Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Local Highlights

•   1st Bellingham St. Patrick's Day Parade
  

  Erin Go Bragh! You might hear a lot of folks in Bellingham chanting this Gaelic phrase, roughly translated as "Ireland Forever," this weekend. Although St. Patrick's Day is still a few days away, Saturday, March 13, 2010 will mark the 1st Annual Bellingham St. Patrick's Day Parade at noon in downtown Bellingham. What inspired some Bellingham locals to found this exciting community event?

•   Whatcom Libraries Looking for Funny Stories
  

  Whatcom County Library System is looking to celebrate National Library Week, April 11-18, 2010, with some real knee slappers! One doesn't have to spend much time in a library to appreciate some pretty funny stuff can happen in place of the stereotypically stuffy. Have you heard the one about the chicken in the book drop? We want to collect these stories! WCLS Chuckles is our new website devoted to collecting and sharing library humor. Everyone can participate!

•   What's Up on MLK, Jr. Day in Bellingham?
  

  Kids might simply be excited for a day off from school, but many organizations and businesses in Bellingham want everyone in our community to remember why we celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. on the third Monday of each January. Check out one of the following activities for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Bellingham on Monday, January 18, 2010.

•   Village Books Celebrates Australia Month
  

  For some reason, Americans have a soft spot in our hearts for Australia. Maybe it's the shared history of our beginnings as British colonies and eventual independence. Maybe it's the all the adorable animals with exotic sounding names, like koala and bandicoot, that call the continent home. To celebrate Australia Day on January 26, 2010, independent bookseller Village Books is hosting a series of "Literature Live" events that honor the culture of Australia.

•   Bellingham Library Announces Additional Cuts
  

  Another round of citywide cuts to the proposed 2010 budget which eliminated an additional $75,000 from the Bellingham Public Library will result in one staff layoff, the cancellation of Outreach services to seniors at 12 facilities, and hours reductions at the Barkley and Fairhaven Branch libraries Reductions to the library’s 2009 and 2010 budgets total $546,385.

•   Whatcom Library Receives $50,000 Grant
  

  The Washington State Library has awarded Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) a $50,000 grant to help public libraries enhance outreach services to their most needy residents during the economic downturn. The Renew Washington grant program will assist the Whatcom County Library System in meeting needs in their local communities.

•   A Northwest Harvest of Apples and Pumpkins
  

  My favorite thing about the arrival of the fall season in the Pacific Northwest is seeing the beautiful colors that blanket our community. The bright yellow leaves and orange pumpkins make a cloudless, autumn sky seem even bluer. And there's no better place to see these colors on display than in the wide, open spaces of local farms. Check out a list of Whatcom and Skagit County farms that offer a ton of fun for fall this year.

•   Don't Miss the Great Squash Smackdown
  

  Visit the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturday, October 3, 2009 to watch nine local chefs battle it out in a cooking competition. During this free event sponsored by COUNTRY Financial, spectators can enjoy cooking demonstrations, tastings, grower competition for squash, and judging throughout the day. In addition to our cooking challenge, the day’s events will include a zucchini derby for kids to build, race and decorate their own edible cars.

•   Celebrate Peace in Bellingham
  

  International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by a United Nations resolution to provide "an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date." Peace Day events can take a variety of forms, from an individual classroom project to a citywide peace march. The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center hosts its 6th Annual International Day of Peace Program this year on Monday, September 21, 2009.

•   Gluten Free Food Fair at B'ham Public Market
  

  Gluten free food seems to be the hottest topic in the food industry. In the past, it was nearly impossible to find gluten free food that tasted good! In an effort to introduce more gluten free options to Whatcom County, Terra Organica and Bellingham Public Market are hosting the 2nd Annual Whatcom County Gluten Free Food Fair on Saturday, September 19, 2009 with the Bellingham Gluten Intolerance Group.

•   Fun & Delicious Whatcom County Farm Tour
  

  It’s harvest season and Whatcom farms are exploding with abundance. What better way to experience the bounty of our precious farmland than to spend a day tasting local flavors, wandering fields and orchards, practicing your cider pressing skills, and hearing the stories of the hardworking folks who put food on our tables? The 2nd Annual Whatcom Farm Tour will feature nine unique farms plus the Bellingham Farmers Market, representing a diversity of local agriculture.

