Whatcom County sees plenty of rainy days, no doubt about it. But isn’t that a fair trade for our (mostly) moderate weather during most of the year?
This Midwestern transplant sure thinks so.
When I arrived in Bellingham from Iowa in 1996 and spent a blissful first winter without a single ice storm wreaking havoc on my social life (not to mention my car), I hoped to never leave.
When I then enjoyed a picture-postcard-perfect first summer with nary a 100-percent humidity day while everywhere else sweltered, I knew I’d do whatever it took to stay put for good.
Drizzle is just a fact of life for those of us lucky enough to call Whatcom County home. And it doesn’t have to put a damper on kid-friendly fun. Here are some rainy day options to help run the kiddos ragged, keep a smile on their faces (and yours), and let them while away the time until the sun peeks through the clouds again.
My daughter wanted – no, needed – to have her fifth birthday party at Jump Around Fun Zone. And every pint-sized attendee had a blast.
With a giant, open room full of bouncy houses and blow-up slides, Jump Around Fun Zone offers a safe, clean, fun space for kids up to 10 years old and under five feet tall.
An added bonus? Free wifi lets mom or dad keep an eye on their children while also getting some work done.
Jump Around Fun Zone
4600 Guide Meridian
Bellingham, WA 98226
360.647.JUMP
Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
My kids have finally fallen for the Laura Ingalls Wilder books I loved so much in my youth. I can’t wait to take them to the Lynden Pioneer Museum.
A small storefront inside the museum’s front door opens into a wonderful time machine chock full of artifacts from our area’s pioneer days and forward, including a 1950s soda fountain.
Visitors can stroll an early-twentieth century small town main street and study exhibits on early settlers and American Indian cultures that are educational, yes, but also fascinating and just plain fun to experience.
Lynden Pioneer Museum
217 Front Street
Lynden, WA 98264
360.354.3675
Hours:
Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Whatcom Museum’s Family Interactive Gallery (FIG)
The Family Interactive Gallery – or FIG – at Whatcom Museum is a vibrant, hands-on wonderland for little ones, with a variety of intriguing spaces fit for children of all ages.
Over a dozen different activity stations offer a wide range of learning-through-play experiences. Smaller children can pretend to plant (and harvest) a garden, while older children can create their own movie at the stop-motion photography exhibit. And they can all make a delightful racket in an exhibit offering musical instruments, a cacophony of sounds, and colorful lights galore.
Family Interactive Gallery at Whatcom Museum
www.whatcommuseum.org/fig-intro
250 Flora Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.778.8930
Hours:
Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Who doesn’t love to bowl? And with the help of bumpers and bowling ball “ramps,” even the smallest preschoolers can get in on the fun. 20th Century Bowl offers a clean, fun, colorful space – in a 16-lane building built over 50 years ago – that was remodeled just a few years ago.
20th Century Bowl
1411 North State Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.734.5250
Hours:
Monday, 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (leagues between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.)
Tuesday, 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (leagues between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (leagues between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.)
Friday: 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Saturday, 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Perch and Play is pure delight. A huge, open play space divided into two distinct age-appropriate areas, both of which contained by a low wall and gated entry, so even the littlest ones can’t slip away and get into any mischief.
This 1,200-square-foot indoor playground is monitored by staff and includes a large play structure with monkey bars, slides, fireman poles and other fun-to-explore nooks and crannies, as well as a fantastical two-story playhouse. And all of which is easily viewed by parents who can sit in the “Parent’s Perch” and enjoy lunch or coffee (and free wifi) while keeping an eye on the fun below.
A separate area for younger guests – adorably dubbed “the pea patch” – includes soft toys for toddlers and plenty to engage any young ones who might be overwhelmed by the larger play area.
Perch and Play
1707 North State Street
Bellingham, WA 98226
360.393.4925
Hours:
Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
There’s not much my nine-year-old son likes more than a chance to hit Inside Pitch and spend some time in their batting cages.
Rent a tunnel by the half-hour or hour and have a mini-practice – hitting off a single-feed pitching machine, taking grounders, pitching – or simply play catch with a friend.
Inside Pitch
1750 Moore Street
Bellingham, WA 98229
360.647.1600
Hours:
Monday through Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sure, you’ll likely be envious of how effortlessly your kids climb the walls compared to you at VITAL Climbing Gym, but don’t let that keep you from trying out Bellingham’s newest climbing facility.
Opened in 2013, the space is cavernous, beautifully designed and – most importantly – fully decked out and with a friendly, knowledgeable staff that can help get even the beginning climber bouldering safely in no time.
VITAL Climbing Gym
1421 North State Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.399.6248
Hours:
Monday through Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The entire family can get a workout at the Trampoline Zone. My kids love to go on “Two For Tuesday,” but anytime at the Trampoline Zone is a great time to burn off excess energy and have a blast while doing so.
Trampoline Zone
4201 Meridian Street, Suite 107
Bellingham WA 98226
360.255.0722
Hours:
Monday through Thursday, noon to 8:00 p.m.
Friday: noon to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday: noon to 8:00 p.m.
Rainy Day Play at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
Looking for a completely free way to spend a couple rainy hours inside four walls that aren’t your own? Our Savior’s Lutheran Church holds a free Rainy Day Play every third Wednesday of the month, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., for newborns and children up through five years old. Parents and guardians must stay for drop-in play, where all can enjoy the church’s large, (warm and dry!) carpeted space.
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
1781 Harris Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225
360.733.6749
