Come Sail Away - Model Pond Boat Sailing @ Lake Union Park

Have you wanted to feel the wind in your hair and the sun in your face while commanding your own ship?  We recently were able to make those dreams a reality ...on a smaller scale. Every Saturday and Sunday from May to November, The Center for Wooden Boats rents out model boats for at the model boat pond.  Sailing the boats is as easy as pointing it into the wind and giving it a little push. The hard part is running around to other side after each voyage to sail it back. Pairing sailing with a visit to the MOHAI and a picnic makes for an amazing day out! Boat rentals are a $5 per hour suggested donation and the rentals are open from 11a.m. - 2p.m.

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Explore Imagination - Fantasy Exhibit @ The EMP

There is a inherent draw to fantastic worlds and stories in all of us.  Mythical creatures, epic battles, magical duels...these things fill the stories and games that entertain us.  So the Fantasy exhibit at the EMP is a great peak behind the curtain of the things that captivate us.   With items from The Wizard of Oz to original manuscript pages from The Lord of The Rings (Plus a Dragon!) The exhibit gives a taste of many of the iconic stories from the fantasy genre.  The only downside is you will want more.  As an added bonus, your ticket to the Fantasy exhibit also gives you admission to the Can't Look Away Horror exhibit, the Icons of Science Fiction exhibit and the entire EMP Music exhibit. (we talk about it here)
EMP Fantasy Exhibit

Travel Through Time - MOHAI

Time travel is high on my list of impossible things to do.  I would love to experience moments in history first hand (or at least observe them safely from a distance.)  That's why I love the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI).  The history of Seattle, and to some extent the Pacific Northwest, is laid out in an entertaining and informative way.  Many icons from the past are on display along with interactive displays that kept all of us, from the 4 year-old on up, entertained.  The museum sits on the south end of Lake Union in a beautiful park that is perfect for picnics and boat watching.  http://www.mohai.org/

Level Up - The Art of Video Games @ EMP

I love video games.  My wife loves video games. My kids love video games.  We are truly a button-pushing, controller mashing, flashing lights family unit.  We have a full spectrum of video game systems at our house and use them regularly.  So when we saw the new exhibit at the EMP we knew we had to go.  The Art of Video Games is an incredible journey through the history of video games from the C64 and Atari to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.   With interactive displays and hands-on demos, the exhibit was informational and awesome!  The best part is with admission to the exhibit you also can explore the history of science fiction and music throughout the rest of the museum.   Game On.  EMP - The Art of Video Games

Free Museum Days - First Thursday Free Admission

A trip to the museum is always high our list of things to do.  Whether historic (MOHAI, Museum of Flight) or artistic (SAM, Wing Luke), our family has a great time.  And the best part is, that most of them are free on the first Thursday of the month.  Every month we choose one museum to go to (sometimes more if we start early enough) and make a day of it.  Discussing and observing art and history from two different perspectives (4 year old and 11 year old) is an amazing and satisfying experience. http://www.freemuseumday.org/sea.html

Free Arts and History! - Seattle Public Library Museum Pass

Library cards are known for taking you to amazing places and showing you the fantastic.  Now, with the help of The Seattle Public Library Foundation, it can take you somewhere closer, but no less amazing.  With a bit of planning, you can gain free admission to many of the museums in Seattle using your library card.   You are able to pick from about a months worth of dates at a time and, after entering in your card number, you can print out free passes to the museum of your choice.  You can get one pass per week and can't visit the same museum more than once in a 30 day period.  Most of the passes are good for several people so it's a great excuse for a family outing.  And if you do it right, you can cycle through a year's worth of exhibits for free. http://www.spl.org/library-collection/museum-pass

MUSIC! MOSTERS! ROBOTS! - Experience Music Project/ SciFi Museum

Since the 1950's Science Fiction and Rock-N-Roll have gone hand-in-hand.  From the 1950's portrayal of the Greaser and Rock-a-billy stereotypes to the amazing sci-fi soundtracks of the 70's and 80's(Queen's soundtrack for Flash Gordon comes to mind) the two pop culture branches have been firmly entwined.  Which is why the EMP/ Science Fiction Museum is such an amazing place.  One half of the museum is dedicated to music with a special focus on the musical history of the Northwest (including great exhibits on Jimi Hendrix and the Grunge Era).  There are also opportunities for hands on exploration in the Sound Lab which features a variety of instruments and private recording room to experiment with.  The Science Fiction Museum contains a large collection of sci-fi memorabilia ranging from early pulp novels to current film and television.  Supplementing the permanent exhibits are rotating exhibits at both the EMP and Science Fiction Museum.  Past exhibits have included The Muppets, AC/DC, The Beatles and Alien Encounters.  Admission to one museum gets you into both.   http://www.empsfm.org/

Blast From The Past - SIMM

If you were a kid in the late 70's- 80's there was a mind-altering event that tore the barrier between fantasy and reality itself...the Video Game.  Most can tell you when they first experienced the hypnotic flashing lights for the first time.  Since then, there have been countless variations of systems, games and controllers , from wired to wireless and handheld to worn on the hands (Powerglove, I'm looking at you)  And now, everyone is carrying a stronger, more powerful video game system in their pocket, but there is something amazing about revisiting those earlier systems...  and now you can.  The Seattle Interactive Media Museum is a hands-on collection of the early pioneers in video gaming.  From the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision to all variations of Nintendo(NES, SNES, N64) and Playstation, the SIMM exhibit not only will give you a chance to play a variety of games on each system, but also supplies in depth information on their evolution through placards, a very well informed host and sticky notes with various facts left behind by visitors themselves.   The SIMM will be at the Seattle Center through early January 2013 with the goal of creating a permanent museum ASAP.  So go get your game on and revel in the nostalgia!  http://www.thesimm.org/ 

Healthy Body, Quick Mind - Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health & Wellness

How do the choices you make affect your body?  And how do you pass that information to your kids in a way that will stick?  Introducing Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health & Wellness at the Pacific Science Center.  The Wellbody Academy is a new interactive exhibit that shows how your actions affect your health and well-being.  From the Calorie Conveyor Belt (figure out how many calories are in that doughnut, bacon, pork sausage, cake sandwich with a milkshake chaser you had for breakfast)  to the Interactive Sneeze (You will get wet) the exhibits are interesting and, more importantly, fun. Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health & Wellness officially opens on December 1st.  http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/wellbodyacademy/Home