Halloween Activities in Washington (Oct 24 – Oct 26)

Are you in search of local Halloween activities this year? Here are some ideas for events that take place the weekend before Halloween.

Goblin Splash at Forest Park Pool
Date: 10/24 from 7pm-8:30pm
Location: Forest Park Pool, Everett (802 E. Mukilteo Blvd)
Description: Bring food for the Volunteers of America Food Bank and toss pumpkins in the pool, play games and win prizes. Costumes are welcomed! Large donations receive free pool admission.

Woodland Park Zoo’s Pumpkin Prowl
Date: October 24, 25 and 26 from 5-8pm
Location: Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle
Description: Trick-or-treat with glowing pumpkins through the zoo. Activities are planned and costumes are encouraged. Tickets can be purchased at zoo or in advance at Bartell Drug locations.

Woodland Park Zoo’s Pumpkin Bash
Date: 10/25 and 10/26 from 10:00am-2:30pm
Location: Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle
Description: Pumpkins in different animal shapes around the zoo. Special treats for the animals to eat – pumpkins are smashed!

Tricks, Treats and Science Feats
Date: 10/25 and 10/26 from 10am-6pm
Location: Pacific Science Center, Seattle
Description: Science-themed Halloween event with giant pumpkin sculpting and a haunted house. Come in costume! Free with admission and all ages welcome. Feel free to wear costume.

Seattle Aquarium and other Waterfront Businesses
Date: 10/26 from 9:30am to 5pm
Location: Seattle Aquarium, Seattle and other waterfront businesses
Description: Trick or treat at Waterfront Businesses. Activities at the Seattle Aquarium include a Halloween party with Recess Monkey Rock Band(1:00 and 3:30pm performances), face painting, Seafair Pirates (11-4pm) and JP Patches (12-1:30pm). and special guest appearances by J.P. Patches and the Seafair Pirates!

Is Tomorrow a Stay-At-Home Day?

This is a common question at our house. A Stay-At-Home day is code word for weekend for my husband and I. Our kids interpret it as a day that mommy and daddy are not going to work and they are not going to daycare. Although their weekdays are wrapped around a hefty schedule at their daycare of circle time, free play, washing hands, lunch, naps, outside play and snack time, they still look forward to their Stay-At-Home days with mom and dad. Although how do you compete with the Library Bus Lady and the Music Man, who by the way has a better guitar that we have.

I came up with the code word when my older daughter kept getting her days confused and would switch from wanting to go to daycare everyday or wanting to stay home every day. By being a working mom outside of the home, I have to maintain a schedule like every other mom. But when my child is screaming because she wants to stay home or not spend time with me and instead spend time at daycare, I felt the need to come up with a code word to get our days under control. Therefore, the birth of the Stay-At-Home day came to be at our house.

Every weekend is planned to the point where sometimes I could use a weekend to recover from my weekend. I wish I could say that weekends are only about doing things with the kids but we do not receive weekly visits from the Cleaning Fairy. I hear she is like the Tooth Fairy but instead of leaving money she leaves a sparkling clean house. I will write myself a post-it note as a reminder to include her in my next birthday wish. But until then, weekends are also catch-up days where laundry get washed, folded and hopefully put away and also all household cleaning must take place.

But there is also at least one day or outing that is only for the benefit of the kids. This could be anything as elaborate as going to a local fair, aquarium, zoo, pumpkin patch, children’s museum or friend’s birthday party. It could also be as simple as going to a local park, driving to the beach to pick up rocks, going to grandma and papa’s or seeing a movie. The activity can occupy the entire day or be very simple and last only a few hours on one or both Stay-At-Home days.

It is hard to juggle home and work responsibilities while raising your family the best way you know how. My kids now know that there are usually two Stay-At-Home days each week and every time they give a little hoot and my heart swoons when I answer their question with a, “Yes”. It is one of the moments I long for every week and I treasure every Stay-At-Home day with them no matter what we end up doing.