Rainy Days: Kid Edition

With plenty of rainy days in Bellingham, parents are often looking for indoor activities to keep kiddos busy after school or on weekends - especially ones that don’t break the bank! Here’s a roundup of some options, both free and paid, for a variety of age brackets.

PlayDate ($)

Indoor playgrounds are ingenious for this rainy area, and especially one that includes seating for parents and coffee/drinks/food options!  The space features 3 stories of fun, plus a smaller toddler-specific area. There are also party rooms and plenty of food and drinks on the menu!

Marine Life Center (free) Ongoing free exhibits include the Touch Pool, the Bubble Tank, and the Octopus Tank (for when eight-tentacled friends visit the Center). Your kids can see (and sometimes touch!) starfish, crab, algae, and anemone. There’s even fun for the toddlers: book a free mini class with staff where your child can learn at their age level and even touch the animals!  The Center also features one sea creature each Saturday at noon, with facts about the animal and its habitat. 

Whatcom Museum (free-$) The Family Interactive Gallery offers opportunities for interactive learning about science, technology, and art, while developing children’s motor skills, early literacy, and social experiences. The FIG also offers events, including painting, cardmaking, science labs, and “low sensory” mornings that allow children on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing disorders to experience the gallery. The FIG is located in the Lightcatcher building, which hosts art exhibitions throughout the year. The Old City Hall building of the Museum has several galleries that might interest older children (as of this writing there was a Hall of Birds and a minerals exhibit) as well as seasonal events. 

Stop in at the Bellingham Public Library for FREE passes to the Whatcom Museum: Old City Hall, Lightcatcher & Family Interactive Gallery.  Get all the details here.

Bellingham Public Library (free) The Whatcom County Library System has different kid-friendly events available at each branch. In Bellingham, there are storytimes nearly every day for preschool through age 8, often including songs and a craft. The Library also hosts children’s movie matinees (G & PG rated), teen anime nights, drop-in craft events, and a Builders Club (Legos, Duplos and other connector toys) for kids age 4-12.

Village Books (free) Speaking of stories, Village Books has a calendar of kids story times and events at both their Bellingham and Lynden locations. Sometimes there is a special guest in attendance!

Spark Museum ($) The Golden Age of radio, the history of the telephone, phonographs and batteries - at this museum your kids can learn about the historical usage of electricity and experience the Static Electricity Lab and the Mega Zapper Show. 

And there’s more…

YMCA BAAY Mindport Exhibits Bellingham Dance Co teen classes Arne Hanna Aquatic Center Reset Games        Trampoline Zone        Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County

What’s missing? Where are the best kid-friendly hotspots (especially free or inexpensive ones) that parents can go to on a rainy day? Email our Concierge at tiffany@cohengroupnw.com!