» Seattle
Staycation B
ecome a tourist in your own town and see all that Washington has to offer. Visit iconic sites, parks, museums and engage in family-friendly experiences.
Free Museum Days Once a month on Thurs-
day, the public gets the run of some wonderful Seattle museums. This is a great way to explore the city on the cheap, if you don’t mind bigger crowds than usual. Some museums offer free admission on the first Friday of the month. The Frye Museum and the Olympic Sculpture Park are always free. For more information read “Seattle-area museums to explore for free on First Thursdays” on seattleschild.com.
National Parks Days For five days a year, national parks that normally charge an entrance fee offer free admission to all. The remaining entrance fee-free days in 2022 are August 4, September 24 and November 11. nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-freeparks.htm City Pass Purchase a pass that includes admis-
sion to three or five Seattle attractions for one low price. Attractions include the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour, Museum of Pop Culture, Woodland Park Zoo and Chihuly Garden and Glass. Passes must be used within nine days of the first visit to an attraction. citypass.com
KCLS Park and Museum Passes In an
effort to help families explore different parks and museums around Seattle, the King County Library System supplies free museum and park passes by reservation. Discovery pass check-outs may be used for 14 days at museums such as Bellevue Arts Museum, KidsQuest, MOHAI, MoPOP and others. kcls.org/museum-passes
Every Kid Outdoors If you have a fourth grad-
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S E AT T L E ’S C H I L D
Everyt hin g Fam ily 2 0 22
Sensory friendly outings for kids For some kids, including those living with autism, the hardest part of seeing a play or a movie can be the theater itself – too loud, too much contrast between dark and bright, too long sitting still. With this in mind, some arts organizations offer “sensory-friendly” shows – lower sound, smaller crowds, house lights lit and an easy-going attitude – so that it’s fine for kids to make a bit of noise and move around. Theatres also offer sensory support equipment like fidget toys, earplugs and noise-canceling earmuffs. Furthermore, staff provide storybooks outlining the theatergoer experience and prompts that serve as a guide to lighting and sound cues that may be overwhelming.
For sensory programs around the Seattle area, check these arts organizations for more information.D
3 AMC and Regal Movie Theaters amctheatres.com • regmovies.com
3 Pacific Northwest Ballet pnb.org
3 Seattle Children’s Theatre sct.org
3 Seattle Symphony seattlesymphony.org
3 Seattle Theatre Group stgpresents.org
3 Storybook Theatre storybooktheatre.org
3 Village Theatre villagetheatre.org
PHOTOS: ISTOCK
er in the family, traveling and seeing our national parks, lands and waters just got easier. Sign up for a pass at the beginning of the school year, travel to your desired park and you will be admitted free. Pass holders can take the whole family, anyone under age 16 and up to two adults. So go see the wild animals, trek through the forest and camp under the stars. everykidoutdoors.gov
Lights, Camera, Action!