•   Celebrate Labor Day at B'ham Eat-In
  

  If your family is in town for Labor Day, check out the Bellingham Slow Food Eat-In, a great family-friendly event at Birchwood Elementary School. This noontime potluck is an opportunity to enjoy good food and friendly company, and to send a message to our government about healthy living! The Child Nutrition Act is up for renewal this year, so Slow Food USA is organizing families and citizens across the country.

•   Sign-up the Kids for a Library Card
  

  Coinciding with the start of the news school year, September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. It’s a great idea to get early readers excited about starting school by visiting your local library to get them a library card of their very own. Youth library cards are available for any Whatcom County resident under the age of 18 years old; a parent's or legal guardian's signature is also required for applicants.

•   Bring Kids & Veggies Together at the Market
  

  A trip to the Bellingham Farmers Market is always a great experience for families. Not only are youngsters enthralled by buskers, freshly-made cotton candy, and the hoola hoop testing zone, but parents have the opportunity to promote healthy eating and healthy communities to their children. Families will definitely want to mark their calendars for a special day at the Saturday Farmers Market at Depot Market Square on August 29, 2009.

•   Visit Lynden for NW Washington Fair
  

  A local event gets a “thumbs up” from me when you can find something to attract just about every member of the family. No matter their age or stage of life, there is something for everybody at for the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden, running from Monday, August 17, to Saturday, August 22, 2009. Here’s a breakdown of “must see” attractions at the Fair that someone in your family is bound to want to check out!

•   Summer Readers Celebrate at B'ham Library
  

  Bellingham children who have finished reading 15 or more books this summer as part of Bellingham Public Library’s Summer Reading program will be congratulated this Friday, August 7, at a Recognition Ceremony on the Central Library lawn. Mayor Dan Pike, Library Director Pam Kiesner, and Head of Children’s Services Scott Blume will be announcing the names of each reader and shaking their hands.

•   Bellingham Arts Festival Takes to the Streets
  

  Make your way to Cornwall Avenue in downtown Bellingham on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, to celebrate summer with art, music, food, and fun! This year marks the 4th Annual Bellingham Arts Festival (formerly La Bella Strada), an event organized by Allied Arts of Whatcom County. Downtown Bellingham Partnership also brings Bite of Bellingham to the streets this weekend.

•   Kids Sell Crafts at the Bellingham Library
  

  Bellingham children are invited to get creative – and earn some cash – at Bellingham Public Library’s 41st Annual Children’s Craft Fair. The Craft Fair will be held Friday, July 31, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the Central Library Lawn. Children ages 13 and younger register to have a booth space; registrations will be accepted at the library until Tuesday, July 28.

•   Garden Spot Fundraiser for Blue Skies
  

  Keep cool in the garden and help make dreams come true for low-income and foster children in Whatcom County at An Evening in the Garden, hosted by Marcy Plattner of The Garden Spot Nursery. On Thursday, July 23, 2009 from 6 to 9:30 PM, a $5 donation per person will get you and your family into the garden to enjoy an evening of music, a live auction, delicious appetizers and wine, and more in support of Blue Skies for Children.

•   Saturday Night Movie in Fairhaven
  

  Is there a better way to end a summer Saturday than settling down on the Fairhaven Village Green to wait for the sunset and watch a movie with a crowd of 500 Bellingham residents? If there is, I haven’t found it. Truly, no summer in Bellingham is complete without at least one trip to the Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema. Admission is a $5 per person donation for the film and pre-movie music by local entertainers.

•   Summer Fun at Bellingham Farmers Market
  

  My affection for our city's weekly Saturday Farmers Market has been well-evidenced in the past, but it never hurts to take an annual look at this great community event. Some of the “don’t want to miss” happenings taking place at the Market this summer include monthly Kids Vending Days and bimonthly Chef in the Market demonstrations. And, of course, great food and live entertainment are featured every week!

•   "Girls Go Green" Summer Camp
  

  If you have a daughter or know a girl between ages 6-8 who would like to learn how to be a steward of the earth, Bellingham has a new summer camp available. It’s called "Girls Go Green," and it will be led by Jill MacIntyre Witt and her two daughters, Olivia, 13, and Gloria, almost 10. The camp will run twice during the summer, July 13-17 and August 24-28. Jill’s mission with the camp is simple: to empower girls to take care of the planet, one action at a time.

