake, red bean paste and matcha or banana cream pie sandwiches, too. 1502 145th Place SE, Bellevue, tressandwich.com — Jasmin Thankachen

A berry good time!

Ah, the sweet taste of summer! Strawberry season starts in June. Grab fresh, juicy red berries at your local farmers market or check out these U-pick places around town. 

Biringer Farms Annual Strawberry Festival: Pick your berries, then indulge in the farm’s special strawberry shortcake. 21412 59th Ave. NE, Arlington, biringerfarm.com

Remlinger Farms: Get your ticket to pick ripe berries and play at the family fun theme park. 32610 NE 32nd St., Carnation, remlingerfarms.com

Harvold Farms: Select from rows and rows of the sweetest berries and start jamming. 5207 Carnation-Duvall Rd. NE, Carnation, harvoldberryfarm.wixsite.com/harvoldberryfarm

Be sure to check farm websites and social media pages for the latest on what’s ripe and ready to pick.  — Jasmin Thankachen

Cheap ferry fun

Need to get away from dry land for a bit? Take a fun and cost-effective round trip on a ferry from downtown Seattle and end up feeling many, many miles away. In addition to riding the Bainbridge Island car ferry, which always invites pedestrians, you can try a foot ferry – take the new route to Southworth or head to Bremerton or Kingston, all three destinations across Puget Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula. It’s like owning a yacht share (for about an hour and a half). wsdot.wa.gov/ferries

Fuzzy friends

You can pick up crocheting this summer with easy-to-follow crafting kits and instruction books  by Kristen Rask, including her latest, Amigurumi Crochet: Farm and Forest Animals. Rask, a veteran crafter, has published eight instructional crocheting books and directs Urban Craft Uprising, the Pacific Northwest’s largest indie craft show. Help your kids learn a new stitch, and create lovable woodland and farm characters all summer long. — Jasmin Thankachen

Q&A: Where do you love to shop around Puget Sound? “I love Oopsie Daisy Boutique in Snohomish. They’ve got a great selection of clothes, toys and baby gear too! They’re part consignment and part retail, so you’re bound to find something nice for mom and baby.”

— Katleen Snedeker, Mill Creek mom of two

 

(Courtesy of Tilth Alliance)

In every print edition, we present Seattle’s Child’s top picks for food, activities, travel, shopping and more. Here are the highlights from the March/April 2021 issue, including fun kid restaurants and great Seattle shopping.  

Good, clean fun (in the dirt!)

Does your kid need more time playing in the dirt? Tilth Alliance is offering after-school programs and school-break day camps in person, masked, at two locations: Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands and Wallingford’s Good Shepherd Center. Topics include soil invertebrates, garden art and how to plan and plant a vegetable garden. tilthalliance.org – Fiona Cohen

(Courtesy of Black Coffee Northwest)

Community, caffeinated

Locally owned Black Coffee Northwest uplifts the community, giving families a safe space to meet new people and make new friends. Built on the ideals of social justice and activism, Black Coffee Northwest is not only a coffee shop, but a place that encourages creativity, empowerment and leadership. Be sure to visit Pop Up Saturdays, hosted by the cafe to give Black-owned businesses a way to showcase their talents and products. Stop in for the coffee too! Try the Melanin Mocha, a dark chocolate mocha with a twist, or The Karen, a white chocolate mocha. 16743 Aurora Ave. N., Shoreline; blackcoffeenw.com – Jasmin Thankachen

(Courtesy of Buddha Bruddah)

You’ll clean your plate

Buddha Bruddah Mixed Plate: This food truck creating delicious Asian fusion and Hawaiian mixed plates has long made its way around town with a menu of Thai staples like red curry and phad thai and Hawaiian treats like kalua pork and huli huli chicken. There’s also been a permanent restaurant in Rainier Valley since 2018 – and you can order online for delivery or pickup. 2201 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, buddhabruddah.com

Deception Pass (Courtesy of Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission)

Don’t pass this one up

Need a day trip that will knock your socks off? Deception Pass State Park is just about 90 minutes from Seattle, and with nearly 4,000 acres of forest, lakes and saltwater shoreline, there’s fun for every kid. Pro tip: Maybe skip going the whole way over that stunning, iconic bridge with very little ones, who can instead delight in trying to spot a Sasquatch elsewhere in the park. — Julie Hanson

Where do you love to shop for pet supplies?

“Bailey’s food is bought at Health Mutt in Roosevelt. We get points each time we purchase, and our 12th bag is free. The lady there is very nice and Bailey gets free treats!”
– Samrita Dungel, Seattle mom of one child and one dog

Hello … and goodbye

Here are a few of the places that have closed during the pandemic, and a few new businesses that have sprung up or expanded.

