Tag Archives: Redmond

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!!

hungrytreeThis is a picture of the Hungry Tree. It’s a tree at Farrell-McWhirter park in Redmond. On pretty much every Friday morning from October through May, we visited the Hungry Tree and “fed” pine-cones to it. Teacher Ann from Tiny Treks provided the voice effects (“I’m the hungry tree. And boy am I hungry! I want some pine-cones! Oooh – thank you!”)

It’s really simple. And it makes all the kids really happy. Every week. Week after week. Especially my boy who loves repetition.

This week I’m reading a lot about Nature Deficit Disorder, and all the benefits for kids of spending time outside. One expert  said “It’s not about taking your kid to Yosemite once a year. It’s about taking them down to that little scrap of grass in the neighborhood every day. It’s about helping them develop a relationship with nature.” My boy has certainly developed a relationship with nature through this weekly ritual of visiting the Hungry Tree.

After we visit Hungry Tree, we balance on the logs, then go wade in the creek (thank goodness for good boots!), then hike through the woods, then return for a snack and story outside on the tarp. My son loves this routine. I love this routine!

But connecting to nature doesn’t need to mean a weekly 90 minute hike in the woods. You could have a “hungry tree” or similar nature buddy in your yard! My son has a “nature job” – every time we walk to the library or store, there’s an apartment garden we pass where the rocks are always getting kicked out of the garden bed onto the sidewalk. My son really likes rocks, and originally he wanted to take these rocks and carry them away. Instead, he now knows it’s his “job” to return any rock that he finds on the sidewalk back to the garden with its friends.

Does your child have a nature ritual?

Cheap Dates with Toddlers: Farm Parks

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Spring is coming, and the baby animals are appearing at local farms.

A few years ago, I took this picture of a 2 week old calf  at Farrell-McWhirter. He was shorter than my 3 year old! (Sorry that it’s not a great picture… my son was really ready to go have snack, so we only got a really quick look at the calf… but wow he was cute!)

calf

At any time of year, toddlers love outings to meet farm animals. Lots of children’s books, games, and videos feature farm animals, so kids tend to be familiar with them, and get very excited when they can recognize and name the “real thing.” Seeing and hearing (and smelling) the animals in person make the idea much more real. At farm parks, you can check out chickens, sheep, bunnies, cows, pigs, and goats. Some times you’ll get an opportunity to see fresh eggs in the coop, or see a cow or goat being milked.  This is a great outing for a child who has just learned to answer all those vital questions like “What does a cow say?”

For my readers in the Seattle area… here are some free outings:

Farrell McWhirter Park in Redmond. When last I visited (it’s been a while), they had a small pot-bellied pig and a really big pig, bunnies, chickens, 2 goats, a calf and horses. Animals are on view 9 am to 4 pm.  It is not a petting zoon – you  can’t pet or feed the animals – just see them. They do offer farm classes and pony rides. You can register for programs here. Farrell McWhirter is also home to Nature Vision preschool. There are great hiking trails, streams, swings, and tire swings too.

Kelsey Creek Farm Park in Bellevue. They’ve got sheep, pigs, cows, goats, ponies, bunnies, and chickens. (Learn about their animals.) Again, they’re on view, but this is not a petting zoo and you can’t feed them. It’s free to visit – animals are on view every day from 9 am to 3 pm. They also offer horseback riding and farm classes, including a great program for toddlers called Little Farmers. They also have a nice playground and walking trails. Learn about farm tours and farm classes.

Sammamish Animal Sanctuary. They have alpaca, goats, mini horses, mini donkeys, llama, cows, pigs, sheep, chicken, ducks, bunnies and guinea pigs. For a small donation, you can purchase treats to feed the animals, or you can bring your own spinach or carrots. You do have to make reservations. It is free, but they encourage donations to support their work.

Farms with a Fee:

Red Barn Farm in Redmond. They do farm visits on Wednesdays – you need to reserve. Feed the animals and walk around the farm! Price is $25 per car up to 4 guests. Additional guests beyond 4 are $10 each children under 2 free. They have cats, chickens, dogs, donkeys, ducks, goats, pigs and rabbits. (See pictures.)

Fancy Farm in Fall City. By appointment only. (Check their Facebook page for availability.) $10 per person, or $20 for family for a one hour visit. They have emu, goats, pigs, horses, chickens and ducks. Pony ride for an additional fee. I believe they let you hold / pet the animals.

Remlinger Farms Fun Park in Carnation. Opens for the season on Mother’s Day. They haven’t announced 2023 fees yet – a few years ago, they were ~$20 per person (babies under 1 are free). They have horses, pigs, sheep, alpaca, goats,  rabbits and donkeys. They have pony rides for an additional fee. They also have some amusement park style rides, and a train ride. Plus a hay maze and a hay barn to play in.

Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Adults $27.00. Kids are $16.50. Under two years is free. By the south entrance, there’s the Family Farm area, which includes a petting zoo where kids can meet goats up close. There’s pigs, goats, sheep, cows, bunnies, chickens, and a donkey. Plus, of course, lots of more exotic animals.

When visiting  farm parks: remember bring a change of clothes and shoes for your child! They can get pretty muddy in any of these places. Please teach your children to be calm around animals and gentle. If you’re at a petting zoo, always remember that these are animals – if you stand behind a horse and spook it, you may get kicked. If you annoy a goat, you may get bit. If you stay calm and quiet around petting zoo animals, you’ll do fine.

Updated March 2023.