Free Admission at Woodland Park Zoo for Winter Break

The kids are all out of school for winter break. Now what to do?

Well, you're in luck. The Woodland Park Zoo is offering free admission to kids ages 12 with each paying adult every day until January 3 (except December 25). Just mention "Winter Fun" to get a child in free!

The Zoo has lots of fun events for the holiday season. Enjoy the Zoo's Winter Celebration, where each of the animals receive holiday-themed treats and toys, a program designed to enrich each animal's lives and keep them mentally stimulated.

While the forecast looks sunny for Seattle, the temperatures might require some inside time as well. Check out the Zoo's Zoomazium, a year-round, indoor play space designed for kids. Check out Famplosion.com to find times of specific activities held at the Zoomazium, such as the Nature Exchange.

Christmas Events for Families in Seattle

Looking for some great things to do with your family in the Seattle area? Well, here are some of the great activities that we found.

Remember Where the Wild Things Are? Well, the renowned author Maurice Sendak helped create Seattle's one-of-a-kind Nutcracker performed by the Pacific Northwest Ballet at the Seattle Center's Marion Oliver McCaw Hall until December 30. Tchaikovsky's classic score will come to life in this wonderful Christmas tradition.

Join one of the thousands of people each year who participates in the annual Christmas Ship Festival. Be on shore with a bonfire and hot chocolate and listen to the concert broadcasted live from the flotilla of lit boats. Or splurge and join the crowd on the boats in the largest holiday floating parade in the world.

Take your family to see one of the many light displays, such as Bellevue Botanical Garden's Garden d'Lights, where thousands of light creations are "planted" every year and lit from 5:00 to 10:00. Or Renton's quirky Clam Lights at the Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park.
Light displays are also held at the Seattle Waterfront and Point Defiance Zoo.

Local Seattle Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes

I was thinking of making a large all-inclusive list of the pumpkin patches and corn mazes in the area, but I found this one at Seattle's Child Magazine first! If you're looking to take your kids to a pumpkin patch this year, I recommend checking here for one near you.

The Great Book Trade

Bellevue Library is sponsoring the "Great Book Trade" on Friday, August 21 at 10:00am. Kids can bring up to 5 books that they are tired of and trade them for 5 others. It's a great way to clean out your shelves, and maybe get rid of some books that you have read far to many times!

Free Wading Pools

Have you looked at the weather forcast for this week? Warm temperatures are predicted again! Not as bad as that other week, but warm enough that you and the kids will probably be wanting to get out to the pool.

The city of Seattle has 14 free wading pools throughout the city that are perfect for the kids. A list of locations, hours, and information can be found here, or by calling the wading pool hotline at (206) 684-7796. Not only are they a great free resource, but they are also a way to save water! Instead of filling your own pools in your backyard or running the sprinklers for the kids, come share the water savings.

The pools are emptied and refilled daily, in accordance with state law. The pools are only open on sunny days when the temperature is forcast to be above 70 degrees. They will usually be half-filled, but on the busiest days they will be full.

Wading Pool Rules:

* Children under 10 years old must be supervised by a responsible adult.
* No "Bare Buns" - bathing suit attire required, babies must wear tight plastic pants or diapers designed for swimming.
* No food or drink; no glass containers.
* No spots - people with communicable diseases are not allowed in the pool.
* No fidos (dogs, cats, etc.)
* No bikes
* No running
* No water fights
* No drugs or alcohol

Free Passes to KidsQuest and Bellevue Arts

I just found out that you can get free passes to Bellevue Arts Museum and KidsQuest Museum through the Bellevue Regional Library. For more information, look here. (Scroll down to the events that talk about Free Passes.)

The passes can be signed up for online—there is no need to visit the library itself!

Kids Bowl Free Every Day!

Several bowling alleys in the Seattle area are offering free games of bowling (up to 2 a day) for any child. All you have to do is register here. The offer is open to all kids 15 and under at the alley I checked out.

You still have to pay to rent bowling shoes, but if you're planning on using this deal often, it might be worth it to find a pair of junior bowling shoes on ebay!

In order to accomodate parents and older children in your family that may like to bowl, the participating bowling centers are offering a Family Pass. The Family Pass provides the same great "2 games a day" package for up to 4 adult family members for a one-time payment from $23.95.