A big hello: 

Hello Robin (sweets), University Village, opened location in 2020 (also on Capitol Hill)

Oh Hello Again, Capitol Hill, opened in 2020

Black Coffee Northwest, Shoreline, opened in fall 2020 

Ada’s Technical Books, expanded into Fuel Coffee shops (Wallingford, Montlake and Capitol Hill)

Friendly Hmong Farms CSA (produce and flowers), opening in March to help farmers affected by COVID-19 situation.

Tá Jóia restaurant, Bothell, opened in 2021

Rubinstein Bagels, South Lake Union, previously delivery only, opened storefront in late 2020

Banh Mi Deluxe, Rainier Valley, opened in 2021

Tanoor, South Lake Union, opened location in 2021 (also in Sammamish)

Hello Em Viet Coffee & Roastery, Chinatown-International District, opened in 2021

Spice Waala, Ballard, opened new location in 2021 (also on Capitol Hill)

Shake Shack, University Village, opened in 2020 (national chain)

A sad goodbye:

Retroactive Kids (toy store), Columbia City, closed in 2020

Kids Club Salon & Toys, University Village, closed last day of 2020

Momo boutique, Japantown-International District, closed in fall 2020

Baby & Co., Belltown, closed in summer 2020

Can’t Blame the Youth, International District, closed in August 2020

Long Provincial Vietnamese Restaurant, Belltown, closed in fall 2020

Columbia Sportswear, downtown Seattle, closed in 2020

Toronado bar and restaurant, Roosevelt, closed in March 2020

Nate’s Wings and Waffles, Central District, closed in August 2020

Read the latest issue

Here’s a roundup of local businesses featured in our Winter 2020 print issue, including fun kid restaurants and great Seattle shopping.

Tamales and tradition

In Mexico, tamales are served on special occasions and all during the Christmas season. But we say, why limit yourself? Frelard Tamales is open year-round. The meat flavors include salsa verde chicken and salsa roja pork, with four vegetarian choices and three vegan options, including tasty caramelized pineapple. Delivery and takeout only. All gluten-free. 6412 Latona Avenue NE, Seattle. frelardtamales.com

Sasquatch spotting

Clover Toys in Ballard provides a welcome break from screens – and a chance to play with toys made of wood and fabric, like this fluffy Bigfoot made by Aurora. The independently owned local business has a stockpile of unique toys, including well-crafted finger puppets, which, coincidentally, come in handy for tech – namely video calls with the little ones. 5333 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle; shopclovertoys.com 

Chocolate for a cause

Sales of Theo Chocolate’s organic All in WA 70% dark chocolate bars help workers and families who are most affected by COVID-19. Theo reports that 100% of net proceeds will go to the charity coalition All in Washington, making sure Washingtonians get the emergency resources they need during the pandemic. Bars available at theochocolate.com

Here are the highlights from the September/October issue, including fun kid restaurants and great Seattle shopping.

Chilly weather comfort food

If you’re hungry for carbs this fall, you can’t go wrong with Momo & Pizza Ghar in Redmond. Kids and parents will love the piping-hot momos (shown above), dumplings just like they make in Nepal. Get them filled with chicken or veggies, available steamed or fried, with chili sauce or paneer (cheese) options, as well as jhol (served with a bowl of hot chutney). 

There’s a pizza menu, featuring popular pie selections including tandoori chicken, paneer and butter chicken toppings. (Fussy kids can opt for standard cheese pizza and plain momos, too.)

Standout appetizers include chicken and goat sekuwa. Delivery and takeout available. 2560 152nd Ave. NE, Redmond; meromomo.com

A well-rounded diet

Rubinstein Bagels has gained a following for great texture, innovative yet classic accompaniments (shallots, anyone? Fried onion and chive cream cheese?) and a trendy twist – sourdough starter. Available throughout the Seattle area by delivery only, for now. (You can get Olympia Coffee, beans or ground, too.) rubinsteinbagels.com

(Steph Forrer photo)

Head east to the Old West

If you’re looking for a change of pace and scenery, Winthrop couldn’t be more different from Seattle. Depending on which of two scenic routes you choose, the drive should take around four hours – and it won’t be boring. In tiny Winthrop, kids and families (wearing masks, of course) are sure to get a kick out of the Old West-theme town, the new Homestream Park, the National Fish Hatchery and Pearrygin Lake State Park, which has a roped-off swim area and, this being Eastern Washington, a decent likelihood of swimming weather, even in fall. — Julie Hanson

