Category Archives: Seattle area

132nd Square Park – Kirkland

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We tried out a new-to-us park recently – 132nd Square Park is located at NE 132nd St and 132nd Ave NE in Kirkland, about a mile east of Evergreen Hospital.

They have a multi-purpose synthetic turf playfield for soccer and more, a smaller grass field for softball or baseball, an all-abilities playground with zipline, year-round restrooms, and three picnic shelters. They also have a walking labyrinth and a reflexology path with raised stones to massage your feet while you do a walking meditation.

The big yellow hill is a fun and unique thing – bring a big flattened cardboard box to sit on and you can slide down that hill. On the playground there is also a communication board with symbols that a nonverbal person could use to communicate – it’s a nice opportunity to acquaint you and your child with this adaptive tool.

Find more local parks and other activities in the Seattle area. For non-locals, you may also appreciate these ideas for fun toddler activities you can find anywhere.

Outdoor Theatre 2025

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Kitsap Forest Theatre, www.foresttheater.com/
Kitsap Forest Theatre, http://www.foresttheater.com/

Outdoor productions of Shakespeare and other plays are a fun way to experience the arts in the summer time. Bring a picnic, spread a blanket out on the grass, and enjoy! (If you prefer sitting in a chair to the ground, be sure it’s a low profile chair so you don’t block anyone’s view.) 

Outdoor theater is a good venue for kids because it gives more leeway for squirming and wiggling than an indoor performance with theater rules. However, you should still endeavor to keep kids quiet and well-behaved. Most of the shows listed here are good for ages 8 and up. We have brought preschoolers to shows, but we don’t expect them to pay full attention – we brought snacks, toys, and sticker books to entertain them quietly. Also understand that during outdoor productions, at times your experience may be interrupted by unexpected events like Frisbee players in the distance, dogs sniffing by, airplanes flying overhead, and the ice cream truck in the parking lot.

Seattle Area:

Greenstage Shakespeare in the Park is presenting Much Ado and Richard III. They also have smaller 4-actor adaptations of plays, called Backyard Bard that are an hour long. Midsummer Night’s Dream and Taming of the Shrew. (These are better choices for kids than the other two) Fridays – Sundays from July 11 – August 16 in Seattle, Lynnwood, Vashon, Fall City. Free, but please donate!

Wooden O, from Seattle Shakespeare.  Presenting As You Like It, Thursdays thru Sundays, July 10 – August 17. By donation. Mercer Island, Seattle, Everett, Shoreline, Lynnwood, Issaquah, Des Moines. Free, please donate!

The Seattle Outdoor Theatre Festival is July 12 and 13 at Volunteer Park in Seattle. Typically includes some of the Greenstage and Wooden O shows, plus more.

Day Trips or Overnights

Island Shakespeare Festival – Langley. Will present Much Ado and Anima. Thurs – Sun at 6 pm and Sunday matinees, from July 18 – August 31. Pay what you will, $0 to $50. (recommended average of $30)

Kitsap Forest Theatre – near Bremerton. Annie May 25 – June 15, Big Fish July 26 – Aug 17, and Midsummer Night’s Dream 9/6 – 21. $23 adults, $10 youth.

Leavenworth Summer Theatre has shows on Tuesdays – Satudays July 15 – August 30. Sound of Music, Carousel and Little Mermaid. $14 – 40. Children under 5 not permitted.

Bainbridge Performing Arts: MacBeth at Bloedel Reserve, Thursdays – Sundays. June 27-July 13. 7 pm. $25 – 30.

Activities for Kids in the Seattle area:

If you’re looking for other fun ideas for the summer, check out: Summer Movies 2025 (includes indoor and outdoor movies), my series on “Cheap Dates with Toddlers and Young Kids”,  or reviews of Eastside Parks or find hands-on STEM enrichment activities for kids age 3 – 7 at www.InventorsOfTomorrow.com.

For school year activities, if you have kids age birth to 7, check out info about info about fabulous classes at local community colleges that are great for kids AND include parent education for you,- register now before they fill up!!

Summer Movies 2025

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Whether you’re looking for outdoor movies to enjoy those warm summer evenings, or indoor movie clubs for those hot summer mornings when you really just need some A/C, or a drive-in movie, here are some options in the Seattle / King County area for summer 2025.

Kids’ Summer Movie Clubs

As you may remember from your own childhood, these are probably the cheapest, easiest way to entertain your kids for two hours on a summer morning…

  • Cinemark: Wednesdays. Lincoln Square in Bellevue and Totem Lake in Kirkland,  9:30 am. June 2 – Aug 7. $1.75. Schedule here: https://cinemark.com/summer-movie-clubhouse# 
  • Regal Summer Movie Express, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 am. $1. June 10 – Aug. 6. The website doesn’t explicitly say which theaters are participating, but in the past, it’s included ,Bella Bottega, Redmond; Crossroads, Bellevue; Thornton Place, Seattle; Meridian, Seattle; Issaquah Highlands; The Landing in Renton; Alderwood, Tukwila.

