We have family in town next weekend and I find myself asking a question I see on local social media parent corners, “what can we do here to entertain the kids in our group?” This time, the age range will span from a newly minted teenager to a fresh high school graduate so we don’t have to worry about nap times or sleep schedules, which helps. Our first stop will probably be at Brackett’s Landing in Edmonds for low tide, which I read will be lowest around 1:30pm on Saturday 16th – at around -2.5. The family isn’t in town too long, so between a day at the beach, an option to walk from their Airbnb to an outdoor movie, do some sightseeing stuff in Seattle, and whatever’s on their phones, I think we are ready to go.

One option I keep in mind is to offer adults visiting Edmonds waterfront entertainment with Sea Notes at the Marina. which has deals until September 3 and is a great option to stop and watch maybe while the kids are playing or as a nice break during a walk. There are plenty of options to enjoy the music, including Deep Sea Jazz, a guitarist every Saturday, and songwriter Sundays, but local high schools will also show off their talents. Jazz combos from each of our four high schools will be performing this summer, along with the Edmonds School District Honors Jazz Band and Steel Magic Northwest. For more information, including dates and times for each event, you can visit PortofEdmonds.com.

Since I just mentioned them, Steel Magic Northwest is offering two sessions of their intensive summer camp this year. Children ages 11-18 can join Steel Pan artist and internationally renowned local teacher Gary Gibson the week of July 11 or August 8 to “learn the basics of music (rhythm, melody, harmony) and good Steel Pan techniques”. All levels of players can join and although you may think it’s not possible for beginners to pick it up quickly, I’ve seen it with my own eyes both in music school d Edmonds summer and in the school year orchestra classes. For more information and to register, you can visit RecZone.org.

I was looking for easygoing summer activities that weren’t too expensive and found a few that I thought fit the bill.

If you’re wandering around downtown Edmonds looking for something to do in July, Where’s Waldo is back and there are prizes to find it! Fifty Edmonds companies are joining the party and you have until July 25 to find Waldo in as many places as possible. When you find Waldo at any business, you can collect a stamp in your Where’s Waldo passport, with 20 stamps granting you a temporary Waldo tattoo (while supplies last). Those who collect all 50 will be entered into a draw to win a grand prize of a deluxe set of Where’s Waldo books. The Grand Celebration and Draw “with cupcakes” will take place on July 26 from 11 a.m. to noon. You can visit edmondsbookshop.indielite.org/event/waldo-2022 for more details!

Edmonds Library has canceled or postponed most of its in-person events due to its recent closure, but outdoor family storytime hours at the Frances Anderson Amphitheater will continue as planned! The next outdoor family storytime with Miss Kat for toddlers and preschoolers will be Tuesday, July 12 at 11 a.m. Families are asked to bring blankets or chairs to enjoy the songs and stories and there may be a recess or activity to follow. For more information and to find more options, including online story times, you can visit Sno-Isle.org.

For an older set, Sno-Isle offers access to a summer author event with Mary Pope Osborne of Magic Treehouse fame. Osborne will give a special reading and answer some questions from the audience during the moderated conversation. Registration is required to receive a reminder email with the Zoom link, but it looks like the event page already includes a link to the webinar. You can find this link, registration and more information at Sno-Isle.org.

If you’re planning on visiting an Edmonds park soon, Edmonds Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services is installing new engineered wood fiber (by a quick search, it sounds like a more sophisticated type of woodchip) at eight local parks. This means that each park will be closed during installation. While six parks have already been completed, the playgrounds at City Park and Yost Park will both be closed for a period on Thursday July 14 – City Park from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and Yost Park from 11 a.m. to noon. They also shared on social media that they had added a new disc swing at Mathay Ballinger Park, 24100 78th Pl W, Edmonds.

Edmonds Parks and Rec is offering Yoga in the Park at the Frances Anderson Center on Wednesdays at 9am this summer. The class for participants of all abilities, ages 13 and up, “will gently rejuvenate the whole body, leaving you feeling refreshed, balanced and awake. You can register for this course for all levels, which takes place on the terrace outside the Plaza room, on RecZone.org.

I was pretty excited when I saw that PAWS in Lynnwood is offering PAWS Preteen workshops this summer. What a great opportunity for animal lovers, but also for pre-teens to see behind the scenes of a great organization that benefits from the help of many volunteers. Tweens, ages 9 to 12, can sign up for another of these workshops on Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. During the workshops, they “will develop a deeper understanding of animal welfare, will perform mission-oriented work through community service projects, learning from guest speakers, while fostering their leadership skills. For more information or to register, which is $20, you can visit PAWS.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.