Quick thinking at Sloth

This Pike Place Market gift shop has an adorable way to keep young, masked shoppers in line (and enthralled) as they wait to enter the store. Robot vs Sloth offers scratch cards featuring artist La Ru’s cartoon otters and unicorns, and of course robots and sloths. Every player wins a gift with purchase, which eases the short wait to get to the robots and sloths. 1535 1st Ave., Seattle; robotvsloth.com

Masterpieces to go

Need a great craft project for your child to work on at home? Paint the Town now sells Pottery to Go kits: make sublime ceramics for the grandparents, or just your mantelpiece. Bring the painted art back to the University Village store for glazing and firing. Kits include paint and pottery. Order ahead online or at the store; curbside pickup available. 4611 Village Ct. NE, Seattle; paintthetown.studio

Banding Together

When the coronavirus lockdown hit, Seattle Drum School didn’t miss a beat.

Private lessons were quickly moved online and happy kids around the area have been able to continue learning drums, guitar, trumpet, piano and more – it’s “more than ‘just drums,’” as its website proclaims.

Two Seattle locations: 1010 S. Bailey St. in Georgetown and 12729 Lake City Way NE in Lake City. seattledrumschool.com

The post Stuff we love: Things to do, things to eat all around Puget Sound appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Most people would think of a sandwich as the ultimate picnic food, says Chou, a cookbook author and Magnolia mom of two. It’s got everything you need – starch, protein, sauce – in one neat package. For a successful picnic, the food needs to be prepared at home, easy to transport and not too fussy to eat.

“Why do people pack sandwiches? They’re self-contained. That’s not so different from stir-fried noodles or fried rice,” Chou adds. “Those are super-flexible and adaptable for your personal likes. Everybody gets a container of that and you’re set. It could be as easy as that.”

There’s an entire chapter devoted to stir-fry in Chou’s new book, Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food (2021, Sasquatch Books). And her sweet-and-sour spare ribs (in her first cookbook, Chinese Soul Food) were always a hit at pre-pandemic neighborhood potlucks.

For kids who like just plain white rice, you could pair it with wok-seared edamame and corn (recipe below). And Chou is generous with her instructions: you can use a skillet instead of a wok, use frozen veggies instead of fresh (but don’t use canned!), or toss in peas instead of edamame if that’s what you’ve got on hand.

“My original intention was to create books that were accessible to the average home cook,” Chou says. “People who aren’t familiar with this food, who hadn’t grown up with it. I wanted something that was more approachable.”

Chou was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States when she was 2½. She says she grew up in the Chinese restaurant in Missouri that her parents ran – if she wasn’t physically at school, she was at the restaurant.

These days, she tries to bring her own kids, 11 and 14, into the kitchen and follow their interests.

“My son really, really, really loves green onion pancakes,” Chou says. “He knows if I’m making dumplings, I’m also making green onion pancakes, because it’s the same dough. If he smells dough, he goes, ‘Are you making pancakes?’ ”

Now Shen can almost make the pancakes himself, from beginning to end, with supervision. Green onion pancakes are forgiving (they don’t have to be round); potstickers, on the other hand, require a bit more technique. (FYI: potstickers are the pan-fried version of dumplings.)

Here is Chou’s recipe for green onion pancakes.

Chou breaks down the process in videos on her website, mychinesesoulfood.com. Like all her recipes, Chou’s directions are straightforward and easy to follow.

She’s taught dumpling-making classes to kids and adults of all ages. You don’t expect 3- or 4-year-olds to have the attention span for the entire dumpling process. But you can start by giving them small tasks: give them a bit of dough to roll into balls, or make it their job to pinch the edges of the dumpling.

“I have made so many dumplings in my life,” Chou says. “I spent 40 years making these, professionally or for my family or teaching classes. It’s sheer repetition.”

Recipe for wok-seared edamame and corn

2 ears fresh corn or 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen corn
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 stalks green onions, finely chopped
1 cup shelled edamame (frozen is fine)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
Kosher salt (optional)

If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the cob. Set aside.

Preheat a wok over high heat until wisps of smoke rise from the surface. Add the oil and onions, and quickly stir to combine for 10 seconds, or until the onions are fragrant.

Add the corn and edamame, and stir-fry for about 1 minute. It will sizzle as the frozen vegetables cook through.

Add the soy sauce and water, and continue to stir. After 1 to 2 minutes more, the corn should have a light sear and be fully cooked through. If needed, add salt to taste. Serve with steamed rice.

Makes 4 servings.

From Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food by Hsiao-Ching Chou (2021, Sasquatch Books).