Outdoor Movies

Below, I list all the outdoor movie series in King County. All information is current as of 6/9/25- but check individual websites for updates or changes!

Note: all outdoor movies start around “dusk”. In  the Pacific Northwest, that means starting around 9 – 9:30 pm in July and 8:30 – 9 in August, so outdoor movies aren’t compatible with early bedtimes.

Get some handy tips / etiquette advice for outdoor movies here and here. Top tips are: go early for good seating location, bring a sweatshirt and blankets, as the weather cools quickly after dark, and if you bring a chair, make sure it’s a low profile chair so you don’t block anyone’s view. It doesn’t hurt to have a flashlight to find your way to the bathroom or port-a-potty – just be sure to shine it only at the ground in front of you.

Tuesdays

Movies in the Park at Bellevue’s Downtown Park on Tuesday evenings, from July 15-August 19. Pre-movie entertainment will begin at 7 p.m. and movies will begin at dusk. Free. July 15, Moana 2; July 22, Detective Pikachu; July 29, Grinch, 8/5 Cars; 8/12 Miracle, 8/19 Monster U.

Wednesdays and Thursdays

  • Movies at Marymoor Park in Redmond. 7/2 – 8/20. $10 per person (5 and under free), $5 to park. Seating opens at 7:30 early in the season and 6:30 later on. Live entertainment, trivia, food trucks, vendors. Movies include: 7/2 Goonies, 7/9 Lilo and Stitch (original), 7/16 Legally Blonde, 7/24 Wild Robot, 7/31 Guardians of the Galaxy, 8/6 Up, 8/13 Pirates of the Car, 8/20 Wicked

Thursdays

Movies in the Park in Crossroads Park on Thursday evenings, from July 31 – Aug 21. Pre-movie entertainment will begin at 7 p.m. and movies will begin at dusk. Free. 7/31 Cool Runnings, 8/7 American Tail, 8/14 Wicked, 8/21 Wild Robot.

Fridays

  • Sail-In Cinema – Everett. Watch from your boat or the shore! 7/25 – 8/22/25. Free. Details TBA.
  • Movies at the Mural at Seattle Center. FREE. 7/25 Ratatouile, 8/1 Princess Bride, 8/8 ET, 8/15 Say Anything, 8/22 Wicked
  • Movies in the Park, Pierce County. Meridian Habitat Park, Puyallup. Food Trucks. 7 pm.  FREE, 7/11 Mufasa, 7/18 Wild Robot, 7/25 Dog Man

Saturdays

  • Cinema Under the Stars – Columbia City / Seattle. 8/9. Food bank donations accepted. Rainier Arts Center
  • Movies in the Park, Marysville. FREE. Jennings Park. 711 Capt. America Brave New World, 7/18 Fall Guy, 7/25 Inside Out 2, 8/1 Moana 2, 8/8 Snow White
  •  Outdoor Summer Movies. Kirkland. Note: they have a super bright screen, so they can start before dusk, which makes this a good option for younger kids – double features show at 6 pm and 8 pm. Juanita Beach.  7/12 Despicable Me 3 and Wonka; 7/19 Migration and Madame Web, 7/26 Kung Fu Panda 4 and the Marvels. Free

Fridays/Saturdays

More options

The Seattle Times lists additional movies in Seattle and Puyallup.  This article includes 2024 listings, with some I haven’t covered here.

Drive-In Movies

There aren’t many classic drive-ins left…  Here’s what’s still open within a two hour drive from Seattle:

The only other one in the state is Auto-vue Drive-in – Colville, WA. 6 hours from Seattle. www.facebook.com/Auto-Vue-Drive-In-Theatre-120740527937813/  There’s more info on the drive-ins in the Seattle Times article.

Movies start at dusk… see note above. If you go to a drive-in, PLEASE spend lots of money at concessions!!! That’s what will keep these classic theaters open in future summers!!

Learn more about these drive-ins. (And in this article)

Parent Guides to Media

If you’re looking for advice on whether a particular movie is kid appropriate, check out Common Sense Media which provides reviews of movies, books, TV shows, games, apps and websites. In their movie reviews, they look at educational value, positive role models, positive messages, violence and scariness level, sexy stuff, language, consumerism and substances, providing information so parents can make their own informed decisions about what’s right for their child.

Kids in Mind also offers film reviews which rate, on a scale of 1 – 10, the level of sex/nudity, violence/gore, profanity and substance use in a movie. They also give detailed descriptions of each incident they counted, for parents to consider.

I also wrote a post on “When to Introduce Your Child To ______” which talks about things to consider when deciding whether your child is ready yet for favorite series like the MCU, Star Wars, and more.

Other Kid Activities:

If you’re looking for other fun ideas for the summer, find outdoor live theater options, check out my series on “Cheap Dates with Toddlers and Young Kids”,  or reviews of Eastside Parks or find hands-on STEM enrichment activities for kids age 3 – 7 on my other blog at www.InventorsOfTomorrow.com.

For school year activities, if you have kids age birth to 7, check out info about fabulous parent education classes at local community colleges that are great for kids AND include parent education for you – register now for fall, before they fill up!!