•   READ Poster Night at Roller Betties Bout
  

  Fans of the Bellingham Roller Betties and of local libraries will want to be sure to get to the Betties’ “School’s Out Blow Out” bout early this Saturday to receive a free Roller Betties READ poster sponsored by the Bellingham Public Library and the Whatcom County Library System. Library staff will be on hand when the doors open at the Bellingham Sportsplex to hand out posters featuring three of the toughest Betties holding their favorite books to the first 50 people in line.

•   Bellingham to Celebrate National Night Out
  

  Calling all Block Watch Captains, Neighborhood Association Members and neighborhood organizers! Plans are under way for National Night Out on August 4, 2009. The Bellingham Police is encouraging people to host crime prevention events in their neighborhoods. Last year in Bellingham, there were 27 registered events with almost 600 participants throughout the city. These events included barbeques, ice cream socials, dessert socials and potlucks.

•   Take Me Out to the Bellingham Bells
  

  If the kids are singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” consider a local alternative with our very own Bellingham Bells. An evening with the Bells is a great option if you’re looking for some affordable family fun this summer. The Bells started as a team of local players in Bellingham in the 1940s. In 2005, the Bells joined the West Coast League with seven other Northwest teams.

•   New Website for Bellingham Farmers Market
  

  The Bellingham Farmers Market (BFM), an open-air gathering place where fresh local produce, tasty food, fabulous crafts, and festive atmosphere attract thousands of visitors each year, announces the launch of its new website. The new website was developed to keep customers informed about exciting events and special promotions at the Market, offer an online directory of BFM vendors, and provide information about the organization.

•   Summer Day Camps in Bellingham
  

  Summer is almost here! You and the kids deserve some rest and relaxation, but there are plenty of opportunities to keep their minds and bodies active throughout the season. Visit Neighborhood-Kids.com Activities to take a look at some of the summer day camps that are now open for registration. Here are just a few highlights that you and the kids won’t want to miss.

•   The Best of Bellingham with Ski to Sea
  

  Ski to Sea is the biggest citywide event in Bellingham, celebrating our community and the amazing recreational activities available in this unique geographical region. Where else in the world can athletes transition seamlessly from skiing and biking to canoeing and kayaking? Over two weekends in May, a variety of Ski to Sea events are scheduled in and around Bellingham that the whole family can enjoy.

•   Children's Book Week at Village Books
  

  As the festivities of Mothers' Day wind down, be sure to check your calendar for the coming days. All week long, May 11-16, 2009, is Children's Book Week. Begun as early as 1919, Children's Book Week has been a practice of libraries, booksellers, publishers, and schools to bring good books to children of all ages. Village Books has lined up a series of events to celebrate. Starting on Monday night at 7 PM, authors of children's books will be visiting Village Books.

•   A Great Weekend for the Arts in Bellingham
  

  If you head to downtown Bellingham this weekend, you’ll find a variety of visual and performing arts events for and by children in Whatcom County. Kids will have the opportunity to see and appreciate art by others, and also get the chance to create art themselves! Start of the weekend on Friday night with the 9th Annual Bellingham Children’s Art Walk, featuring artwork by local students at downtown stores and galleries.

•   Easy Entrée Pencils in Charity Supply Drive
  

  The Easy Entrée, a locally-owned Bellingham meal-assembly service, is sponsoring an office supply drive for Blue Skies for Children and Marianne’s House between April 20th and May 22nd, 2009. Evelyn Turner, owner of The Easy Entrée says, “I wanted to do something to give back to the community during these tough times so I approached Blue Skies for Children and Marianne’s House about doing a supply drive.”

•   Local History and Local Fun at Dirty Dan Days
  

  Who exactly is this Dirty Dan Harris character? The people in Fairhaven sure seem to like him—there’s a restaurant named after him, as well as one of the main streets, and you can pose for a photo with his statue next to the Village Green. Fairhaven residents and business owners even hold an annual two-day seafood festival in his honor during the last weekend in April with flying fish and racing pianos. Find out all about this fun, family event!

•   Team-Up with everybodyBIKE
  

  A fun part of the spring cleaning ritual (for me, at least) is pulling the bike out of the garage, wiping off the spider webs, and pumping up the tires to get ready for riding around town. I’m definitely a “fair-weather bicyclist,” but, luckily, fair-weather in Bellingham rolls in just in time for National Bike Month in May. And even better for Whatcom County residents is everybodyBIKE, a bicycle education program for riders of all ages and abilities.