More Feeding the Family

Sharing the joy of food with ‘I Heart Soul Food’ author Rosie Mayes

Published April 30, 2021

The post ‘Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food’ author’s fresh take on packing a perfect picnic appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Parents have little time and emotional bandwidth. Add to that trying to raise children amid the existential threat of climate change and “it’s really just a pressure cooker for families,” says DeMocker.

Even before she had her children in the 1990s, DeMocker and her husband practiced a low-carbon-footprint lifestyle. They had a small house in Eugene, Ore., used solar panels, planted a garden, only used one car.

Despite their efforts, by the 2000s global temperatures were rising. She struggled with how to more effectively fight climate change.

DeMocker realized that she needed to “switch off” worrying about her own carbon footprint and become more politically active.

She started writing. With no other credentials than her love for her children and her instincts to protect them, she began pitching articles about how to be more active. She started the 350.org Eugene chapter and organized protests and rallies with teachers and kids.

Parents started asking her for lists of five to 10 things they could do to protect their kids. The list grew to 100 things, then into a book. At more than 300 pages, it’s comprehensive but extremely accessible. DeMocker provides short, easy-to-read chapters on a wide range of topics.

Each chapter ends with a helpful list of ways families can engage. “It’s a menu instead of a to-do list … you can pick and choose. It can be a reference over time as kids change and as circumstances change.”

Amid the numerous topics and suggestions, DeMocker’s main takeaways for parents are:

• Keep four things in mind when talking with your children about the climate crisis: Listen to their fears and concerns; validate them; provide honest information but keep it age-appropriate, “so, they understand only what they need to know”; and let them know that lots of people are doing good work – and how you can support that work. Emphasize the positive with your children. This is a time of innovation and imagination; there are exciting conversations to be had about the different ways we can tackle climate change.

• Do system change first. “We’ve been doing the stuff at home first. Flip it around.” For example, DeMocker recommends that if you only have two minutes to take some kind of action and have to choose between washing out a sticky peanut butter jar to recycle or make a call to your senator, call the senator. Circle back to the peanut butter jar later.

• Stop judging yourself and others. Shame and guilt can be paralyzing. “Don’t snort at the in-laws who show up in an SUV. Focus on the larger system that allows SUVs to be made in the first place,” she says.

• Pick what your family cares about and focus on that. Have fun. If her kids were young now, she says, she would use social media sites like TikTok to make entertaining videos spreading awareness about their chosen causes.

• Don’t do it alone. Seek collective solutions with your family. Identify organizations to support, join community groups. Not only are adult voices amplified this way, but so are kids’ voices.

Sadly, climate change isn’t going away. Parents will continue to parent around this issue. Now in their twenties, DeMocker’s children are grappling with how to respond to the crisis as adults.

She reminds them that we have solutions. “The biggest thing people of all ages need to know is that scientists say we have the time and solutions to slash carbon emissions … we just need those solutions to be embraced and funded by our government at the highest level,” she says.

This story was first published in the May/June 2021 print issue. 

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The post How to talk to kids about climate crisis appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Then, one day in second grade, I was walking home from school and waiting at an intersection for the light to change, when a school bus pulled up beside me. Some kids on the bus were pressing their faces against the windows, and pulling the corners of their eyes into narrow,  slanted slits. They were chanting something that was muffled by the glass, but it sounded like: Ching-chong-Chinky-chong-Chinky-chong-ching.  

When I got home, I told my mom about it. She looked at me sadly, and sat me down. Then she gave me “The Talk.”  

The Talk is the conversation non-white parents have with their kids when the realities of race can’t be ignored anymore. She didn’t tell me to never run away or never put my hands in my pockets when the police are watching, the way Black parents have to. She just gave me the Asian version.  

Those kids are stupid and ignorant. Ignore them. Keep your head down, mind your business, and  stay out of trouble. Eventually, they’ll go away.  

My mom was no stranger to racism. As a schoolgirl in New York City, she watched white people throw bricks through store windows in Chinatown after Pearl Harbor was bombed. Never mind that the Japanese had attacked China, too, raping and killing tens of thousands of defenseless civilians. The subtleties get lost when people are angry and scared.  

Her parents had to hang a sign in the window of their bakery: “We are Chinese-Americans. We are not Japanese.” She made sure not to go into white neighborhoods alone. She stayed home after dark. She stayed out of trouble. Eventually, the war went away.  

For me, things eventually got better, too. The name-calling and harassment peaked in middle school, then gradually faded. When I went to college in California, anti-Asian racism disappeared from my life entirely – until it didn’t. 

Last year, when it became clear that the pandemic was going to be a huge political liability, some politicians looked around for a scapegoat. They quickly settled on China. Soon the phrases “China virus” and “Wuhan flu” were in steady circulation, quickly followed by the more derisive “Kung flu.” Within months, reports of violence against Asians started to rise. Over the course of 2020, anti-Asian hate crimes increased 150% over the previous year. So far in 2021, that trend is only accelerating, and growing more deadly.  

