Family Day: Food For Good with all kinds of hands-on activities, storytelling, performances and more at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center in Seattle - Saturday, April 5th 2014 from 10am-3pm

" Discover how to grow, prepare, and enjoy healthy foods from around the world through fun activities, music and storytelling. Join us for the FREE Family Day: Food for Good on Saturday, April 5th.

Highlights of the day will include:
• Hands-on games and art activities that show how easy and exciting it can be to make a difference – one seed or book at a time
• Innovative tools and ideas that help farmers and families around the world
• Storytime with children's book authors Katherine Pryor and Rick Swan who will lead kids in a discussion about gardening and the importance of trying new foods
• Discovering fun, family-friendly volunteer opportunities in your community
• Performance by Ocheami
• Sampling food from Tanzania and Ethiopia
• Learning local and global food facts from different community organizations

RSVP to be notified about event updates and to let us know you’re coming! (Note: Facebook RSVP not required to attend).

Who You’ll Find At Family Day:

1,000 Days
Learn about global food and nutrition while sharing your story on what good nutrition means to you. Learn more at www.thousanddays.org.

Beacon Food Forest
Make seed balls for spring planting and get ready to cheer for your favorite worm at the Earthworm Races. Learn more atwww.beaconfoodforest.org.

Bastyr University
Learn about whole foods with hands-on activities led by Bastyr University faculty and students. Learn more at www.bastyr.edu.

Beecher's Flagship Foundation
Learn how to become a food detective and take home a spice pack and recipe for a wholesome, delicious vegetarian chili popular with kids. Learn more at www.flagshipfoundation.org.

Bon Appétit
Discover how local food goes from the farm to the table and what it takes to continue to grow healthy food for our community and future generations. Learn more at www.bamco.com/timeline/farm-to-fork.

City Fruit
Learn about fruit that grows right in your backyard with a dried-fruit tasting game for kids! For more information and for volunteer opportunities, visit cityfruit.org

FareStart
Sample kid-friendly healthy snacks. Learn more at www.farestart.org.

Green Plate Special
See where vegetables come from and taste a variety of delicious results. Learn more at www.greenplatespecial.org.

Heifer International
Experience what others in the world eat and the importance of small scale farming. Find out how you can help feed others around the world. Learn more at www.heifer.org/what-you-can-do.

Katherine Pryor
Taste spinach through story with children's book author Katherine Pryor who will read her picture book, "Sylvia's Spinach," and lead an optional spinach tasting. Learn more at www.katherinepryor.com.

Ocheami
Immerse yourself in West African culture through drumming, dance, games, and storytelling – Ghana-style. Learn more at www.ocheami.org.

Readers to Eaters
Explore and read a selection of books about food literacy, specially curated by Readers to Eaters for children and families. Learn more atwww.readerstoeaters.com.

Rick Swann
Experience not just how vegetables grow, but how a community can grow from a garden with children's author Rick Swann sharing from his book “Our School Garden!” Learn more at www.rickswann.com/our-school-garden.

The Seattle Public Library
Find out about all the garden, food sustainability and cooking resources available through the library, including the upcoming Edible Gardening series. Learn more at www.spl.org.

Seattle Tilth
Create your own newspaper pot and plant a seed to take home to nurture. Learn more at www.seattletilth.org.

Solid Ground
Help the Lettuce Link program repackage bulk vegetable seeds into individual packets to pass out at food banks. Learn more at: www.solid-ground.org/Programs/Nutrition/Lettuce.

Tanzanian Community
Taste traditional Tanzanian food while exploring recipes, spices and more.

Washington State Fair Traveling Farm
Experience farm fun with interactive learning activities, including matching farming tools to crops and sitting on a child-sized tractor. Learn more at www.thefair.com/education/traveling-farm.

WSU Extension/4-H
Participate in hands-on activities to learn about foods from around the world and how to start your own plants from seeds. Learn more atwww.4h.wsu.edu. "

For more info. go here.

VegFest with kids entertainment and more in Seattle - Saturday and Sunday, March 29th and 30th 2014 from 10am-6pm both days! - "Less than a Latte" each when you split the difference since kids 12 and under are free!

A Healthy Vegetarian Food Festival March 29 and 30, 2014 10am-6pm

Seattle Center's Exhibition Hall Adults - $8, Kids 12 and under - Free                                               ********Tickets available at the door cash or checks only for admission)********  At our annual healthy vegetarian food festival you can: Taste free food samples, over 700 different kinds to try See cooking demonstrations by chefs from all over the country;

Hear the latest information on nutrition from our medical doctors;

Receive free health checks, and even artery scans. Limited availability – first come first served.

Join Vegetarians of Washington at Vegfest to receive a free deluxe tote bag filled with free food and coupons.

Choose from a huge selection of books;

and more!

" Many people recognize the health and other benefits of vegetarian food choices, but they are not sure what to eat, what to buy and how to cook it. This festival provides all the support that people need, and it's fun too. With free health screenings, books and lots of food, there's something for everyone. There’s even a special kids section where kids can learn about healthy food while having fun, with clowns, face painting and more. "

For more info. go here.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Families Fair with a Harmonica Pocket performance, Teddy Bear/Doll Clinic and more at Bellevue College - Saturday, February 8th 2014 from 10am-2pm

WITH SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST

              THE HARMONICA POCKET (11:30am)

EVENT FEATURES

Exhibition Area
Exhibitors will showcase products and services centered around physical, nutritional, and emotional

health for children and families.

