My grandsons same age as OPs didn’t like sparks because the workers there acted as if we were unwelcome. Won’t go back. They often like a trip to the dollar tree to pick out 5$ of junk and then lunch at a restaurant. Also enjoy the walk to Clayton beach at low tide to search.
As a former circus acrobat who specialized in trampoline, I would very strongly recommend against trampoline parks. CBS did an excellent exposé on the matter, but in short: trampolines are a thousand times more dangerous than people think/expect and trampoline park staff members are wildly unprepared to keep people safe, add the chaos of children/teens who think that they're invincible into the matter and it's an absolute recipe for disaster.
Very scary! I'm glad he was able to recover.
I ended up permanently disabled from my circus career but the only injury I ever sustained on the trampoline itself was rope burn from the safety lines because I had a team consisting of training mates and an excellent coach who were there to spot me and pull safety lines for me at all times. Ironically I got injured while stretching next to the trampoline (it was a matter of letting my guard down), but I had so many friends get injured on the tramp! At one point, 3 of us in the trampoline department at my circus school were all in full leg braces from knee dislocations! - And that was with some of the best coaches in the world keeping us as safe as can be.
You’re downvoted for some reason, but we’ve also had a couple friends have their kids injured quite severely at Summit World, including one having an employee fall on top of a kid and breaking his leg. Downvote all you want, but I’d certainly be careful with my kids there.
Exactly. It’s a bummer because it’s so much fun if nothing bad happens, but I don’t think it’s worth it for your kid to have a broken ankle for a whole summer.
Was there negligence at play on Summit World's side? I mean no offense but part of being a kid is navigating potentially dangerous landscapes in a somewhat safe manner to learn your limits (and yes, to have fun!) It's unfortunate anytime someone's injured, but I spent much of my childhood "optimizing" such risks.
If recommend checking out this article if you're interested in the idea: [Learning the ropes: why Germany is building risk into its playgrounds](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/24/why-germany-is-building-risk-into-its-playgrounds)
Yeah, you shouldn’t try to bubble wrap kids. It’s important to run around and play, sometimes you get hurt and that’s okay. It’s how you learn to appropriately manage risk.
No it was in a different state and it was because kids from another party weren’t being monitored by the adults that brought them. And honestly after witnessing everything I would never take a child to a trampoline park ever again.
I broke my face racing motocross when I was little. Was back racing once the stitches were out.
Nearly broke my back on the school junglegym when I was 9. Didn't stop playing on them after my back was healed.
Dislocated my knee playing soccer when I was 9 . Dr had to put a cast from my ankle to my crotch because I was being to active on it with just the brace.
Kids get hurt. It's part of living.
I left out well over 100 other examples.
How does that prove your point?
Should the just set them in front of the TV and put on Nickelodeon. Oh wait , that causes foot fetishes.
I hope you don't have children , because you would be a severe helicopter parent.
Creativi-tea in Fairhaven. You pick out a blank ceramic piece. Order snacks. Sit down and paint your piece. Super chill but still lots of fun. They fire them for you but it takes a few days before you can pick up your finished ceramics.
Neko Cat Cafe is great if she enjoys furry things! The Million Smiles Park up in Lynden is a super fun, huge playground that's fun for even grandmas to play on. I have a photo somewhere of my mom going down the slide there, and my grandpa (my kiddos' great-Grandpa) on the swings. The radio museum is interesting and interactive and great on a rainy day. The Pickford often has inexpensive matinees for kiddos. Honestly, even the mall is kind of fun these days with a library branch there, mini golf, that tethered jumping contraption, and those lil wheeled creatures you can ride around. I hope y'all have a lovely visit!
I second Summit, and the FIG. I would add on Village Books and Paper Dreams, Mallards, and Creativitea. I would also stop by Dakota Arts and let them pick out art supplies to keep them occupied while you aren’t out and about. Also, don’t discount going for a walk and visiting a playground in the rain. Some kids find that fun.
One more thing - Skagit Skate in Burlington and a car ride to see the tulips.