In my mom’s hometown of New York City, there were 28 reported incidents of anti-Asian violence last year, up from three in 2019. In one recent brutal attack, a man was caught on video kicking and stomping a 65-year-old woman and yelling, “You don’t belong here!” Onlookers simply turned the other way.  

The politicians, of course, claim to deplore these attacks, and ooze indignation when anyone suggests that they bear some responsibility. Yet, whether consciously or not, they’re blowing the same dog whistles that have triggered every wave of racial violence since the beginning of humankind.  

There is a deep, subconscious vein of violent tribalism in the human psyche. It’s been there since our prehistoric ancestors defended their territory from marauding outsiders, and it’s alive and well just beneath our civilized veneer. Our failure to admit that, and to confront it head-on, is the root cause of the war, racism and inequality that have plagued us throughout our history, and that still torment us now.  

As parents, we need to understand that being non-racist, and raising non-racist children, isn’t enough. We need to be anti-racist. We need to provide an active counterforce to millions of years of evolution that will forever be a part of who we are. We need to admit that our children, no matter how innocent, kind and well-raised, will always be one social upheaval away from the Hitler Youth, the machete-swinging adolescents of the Rwandan genocide and the gun-toting children of the Cambodian killing fields. Maybe white families in America should have their own version of The Talk, where their children can learn about the dangers and risks that come with the color of their skin.  

As for my fellow Asian Americans, history has lessons for us as well. Being a “model minority” won’t protect us, any more than it did the Jews who were model Germans in 1939. Keeping our heads down isn’t enough. We need to teach our children that they belong here, as much as anyone else, and that they should say so loud and clear.  

Jeff Lee lives, writes and works in Seattle. This column was originally published April 12, 2021

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Talking to kids about racism: Tips for what to say — and do 

The post It's not enough to be non-racist; we must be anti-racist appeared first on Seattle's Child.

1. Woodland Park Zoo (West Gate), 5500 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle: May 1 to Sept. 6. At the exhibition Dinosaur Discovery, see more than 20 life-size, lifelike moving, roaring dinos, including a 40-foot-long T. Rex.
2. Burke Museum, 4300 15th Ave. NE, Seattle: Ogle the only real dinosaur fossils on display in Washington. See a T. Rex skull, as well as massive Ice Age mammals and plant fossils.
   
3. Ginkgo Petrified Forest Interpretive Center, 4511 Huntzinger Rd., Vantage: Road trip to Central Washington! See an ancient fossil bed as you hike a 1.25-mile interpretive trail, and  look out for nearly two dozen exposed petrified logs.
4. Fremont topiaries. Check out the two ivy dinosaurs that live almost canalside in Fremont. They roam the earth by the Burke-Gilman Trail, just south of North 34th Street and Phinney Avenue North.
5. Dig for “fossils” in your yard. Set up a sandbox or sand table and plant faux dino bones deep in the stratigraphic layers of your backyard dig site.
   

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   Woodland Park Zoo dinosaur exhibit: It’s so good, it’s scary (for some)

The post 5 ways to get your fill: Dinosaurs and fossils! appeared first on Seattle's Child.

If you were lucky, you’d get popcorn and candy from the snack bar and could eat it in the car, before falling asleep sideways on the seat, if your parents were lucky.

Since spring 2020, the drive-in has made a huge comeback. And in the Seattle area, we’re fortunate to have a couple of traditional legacy drive-in theaters, as well as newcomer drive-ins from organizations that made a quick pandemic pivot, serving families’ needs for COVID-safe entertainment, all sealed up in our cars. The audio has also been drastically improved, since all drive-ins now use dedicated FM stations to provide the sound.

But before you drive off to the drive-in, here’s a note: Make sure to check what’s playing before packing up your child and a teddy bear. Don’t make the mistake my friend’s parents made back in the day and bring your kindergartner to see “The Exorcist” (or another R-rated film).

And remember, you need to get there well ahead of showtime. Movies start when the sky starts to darken, which we all know can take some time in Seattle, especially in June and early July. Stay in the vehicle, except for when you head to the restroom or go to buy concessions. And if you leave the vehicle, mask up!

Not all drive-ins allow outside food, so please check the policy if you want to bring a picnic. And look at the posted rules online first if your dog wants to come along, too.