•   Laugh It Up During National Humor Month
  

  Did you know that laughter can lower blood pressure, strengthens various muscle groups, and reduce stress to improve emotional health? Humorist author and speaker Larry Wilde began National Humor Month in 1976 to increase awareness about the power of laughter to improve health and happiness. It’s only fitting that April was chosen to celebrate humor, since it kicks off with the silliest day of the year, April Fool’s Day.

•   The Time for Rhyme in Whatcom County
  

  If you love poetry, and want to share your love of poetry with young readers, check out a few of the following special events taking place in Bellingham and Whatcom County throughout April to celebrate National Poetry Month. Hear poetry read by published authors, have the chance to write and share your own poems, and enjoy being a part of the Bellingham and Whatcom County literary community. Take a look at all the great ways to celebrate poetry this month.

•   Family Fun at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
  

  When April hits the Pacific Northwest, local residents can count on two things: a lot of rain and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Hopefully the gray skies clear up enough for you and your family to truly enjoy all that this annual event has to offer for locals and visitors who love flowers. This year marks the twenty-sixth anniversary of the festival, which spans the first full month of spring when the tulip fields are in bloom.

•   Celebrate Bellingham 2008
  

  Looking for something to do with the kids during the last days of 2008? Bellingham parents will be stoked to learn that Bellingham Parks and Recreation and local organizations are hosting a variety of events that the whole family can enjoy, with lots of free activities all around town to keep the kids busy during the hazy days leading up to New Year’s Day. From music to magic to ice skating, there is something for everyone of every age.

•   Get Up and Get Movin’ in Whatcom County
  

  Get Up and Get Movin'! Through Whatcom County’s Get Movin’ Winter program, kids and families can combat the winter blues, stay fit, eat right, and have fun together at free events all over the county. Get Movin’ challenges participants to be physically active 5 days a week, 30 minutes a day for 1 month. Families and kids are invited to attend the free Winter Get Movin’ Resolution Kick-Off Event Wednesday, December 31, 2008.

•   Support Rebound’s Community Toy Store
  

  As you reflect on the many reasons your family may have to be thankful this holiday season, it’s important to remember that there are families in our community that face difficult circumstances and can’t always ensure that there are presents under the Christmas tree for kids. If you and your family are able, consider contributing to Rebound of Whatcom County’s Community Toy Store this year.

•   Sustainable Connections Says Buy Local
  

  When buying holiday gifts this year, don’t forget that the first week of December is Buy Local Week, an event hosted by Sustainable Connections and other Bellingham and Whatcom County businesses. And be sure to pick up the new “Where Locals Go” Coupon Book too! This year, you can support Sustainable Connections and get one-of-a-kind goods and services from local businesses in the first ever Bid Local First online auction.

•   Student Art at “Explore the Gallery”
  

  Student art from Bellingham Public Schools, Columbia and Sunnyland Elementary Schools, inspired by the classical suite "Pictures at an Exhibition," will be displayed during upcoming Whatcom Symphony Orchestra concerts at the Western Washington University Performing Arts Center. Whatcom painters Donna Washington and Ben Mann used the music to inspire first through fourth grade students during art lessons.

•   4th Annual Eat Local Week in Bellingham
  

  If you’re anything like me, it doesn’t take much to come up with a good “excuse” for eating out. But this week you have the perfect reason for visiting some of your favorite local restaurants—perhaps even more than once!—as it’s Sustainable Connections’ 4th Annual Eat Local Week, a celebration of the various local products available from Whatcom County farms and food processers during the harvest season.

•   Kids are Walking to School Around the World
  

  School is just getting started this fall and Whatcom County kids are invited to start the year off right by participating in International Walk to School Day, on October 8, 2008. Organizers are hoping to include participants from 5,000 schools across all 50 states this year, as well as walkers in 40 countries around the globe. EverybodyBIKE organizers hope the event will inspire to walk to school all year long.

•   3 Days of Labor-Free Fun in Whatcom County
  

  The kids might not be looking forward to starting school next week, but at least it’s a three-day weekend so your family can enjoy some extra time together. If you need to keep the kids entertained for just a few more days, here are some fun (and FREE) events taking place across Whatcom County during this holiday weekend. Whether they love music and dance or car racing, there's definitely something going on to get the kids' attention.

•   Some Friendly Competition Keeps Kids Active
  

  Bellingham Parks and Recreation affords ample opportunities for kids and adults to get plugged in to recreational classes and activities throughout the year. During the month of August, this great city department heads up several chances to get active, and to get out a little aggression with some friendly competition. Kids can still sign-up for these athletic activities coming up over the next few weeks.