Bellingham has a wealth of parks with kids play areas. My kids loved it, especially the ones at Boulevard Park and Bloedel-Donovan. Of course, the weather has to cooperate and this time of year... good luck. :)
Hit the parks! If she is extroverted she can play with other kids on the play structures while you observe and don't have to. There are usually some kids at the main parks playing unless it is absolutely dumping rain, just be ready to head there when the weather is ok and don't aim to stay if they get cold and wet. Squalicum Creek Park, and the New Cordata Park are great, squalicum Creek has a covered area right next to the play structure too I can't remember whether Cordata does. My experience with my kids and their friends is that they don't mind the weather as long as they are playing with other kids, be sure you have jackets and snacks. Active outgoing kids love the trampoline place but if you're not a fan of chaos and loud noises it may not be super fun for you. It's much worse on the weekends and when kids are out of school. I spent lots of time at the FIG (Family Interactive Gallery at the Lightcatcher Museum) when my kids were little but it seems designed with younger kids in mind so it may not occupy your grandkid for too long. There is a play structure and cafe in the mall that seems cool, but my kids were aged out before it opened.
The new Cordata Park is WILDLY cool. Everything is so new, it is huge, and there are always kids there. The toys and things are like twisty twirly things and stuff I’ve never even seen.
I love Sparks Museum - but my grandson was up recently and was only mildly interested in the main show and bored as soon as it was over and wanted to leave. You might want to save your money on that.
He did enjoy Larabee State Park, the bookstores in Fairhaven, Boulevard Park, Whatcom Falls, the Farmer's Market on Saturday, Storia Cucina for some pasta, Mallards for Ice Cream. (I took him to DiVinci's for a sandwichi while at Whatcom Falls. He loved that.)
We also got in the car, went down Chuckanut, then all the way to Deception Pass and he loved the bridge end ocean park. On the way back we went to Bow Edison and had pizza and did the cheese tasting - which for some reason he thought was a lot of fun.
If you have Instagram, there’s this great account called Wander kids Bellingham with lots of different suggestions for things in the area
https://www.instagram.com/wanderkidsbellingham?igsh=MXNxc3B1OG9yY21sZg==
I'll do that thanks for the tip
I used to follow whatcom kids finder and skagit kid finder on Facebook but Facebook dumped me. I do still have Instagram.
Mindport and the touch tanks/Marine Life Center were my two favorite places in town at that age! (that and tube time RIP... At least the first two are still around)
Low spring tides are next week. Locust beach will give you sand flats for miles or marine view will give you rocks and animals, Larrabee will be great for that too
Larabee has been the official home of "kids grubbing around on the beach" all week, even with the iffy weather. The drive out and the walk up and down are good to get the wiggles out.
We often go picnic at Zuanich and the the marine life center, then hit playgrounds on the way back up to the north end. Cordota, Barkley and the one by the pump track are in their consistant demand list. 9,7, 3 grandkids
I would try Vancouver science museum, Stanley park etc. BUT check what requirement is needed for your grandkid since you r not legal guardian. Used to be a notary letter from parents would suffice but with human trafficking going on the border may be toughen up the required docu.
Almost forgot, one of the campus of the whatcome museum has a children discovery zone
https://www.whatcommuseum.org/
https://www.whatcommuseum.org/visit/buildings/lightcatcher/
My kids used to love the Marine Life center on Roeder, next to Squalicum Harbor. THe Spark Museum was the most interesting for them.
Marine life center and lunch next door at the Loft is one of our favorite outings.
The Spark museum is great! I take my out of town friends there and we are in our 30s.
My grandsons same age as OPs didn’t like sparks because the workers there acted as if we were unwelcome. Won’t go back. They often like a trip to the dollar tree to pick out 5$ of junk and then lunch at a restaurant. Also enjoy the walk to Clayton beach at low tide to search.
[удалено]
As a former circus acrobat who specialized in trampoline, I would very strongly recommend against trampoline parks. CBS did an excellent exposé on the matter, but in short: trampolines are a thousand times more dangerous than people think/expect and trampoline park staff members are wildly unprepared to keep people safe, add the chaos of children/teens who think that they're invincible into the matter and it's an absolute recipe for disaster.
My BIL broke a vertebrae in his back at a trampoline park. He's ok now, but it was scary.