BECU Drive-In Movies at Marymoor Park

6046 West Lake Sammamish Parkway NE, Redmond, epiceap.com/movies-at-marymoor/
The BECU Movies event was going strong at Marymoor Park each summer before the pandemic hit – for people with picnic blankets and portable chairs. With a quick change, it’s been repurposed as a drive-in.
Days: Tuesday, April 20 to Thursday, June 24.
Ticket price: $30 per carload. Purchase online.
Concessions: Yes, from multiple food trucks. Also: ice cream and cupcakes for sale.
Restrooms: Yes.

Vasa’s Drive-In Theatre
3549 West Lake Sammamish Parkway SE, Bellevue, vasaparkresorteventcenter.com
This nonprofit weekly drive-in event started funding extra time for staff members whose hours were cut during the pandemic.
Days: Saturdays. Film begins at dusk.
Ticket price: Free, but donations are encouraged. $25 per car is suggested.
Buy ahead? Reserve tickets and donate online.
Concessions: Yes, including themed treats for summertime children’s nights (think green alien popcorn with “Toy Story”). Other concessions available include hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, ice cream, candy and beverages.
Restrooms: Yes.

Discover Burien Drive-In Theatre
610 SW 153rd St., Burien, discoverburien.org
This weekly event is sponsored by the nonprofit economic development group Discover Burien. Touchless pre-registration.
Days: Between March and October on Saturday nights. Starts at sundown.
Ticket price: $25 per car. $50 for VIP car tickets, which include a reusable picnic snack pack and other goodies.
Buy ahead? Yes, online. Advance tickets required.
Concessions: Yes, with touchless ordering.

Rodeo Drive-In
Highway 3, near the Bremerton Airport, Bremerton, rodeodrivein.com
Since 1949! Three screens play three sets of double features at a time, but you do have to stick to one set only.
Days: Usually March through September, Friday through Sunday. Showtime at dusk.
Ticket price: All prices are for a double feature, an old-school drive-in tradition. General admission: $10. Children 12 and under and seniors 55 and up: $7. Free for kids 4 and under.
Buy ahead? Tickets available online.
Concessions: Yes, including burgers, fries and pizza dogs. Online ordering available for large orders. Pagers available for pickups.
Restrooms: Yes.

Blue Fox Drive-in Theater
1403 N. Monroe Landing Rd., Oak Harbor, bluefoxdrivein.com
Since 1959! There’s an arcade on the premises, as well as a go-kart track.
Days: Friday through Sunday. First movie starts at dusk.
Ticket price (by credit card): It’s a double feature! Adult, 11 and up, $7. Child, 5 to 10: $1.50. 4 and under: Free.
Buy ahead? No. Box office opens at 4.
Concessions: Yes. Pizza, popcorn, Philly cheesesteaks and churros.
Restrooms: Yes.

Farther afield: Two more classic drive-ins on the Olympic Peninsula

Skyline Drive-In Theater (since 1964)
182 SE Brewer Road, Shelton, skylinedrive-in.com

Wheel-In Motor Movie Drive-In (since 1953)
210 Theatre Road, Port Townsend, ptwheelinmotormovie.com

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Inspired by the 1963 Children’s March in Birmingham, Ala., the Seattle Children’s March aimed to raise awareness about racial injustice and demand anti-racist actions in Seattle schools and prisons. Drawing in thousands of participants from all over the greater Seattle area, the march gave rise to groups like Youth Activists for Systemic Change, of which Kaz and Miles are both members.

But Kaz and Miles aren’t the only youth in Seattle playing active roles in their community.

In September 2019, then 14-year-old Kimaya Mahajan helped organize the U.S. Youth Climate Strike in Washington, serving as emcee to raise awareness about climate justice. These days, Kimaya, now 16, primarily works with Washington Youth For Climate Justice. She also collaborates with other organizations like Eastside 4 Black Lives and the Emerald Youth Organizing Collective.

Kaz, Miles and Kimaya are part of a growing number of Seattle-area youth actively participating in social issues and making positive changes in their communities. Energized by the momentum of movements like Black Lives Matter, and inspired by prominent youth activists like Greta Thunberg, these youth demonstrate that you’re never too young to make a difference.

Kaz Hill, Alexis Mburu and Miles Hagopian aim to raise awareness about racial injustice and demand anti-racist actions in Seattle schools and prisons.

Gaining new perspectives from activism

For Tristan Bonniol, 17, volunteering at Food Lifeline is a tangible way for him to address poverty in Seattle. He initially started volunteering as part of his community service requirements for Seattle Public Schools.

However, since then, he consistently volunteers at the food bank twice a week, sorting food at the warehouse.

“Every time I finish a session,” Tristan remarks, “they tell me how many tons of food I’ve sorted. It just puts into perspective for me how much I’m really doing for the community.”