•   Bellingham Families Have A Blast at Kids' Fest
  

  Hundreds of kids and parents turned out at Bloedel Donovan Park on Saturday August 2 for the 19th Annual Kids’ Festival, sponsored by Bellingham Parks and Recreation. Clouds hovered over the shores of Lake Whatcom, but the skies stayed dry and eventually turned sunny as families enjoyed food, games, and live performances at this free community event with plenty of activities to keep kids of all age entertained.

•   Bellingham Kids Get Crafty at the Library
  

  On a quintessential Bellingham summer day—sunny skies with a comfortable breeze—160 local kids manned booths at the 40th Annual Children’s Craft Fair on the Bellingham Central Library lawn. This year’s fair on Friday, July 25 featured 56 different booths offering wares like pottery, reusable shopping bags made out of t-shirts and duct tape, and tooth fairy pillows, along with tasty refreshments, like Italian Sodas and baked goods.

•   Dance It Up at Bellingham’s Outdoor Concerts
  

  It feels like summer just started, but stores are already advertising Back to School sales and stringing up autumnal decorations in window displays. Don’t give in to fall just yet; we still have a few weeks of summer fun left in Bellingham! So get outside and enjoy one of the many Outdoor Concerts taking place at local parks and other venues in August. All these concerts are family-friendly and free!

•   Ski to Sea: A Bellingham Tradition
  

  The three-day Memorial Day weekend often signals the start of summer. But in Bellingham, the long weekend also marks one of our city’s biggest community events, the Ski to Sea Race across Whatcom County. But just whose idea was it to run, ski, and paddle to the top of Mount Baker and back again? Let’s find out by learning a little more about this epic relay race and its coinciding festival of parades, carnivals, and other community fun.

•   2008 Ski to Sea Junior Parade and Race
  

  Running, skiing, and canoeing all around Mt. Baker and Bellingham might be a little intense for the elementary-age bunch. Luckily, kids can join in the Ski to Sea fun with a Junior Parade and Junior Race, both of which took place this past weekend in Bellingham. You couldn’t have asked for better weather, with plenty of sunshine making it a great day to be outside as with family and friends in Bellingham.

•   AAEP Children's Gallery Walk
  

  Whether your child is a painter, an actor, a dancer, or musician, there’s plenty going on in Bellingham that guarantees to inspire and entertain art-lovers of all ages during the first weekend in May. The festivities kick-off on Friday, May 2, with the 8th Annual Children’s Gallery Walk. Throughout the downtown area, venues will display art by students from the Bellingham, Lynden, and Mount Baker School Districts; certain locations will feature live performances as well.

•   Amateur Filmmakers, Get Ready for Ski to Sea!
  

  If you plan on attending Bellingham's annual Ski to Sea Race on May 25th, you might notice a lot of people with video cameras documenting the event. That’s because the race has a new feature this year: the Ski to Sea Amateur Video Contest on YouTube. Wanna-be filmmakers of all ages are invited to submit their videos for judging and you can enter as many videos as you can make. Creativity and family-friendly humor are encouraged.

•   Downloadable Audiobooks Arrive at Whatcom Libraries
  

  Listen up Bellingham and Whatcom County residents! Beginning April 1, library patrons will have anytime, anywhere access to a dynamic collection of digital audiobooks through Northwest Washington Anytime Library. With a valid library card, library patrons can use the Northwest Washington Anytime Library link on Whatcom County Library System or Bellingham Public Library to install free software, check out and download audiobooks to their PC, and then transfer titles to a supported MP3 player or burn titles to CD.

•   First Annual Festival of Schools
  

  On Sunday, March 30, 2008, a variety of local organizations, including Neighborhood-Kids.com, turned out at the Depot Market to take part in the first ever Festival of Schools. The event was organized by the heads of the Fairhaven Girls’ School as a time to gather private schools, preschools, camps and other resources for parents in one place. Participants also enjoyed refreshments and won door prizes donated by local businesses at the event.

•   An Alternative Birthday Party with NSEA
  

  Planning the details of your child's birthday party can be daunting. Pressure builds as you mull over guest lists, themes, activities and food. But for parents who wish to commemorate each child's birthday with ease and intention, there is a solution: collaborate with a local non-profit organization in service of our Bellingham community to honor your child's birthday. As I discovered recently, it's a simple and fulfilling way to bring joy to any birthday celebration.

