Tots About Town - 5 Places Where Kids Can Be Kids
Everyone knows that when you have kids your life is over. As a parent, you slowly devolve into an Instagram-scrolling hermit, avoiding piles of dishes and soiled laundry. Is this you? Do you spend your Friday nights passed out in front of Frozen, surrounded by smashed Goldfish crackers?
This does not have to be your fate.
I found that since I’ve had kids I need to get out more because my kids need it. They don’t sit still. They are built to run, fall down, grab things, make messes, and ask questions. Which is fine. But I can only take so much of this in my own home.
My goal is often to find an appropriate and affordable outlet where my daughters can get the “kid-ness” out of their system.
So how do you do this in Everett? And where do you go?
Here are a few ideas based on my experience.
1. Forest Park (seasonal)
This park has an animal farm called… Animal Farm. Despite its Orwellian name, this cute collection of mini-barns is home to ducks, horses, llamas and more. And it’s free. Toddlers snuggling pygmy goats? Yes. This is a FB photo-op you can’t miss.
After petting animals you can cool off at the park’s splash pad or take a dip in the public pool. That’s a full afternoon right there.
2. The Everett Farmer’s Market (seasonal)
Parent strategy: don’t force your child to eat slimy carrots from a can. Instead, show them that produce can taste delicious. At the open air Farmer’s Market you can feed your kid a donut peach (Google it), crisp snap peas, or juicy strawberries. Also, the market is a family-friendly environment complete with pet dogs and hip, granola parents wearing Ergo carriers and ring slings.
If your kid is like my kid, they will love watching boats sail past Boxcar Park on a sunny day. And it’s not uncommon to spot a plump harbor seal basking on the docks at the marina.
3. Imagine Children’s Museum
Have you ever thought: I want my child to excavate plastic imitation dinosaur bones on the roof of a building? You probably have not. But you can do exactly that at the Imagine Children’s Museum. Your kid can splash on water tables, draw, climb, and get all of their crazy out before nap time.
The museum has free admission the third Friday of each month from 5:30 to 9:00PM. Makes for a good play date.
4. Henry M. Jackson Park
This park was recently made over. Casually hip and family-friendly, I joke that Henry M. is the Panera Bread of parks. The bathrooms have gabion walls and stainless steel doors. There’s a public pea patch, covered barbecue areas, and a panoramic view that takes in Mt. Pilchuck, Three Fingers, and Mt. Baker on a clear day. The play equipment features contraptions such as a kid-friendly zip line, elliptical exercise machines, and a giant climbing web.
Pro tip: your child will think you’re cool if you slam dunk on the less-than-regulation height basketball hoops.
5. Everett Aquasox (seasonal)
When I was a kid I went to an Aquasox game with my folks. I got a photo with the mascot, a giant grinning hotdog named Frank. It didn’t seem weird at the time. Decades later Frank still regularly appears at Everett Memorial Stadium along with fellow mascot Webbly the frog, and local kids still enjoy Aquasox games.
The ball park has a bouncy house, cheap food, and sometimes fireworks. This is the all-American experience. Also, for $16 your child (under 12) can get a membership card good for free admission to every Sunday home game.
Pro tip: Alfy’s Pizza on Broadway
Alfy’s is your safety. It’s your backup and your trump card. Why? If all else fails you can drink Merlot and hit the all-you-can eat salad bar while your kid jumps up and down in front of the Candy Crane.
Because at the end of the day a happy parent often makes for happy kids. And vice versa.
Richard Porter is a social worker and musician. He lives in North Everett and enjoys running on Marine View Drive, bicycling down tree-lined streets, and trying to coax vegetables out of his yard.