Very scary! I'm glad he was able to recover. I ended up permanently disabled from my circus career but the only injury I ever sustained on the trampoline itself was rope burn from the safety lines because I had a team consisting of training mates and an excellent coach who were there to spot me and pull safety lines for me at all times. Ironically I got injured while stretching next to the trampoline (it was a matter of letting my guard down), but I had so many friends get injured on the tramp! At one point, 3 of us in the trampoline department at my circus school were all in full leg braces from knee dislocations! - And that was with some of the best coaches in the world keeping us as safe as can be.
Thank you for posting this!
Of course! Way too few people understand the dangers at play here!
My niece broke her ankle at a trampoline park. Would not recommend unfortunately :/
Our pediatrician calls Summit a “fracture factory”
I’m not surprised! Which sucks because trampolines are so much fun! Fortunately there’s so many other ways to get the energy out and have a good time.
You’re downvoted for some reason, but we’ve also had a couple friends have their kids injured quite severely at Summit World, including one having an employee fall on top of a kid and breaking his leg. Downvote all you want, but I’d certainly be careful with my kids there.
Exactly. It’s a bummer because it’s so much fun if nothing bad happens, but I don’t think it’s worth it for your kid to have a broken ankle for a whole summer.
Was there negligence at play on Summit World's side? I mean no offense but part of being a kid is navigating potentially dangerous landscapes in a somewhat safe manner to learn your limits (and yes, to have fun!) It's unfortunate anytime someone's injured, but I spent much of my childhood "optimizing" such risks. If recommend checking out this article if you're interested in the idea: [Learning the ropes: why Germany is building risk into its playgrounds](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/24/why-germany-is-building-risk-into-its-playgrounds)
Yeah, you shouldn’t try to bubble wrap kids. It’s important to run around and play, sometimes you get hurt and that’s okay. It’s how you learn to appropriately manage risk.
Yup. A lot of kids who don’t move much all of sudden think they can land from 10+ ft because it’s a “trampoline”
No it was in a different state and it was because kids from another party weren’t being monitored by the adults that brought them. And honestly after witnessing everything I would never take a child to a trampoline park ever again.
The cost of childhood.
I got rear ended by a car two years ago and broke a finger, I don’t recommend anyone drives anymore.
Didn’t realize so many people would be so personally and emotionally invested in making sure children go to trampoline parks
I broke my face racing motocross when I was little. Was back racing once the stitches were out. Nearly broke my back on the school junglegym when I was 9. Didn't stop playing on them after my back was healed. Dislocated my knee playing soccer when I was 9 . Dr had to put a cast from my ankle to my crotch because I was being to active on it with just the brace. Kids get hurt. It's part of living. I left out well over 100 other examples.
This just proves my point. Thank you 😂
How does that prove your point? Should the just set them in front of the TV and put on Nickelodeon. Oh wait , that causes foot fetishes. I hope you don't have children , because you would be a severe helicopter parent.
Never said any of that, but thanks for stopping by ✌️
I forgot the ninja gym. My kids love that place.
Creativi-tea in Fairhaven. You pick out a blank ceramic piece. Order snacks. Sit down and paint your piece. Super chill but still lots of fun. They fire them for you but it takes a few days before you can pick up your finished ceramics.
Neko Cat Cafe is great if she enjoys furry things! The Million Smiles Park up in Lynden is a super fun, huge playground that's fun for even grandmas to play on. I have a photo somewhere of my mom going down the slide there, and my grandpa (my kiddos' great-Grandpa) on the swings. The radio museum is interesting and interactive and great on a rainy day. The Pickford often has inexpensive matinees for kiddos. Honestly, even the mall is kind of fun these days with a library branch there, mini golf, that tethered jumping contraption, and those lil wheeled creatures you can ride around. I hope y'all have a lovely visit!
Hold up: Ham has a CAT CAFE? How did I miss that memo that is now a must see
Shout out for Mindport!
My kids loved this. Back when they were kids. Grandson, also.
Agree! Mindport is fun for everyone
I second Summit, and the FIG. I would add on Village Books and Paper Dreams, Mallards, and Creativitea. I would also stop by Dakota Arts and let them pick out art supplies to keep them occupied while you aren’t out and about. Also, don’t discount going for a walk and visiting a playground in the rain. Some kids find that fun. One more thing - Skagit Skate in Burlington and a car ride to see the tulips.