•   Kids' Dog Show in Bellingham
  

  The Westminster Kennel Club has nothing on the spirited kids and their canine friends that came out for the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department’s Annual Kids' Dog Show. On Saturday, March 8th, local kids in grades Kindergarten through 5th were invited to bring the family dog to the Bloedel Donovan Multipurpose Room, where they could strut their stuff and compete in a variety of events, from Best Costume to Longest Ears to Happiest Face.

•   The YMCA's Strong Kids Campaign
  

  Every March, the Whatcom Family YMCA organizes the Strong Kids Campaign. It’s a fundraiser to collect donations for their scholarship program, which provides assistance to adults and children who otherwise would not be able to participate in YMCA programs. Find out a little bit more about the international and local history of this organization, and consider helping as a volunteer or a donor.

•   Community Night Brings Families Together
  

  Local organizations rallied to bring a family-friendly community fun night to the residents in the Birchwood neighborhood at Shuksan Middle School. The evening included dinner, games and a time to learn about opportunities for families in this neighborhood. The event was hosted in part by the Whatcom Family & Community Network, which works to strengthen family relationships, and create a healthy community for kids.

•   How to Get Your Bike on the Bus
  

  A great way to get some exercise and reduce traffic on our roadways is to ride your bike to school or work. But if the ride is just a little too long, consider making a “combo” ride: halfway by bike and halfway by bus, courtesy of the Whatcom Transit Authority. EverybodyBIKE’s Jennifer Karchmer gives easy-to-follow instructions for loading bikes on the bus so your family can enjoy a safe and stress-free commute.

•   Valentine's Day Parties in Our Community
  

  Cupid has been busy shooting arrows of love around Bellingham. This messenger of love had lots of help from local community groups who organized craft parties and other family-friendly celebrations in the days leading up to Valentine's Day. From making valentines at the library to an authentic 1950s Sock Hop, kids and parents had plenty of opportunities to spend time together and celebrate on the most romantic day of the year.

•   International Celebrations at the WCM
  

  Remember when you were a kid and you started to understand that there was a big world outside your neighborhood, your school, your town? That there were kids who lived millions of miles away, and when you had to go to bed at night, they were waking up for the start of a new day? The Whatcom Children’s Museum helps bring such global awareness to kids and their parents in a series called “International Celebrations.”

•   The Magic of Hogwarts Comes to Bellingham
  

  When J.K. Rowling began writing about Harry Potter, a young boy who finds himself enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, no one could have guessed that she had started a book series that would become a worldwide phenomenon. Not only did Harry Potter get millions of kids excited about reading, but Jennie Goforth, Curriculum Coordinator for Skagit Valley Children’s Museum, saw that Harry Potter could get kids interested in other areas of learning too.

•   Chess Season in the Northwest
  

  You might not be aware of this, but we are in the middle of chess tournament season. Yep, chess has a season, too. From November to April, you can find a number of tournaments in our area that will culminate with the state tournament, to be held this year in Redmond on April 26, 2008. My eight-year-old son, Ty, plays chess and has become something of a regular at local tournaments. His first tourney was last year’s Lynden tournament, held at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in January.

•   A Read-In for Kids to Celebrate Diversity
  

  For the fourth year, Western’s New Student Services/Family Outreach co-sponsored a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Read-In at Village Books. College students embraced the holiday as “a day on” to help spread the message of Dr. King to children. Kids ages 3 to 8 gathered in the Readings Gallery to hear stories about diversity and tolerance and participate in coloring activities.

•   Mom, Dad, Kids...EverybodyBIKE!
  

  Learning how to ride a bike is a time-honored tradition of childhood. Remember the first time you strapped on a helmet and hopped on the saddle? Remember when you got those training wheels off, when Dad let go of the back of your seat and you were finally on your own as you ventured down the sidewalk, away from home? It tasted like freedom. Or it tasted like the neighbor’s lawn, depending on how far you made it before your first wipeout.

•   Kids Night Out
  

  On a recent Saturday night, I made plans to see my friends Avery and Ben. Well, technically I made the plans with Kelly, their mother. Did I not mention that Avery and Ben are four and two, respectively?

•   Won-Ldy Paye Shares His Story in Bellingham
  

  Bellingham welcomes international children's author and storyteller in celebration of "We Share A Story."