Sixteen-year-old Alexis Mburu, who serves on the Youth Advisory Board of Washington Ethnic Studies Now and is a member of the NAACP Youth Council, echoes this sentiment. She explains how her activism helps ground her in her community and inspires her to take on new projects.

“It adds a new perspective to all of the work that I do,” she says. “It gives me a sense of motivation in life that I didn’t necessarily have before.”

But being a youth activist isn’t always easy.

Kimaya remembers all the missteps she made when she first started organizing in 2019.

“We didn’t really know what we were doing,” she recalls. “We definitely made a lot of mistakes back then.”

For many, the breadth of issues that exist, ranging from environmental conservation to social justice, can make the efforts of activism seem futile.

“It’s not as simple as one small success of a bill being passed or a policy being overturned,” Kimaya states. “When you look at the scope of the issues that we’re dealing with, it’s really overwhelming. It reminds you how much work there’s still left to do.”

Despite the challenges, youth like Kimaya and Miles continue their activism because they know they are the future stewards of their community.

“In this time, it’s necessary that youth take action,” says Miles. “If we don’t, nobody will.”

Tristan Bonniol feels that volunteering at Food Lifeline is a tangible way to address poverty in Seattle.

Inspiring youth to get involved

For youth who are interested in activism, Kimaya recommends starting with learning about the issues. Take time to identify what needs aren’t being met in the community.

Tristan suggests starting as early as possible to help youth cultivate a sense of identity as activists. It’s also important for youth to realize that their voices do matter, Alexis adds.

“Everyone has a place in activism,” Alexis explains. “Everyone has unique experiences that should be put into the conversation.”

And how can parents, teachers and guardians encourage activism in their own children?

As with any activity, showing genuine support and validation can strengthen your child’s confidence in their identity as activists.

“My mom always tells me how important it is, the stuff I’m doing,” Kaz shares proudly.

Being a parent who also engages in activism themselves can be a plus. This type of modeling behavior goes a long way in inspiring kids to become involved in the issues they care about.

“My dad is a longtime activist,” reveals Miles, “so he’s always giving me good advice on ways to organize in the community.”

But even if parents are not actively involved in community organizing or volunteering, they can still show support to their kids by offering rides or helping them get supplies for events or projects.

These youth represent the next generation of leaders in Seattle, and beyond. Observing the impact they make in the greater Seattle community today provides a glimpse into the change makers they will surely become in the future.

And that’s something to inspire us all.

This story was originally published on May 1, 2021.

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Taylor grew up reading any and all fantasy books in the Seattle area, with his extended family thousands of miles away.

Respicio was raised in California’s Central Valley, with members of her extended Filipino-American family right next door, spending recess writing plays for her friends to perform.

But they share one common memory from their childhoods: The love of constructing small shelters, all their own.

Now, decades later, both have published their first middle-grade novels, and wove that theme into the fabric of their stories, recognizing just how universal the need to build forts and hidden hideaways can be for children.

For Taylor, who wrote Maggie & Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort (find a previous review here), the theme appears by way of the two 11-year-old best friends constructing their own magical forts that have the power to link up to other forts across the world.

The Seattle resident says the idea came to him in 2013 while he was working at a coffee-roasting company and had just finished reading a series of sci-fi novels where people’s homes have rooms on multiple planets. He says he remembers thinking about the kind of fun kids could have in that world, then immediately pictured a small pillow fort he’d constructed in the summer before fifth grade.

“I pictured going in, pulling aside a pillow and crawling through to someone else’s,” Taylor says. “It was like a real light coming down from the sky, kind of like, this is what you’re about to do.”

Respicio, who wrote The House That Lou Built, says she also remembers creating all different types of forts as a child, and has vivid memories of getting to build a shelter among California’s redwoods during sixth-grade camp.

“I was a kid who was always trying to make my own space and trying to figure out what was mine amidst a big family and lots of things happening,” she says.

But it was the work she did with her husband to fix up their first house, then research she conducted on tiny homes, that helped her write this book. It features a 12-year-old girl, who with the help of her friends works to build a tiny home on the land left to her by her deceased father.

While Taylor and Respicio have yet to meet in person, after being included on the same email with a few other debut authors in 2017, they’ve been social media friends and devoted fans of each other’s work ever since.

They also both quickly recognized the common themes in their writing, and just how connected each of their stories are to their own childhoods and life experiences.

“I really do think that it’s hard to separate yourself from your art,” says Respicio. “Every lens we’ve had since we were in childhood, every experience comes through in what we’re writing, whether we want it to or not.”

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“There in the house were young people lined up upstairs, downstairs, in the kitchen, everywhere. They were everywhere,” says Dixon, now 96 years old and living in the same house.