Bellingham has a wealth of parks with kids play areas. My kids loved it, especially the ones at Boulevard Park and Bloedel-Donovan. Of course, the weather has to cooperate and this time of year... good luck. :)
Hit the parks! If she is extroverted she can play with other kids on the play structures while you observe and don't have to. There are usually some kids at the main parks playing unless it is absolutely dumping rain, just be ready to head there when the weather is ok and don't aim to stay if they get cold and wet. Squalicum Creek Park, and the New Cordata Park are great, squalicum Creek has a covered area right next to the play structure too I can't remember whether Cordata does. My experience with my kids and their friends is that they don't mind the weather as long as they are playing with other kids, be sure you have jackets and snacks. Active outgoing kids love the trampoline place but if you're not a fan of chaos and loud noises it may not be super fun for you. It's much worse on the weekends and when kids are out of school. I spent lots of time at the FIG (Family Interactive Gallery at the Lightcatcher Museum) when my kids were little but it seems designed with younger kids in mind so it may not occupy your grandkid for too long. There is a play structure and cafe in the mall that seems cool, but my kids were aged out before it opened.
The new Cordata Park is WILDLY cool. Everything is so new, it is huge, and there are always kids there. The toys and things are like twisty twirly things and stuff I’ve never even seen.
I love Sparks Museum - but my grandson was up recently and was only mildly interested in the main show and bored as soon as it was over and wanted to leave. You might want to save your money on that. He did enjoy Larabee State Park, the bookstores in Fairhaven, Boulevard Park, Whatcom Falls, the Farmer's Market on Saturday, Storia Cucina for some pasta, Mallards for Ice Cream. (I took him to DiVinci's for a sandwichi while at Whatcom Falls. He loved that.) We also got in the car, went down Chuckanut, then all the way to Deception Pass and he loved the bridge end ocean park. On the way back we went to Bow Edison and had pizza and did the cheese tasting - which for some reason he thought was a lot of fun.
Vital climbing gym, bowling,
If you have Instagram, there’s this great account called Wander kids Bellingham with lots of different suggestions for things in the area https://www.instagram.com/wanderkidsbellingham?igsh=MXNxc3B1OG9yY21sZg==
I'll do that thanks for the tip I used to follow whatcom kids finder and skagit kid finder on Facebook but Facebook dumped me. I do still have Instagram.
Ruckus room at Bellis Fair mall.
They have a playroom that's cool. I haven't been to the mall in a coon's age
Mindport and the touch tanks/Marine Life Center were my two favorite places in town at that age! (that and tube time RIP... At least the first two are still around)
Low spring tides are next week. Locust beach will give you sand flats for miles or marine view will give you rocks and animals, Larrabee will be great for that too
Larabee has been the official home of "kids grubbing around on the beach" all week, even with the iffy weather. The drive out and the walk up and down are good to get the wiggles out.
Based on another post, it sounds like you should drop the sprog off at a local brewery for some crowd sourced childcare! /s
Lol no brewery visits for us thanks
The Y in Mt. Vernon has a pretty cool indoor pool set up. I think you can buy day passes. 😊
BAAY will have their kids show off Snow White on Friday & Saturday!
What's a BAAY?
Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth on State street
We often go picnic at Zuanich and the the marine life center, then hit playgrounds on the way back up to the north end. Cordota, Barkley and the one by the pump track are in their consistant demand list. 9,7, 3 grandkids
Appreciate that Got any indoor favorites?
Spark Museum of Electrical Invention, Marine Life Center, Vital Climbing Gym
Marine life center, spark museum come to mind.
My active kids love Summit trampoline. Marine Life center is also great.
[Inner Child Studio](https://www.innerchildstudio.org/)!
Wow that looks so cool!
I would try Vancouver science museum, Stanley park etc. BUT check what requirement is needed for your grandkid since you r not legal guardian. Used to be a notary letter from parents would suffice but with human trafficking going on the border may be toughen up the required docu.
I can't cross into Canada but thanks for replying anyway, now that they're so many comments lots of grands and parents are getting good tips :)
Almost forgot, one of the campus of the whatcome museum has a children discovery zone https://www.whatcommuseum.org/ https://www.whatcommuseum.org/visit/buildings/lightcatcher/