Creative Activities Room
Hands-on activities for kids of all ages.

Teddy Bear Clinic
Have your kids bring their favorite teddy bear or doll for a check-up.

Ask-the-Doc
Pediatric experts from Swedish will be on hand to answer any questions you have.

Mini Seminars
Physicians from Swedish and parent educators from Bellevue College will be conducting brief

15-20 minute information sessions throughout the day.

Raffle
Tickets are only $4 each and will be entered in a drawing at the event for chances to win amazing

prizes. 

MY ID CLUB
FREE photograph/fingerprint ID cards for children under 16 when accompanied by a parent 

or guardian.

For more info. go here.

Northshore YMCA Facebook, Online or In-store offer: 3 FREE Day Passes! Good until January 31st 2014 plus No joining fees this month at all locations! - And one-time passes available at all locations!

Image courtesy of Northshore YMCA

Go and check out the YMCA with your family this month! The one in Northshore is offering 3 free day passes which you get online or in-store.

We have been to a few events at the Northshore location and they have a really good reputation and have some pretty cool events as well, like the free community family movie held a week and a half of ago! 

If you have been wanting to check them out now is a great time to do so with the no joining fees promotion for the month of January! 

For more info. on the Northshore 3 FREE Day Passes go here.

To get a free pass at the other Greater Seattle locations go here.

South Bellevue Community Center's (SBCC) 8th Anniversary Celebration = 50+ Free Fitness Activities ALL WEEK! Monday-Sunday, January 6th-12th 2014 - Various times

How cool is this?! You and the kids can go and participate in 50 available classes and activities including dance, fitness, nutrition, parkour, pre-ballet, rock climbing and more for free this week!


" Celebrate SBCC's anniversary by participating in free classes and activities all week.  The schedule will be posted when available, and you can pick up a hard copy at SBCC.  Attend a class or activity to experience our active center! "

For ages 16 months and up! (Although youngest on sheet I saw was age 2.)

No registration needed except for the indoor group cycling.



For more info. go here.

For class and activity schedule go here.

15th Annual Herb and Food Fair at Bastyr University in Kenmore - Saturday, June 1st 2013 from 10am-5pm

For more info. go here.

"Food and Waste Day" with local celebrity chefs on the Seattle Center Grounds - Saturday, May 12th 2012 from 10am-5pm

Was happy to find this free and educational event in my inbox today!

The "Food and Waste Day" event celebrates local efforts to sustain safe and healthy food and minimize waste far into the future with fun-filled activities exploring how we can better grow, prepare and preserve our food resources. 

 

Event highlights:

 

• School the Chefs, 12 noon – 4pm, FREE (including food samples) in the Next 50 Activity Tent, demonstrates how healthy, locally sourced school lunches can be tasty and economically viable. Local Celebrity chefs invited by Tom Douglas, Inc. will coach teams of kids from participating schools to cook a school lunch for a fixed cost with both nutrition and taste in mind.  Participating chefs include Lisa Dupar, Leslie Mackie, Eric Tanaka, Josh Henderson, Kären Jurgensen, Jerry Traunfield, Jonathan Zimmer, Katherine Kehrli, and Rebecca Early. Their creations will be rated for taste and nutritional value!

• Food and Waste Educational Activities, 10am – 5pm, includes FREE hands on learning for the whole family.

• Community Outreach Tables, 10am – 5 pm, provides FREE information, insights and materials by local food, farm and culinary organizations.

• Food Trucks, 11am – 5pm (cash only)

• Ballard Food Bank Drive -Donations accepted. (Click on link below for additional details)


For more info. go here.

Bastyr University's 13th Annual Herb and Food Fair - Saturday, June 4th from 10am-5pm

This year's theme is

"Growing Healthy Families"!

From their website:

Festival Activities include

• a variety of educational speakers (including Cynthia Lair!) and workshops
• cooking demonstrations from nutrition and botanical medicine experts
• live entertainment and music
• nutritious and delicious homemade food
• free acupuncture demos
• distinctive vendors
• special activities for children
• garden tours
• guided walks through the surrounding woods
• relaxing herbal foot soaks and facials

The "Growing Healthy Families" theme includes an emphasis on the numerous ways herbs, nutrition and other natural modalities can support the health and wellness of your entire family.

For more info. go here.
 

Youth Fitness Expo at Comcast Arena in Everett - Saturday, May 14th from 9am-6pm

Check out the huge Youth Fitness Expo for everything health and fitness related for kids. The first 500 kids will get a free sports pack. Plus, their will be drawings for prizes like event tickets, summer camps and magazine subscriptions to name a few. Sounds cool!

For more info. go here.

For exhibitors list go here.

For prize list go here.

Excerpt from the press release:
Interactive booths include boxing, rock climbing, rowing, parkour, trampolines, dance, lacrosse, physical therapy, martial arts, yoga, gymnastics, soccer, hockey, and more. Sports team organizations participating include Everett AquaSox, Everett Silvertips, WA Indoor Stealth Hockey, SeaWolves FC, and the Sounders FC and Seahawks Youth Camps. Clare Meeker, author of "Soccer Dreams: Playing Soccer the Sounders FC Way", will be on stage at Noon followed by a book signing opportunity at the University Book Store Booth.