It was the first organizational meeting of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense’s Seattle chapter, which two of her sons, Aaron and Elmer Dixon, helped found and then subsequently ran for years. Rather than interrupt their work, Frances Dixon walked silently straight through the sea of bodies to the kitchen, closed the doors and left them to it.

Today, after years supporting her children’s work in the party, she is known as “Black Panther Mom.”

Elmer Dixon says he remembers his mom cooking food for community dinners and opening up her home to the organization’s many members.

“When comrades were out in the field selling newspapers or working and we needed them to be over there for a couple hours, she would do that,” he says. “On some of their birthdays, she would host a birthday party.”

But it was in no way a role for the faint of heart. Her sons served time in jail, so she would write letters and visit them there. She also says she would receive calls virtually every day from people threatening her sons.

Her response? “Go ahead and try it. Try it and you’ll be sorry.”

Frances Dixon’s story was featured in a documentary first released last year called “Keepers of the Dream: Seattle Women Black Panthers.” Produced and directed by local filmmakers Tajuan LaBee and Patricia Boiko, it highlights the key role women like Dixon played in the Panther organization.

The Seattle chapter was one of the first authorized chapters outside of California, where the Black Panther Party was founded in 1966. Although many remember the party for its focus on preventing police violence as well as armed self-defense, the group was also extremely focused on helping disadvantaged members of the community.

Frances Dixon, now a retired clinical assistant, says her most vivid memory of their work was their program to feed hungry children.

“They took time to cook food for little children … They were doing it back then, when they were teenagers,” she says.

Elmer Dixon explains that he and Aaron, along with their other two siblings and the rest of the chapter, also helped provide a free medical clinic, a free clothing program, a free legal aid program and a police alert patrol program in which they would “patrol cops, and observe them to make sure that they were not going to harm or murder someone.”

During this period, Frances Dixon says she would offer her children advice, telling them to be careful of the police because “you never know when they’re going to be following you.”

But for Elmer Dixon, it wasn’t simply one individual piece of advice from his parents that helped inform his work in the organization.

“It was through their actions daily, how they lived their lives, how they treated others. That’s what in fact influenced us the most,” he says.

When asked whether she has any advice for parents of today’s racial justice activists, Frances Dixon has a very simple but sincere response.

“Just be supportive of your children, that’s all.”

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Two Owls recently combined forces with Bootyland Kids. Now the businesses are collaborating in Chophouse Row on Capitol Hill. Two Owls, formerly in the Madrona neighborhood, is known for alternative kids’ toys and organic cotton clothing; Bootyland Kids specializes in sustainable products for toddlers, kids, tweens and adults. The stores offer online shopping and in-store pickup, as well as free gift wrapping.

Childish Things, on Holman Road in northwest Seattle, revised its layout for social distancing. Owner Wendy Powell opened the store 12 years ago to serve as a resource for families, offering a play area for kids and buying and reselling used items.

“We opened to be both a business and an experience,” she says.

The business prides itself on fitting kids for shoes and helping parents and caregivers learn how to use baby carriers. The shop has temporarily closed the play area, and it’s been a challenge to replace the fun pre-COVID experience of discovering new items for shoppers.

Childish Things carries more than 10,000 pieces and sells new items online, but it will never be a fully online store, Powell says: “It’s just not who we are.”

Powell happily welcomes people to shop in person, and the shop is also open for curbside pickup.

Math ’n’ Stuff, located in Maple Leaf, has seen firsthand how shoppers’ pandemic choices have changed. “This has been the year of the jigsaw puzzle,” manager Mikaela Wingard-Phillips says. “Kites are through the roof.”

The games and toy store moved its popular Magic: The Gathering card game tournaments online after the pandemic hit in 2020.

Every solution is an imperfect one, but Wingard-Phillips has found that the last thing kids and families need right now is more screen time. “Families have been looking for escapism,” she says.

Her mother opened the store more than 28 years ago. It’s been supported by a loyal fan base, and has been able to reopen its board game rental library. Math ’n’ Stuff currently has made in-store shopping, curbside pickup and online ordering available.

Math ’n’ Stuff has also seen a popular addition to the neighborhood: a local baker, Backyard Bakery, holds a pop-up outside the store on the weekends.

“Sometimes a small baked good on the weekend is just the right amount of joy,” says Wingard-Phillips.

Two Owls: 1429 12th Ave., Suite D3, shoptwoowls.com

Bootyland Kids: 1429 12th Ave., Suite D3, bootylandkids.com

Childish Things: 9776 Holman Rd. NW, #102, childishresale.com

Math ’n’ Stuff: 8926 Roosevelt Way NE, mathnificent.com

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