family & community

Family Night

Every 2nd Friday

We show the newest family movies on our Big Screen every 2nd Friday. Join your neighbors and meet new friends for dinner, a craft and movie. Now serving Frankie’s Pizza, salad, and dessert. What a great deal! Snacks are also available for sale.

Mats are available for the kids to lie on the floor. We encourage children to wear their PJs and bring their blankets, pillows, beanbag chairs and/or sleeping bags.

Age Requirement: For families with children. A tentative schedule of movies is listed below. Please call or email us to suggest a movie you and your family would like to see.For more program information email Cindy or call 425-432-1272.

Family Night is funded in part by generous grants from the Maple Valley Black Diamond Rotary Club, Frankie's Pizza and Maple Valley Signs.

Lego® Robotics Club

Every 3rd Saturday

We are a small group of Lego fans looking to have some fun, meet new people, and make some interesting builds. We meet on the third Saturday of most months at the Greater Maple Valley Community Center from 10 am to noon.

Brought to you by the Tahoma Robotics Club, the meetings will be lightly structured, with an organized build for the first 30 minutes or so. The remainder of the time will be working with the principles we just learned, and seeing just how creative we can be.

For more program information and registration, go to the Tahoma Robotics Club website or contact Cindy at (425) 432-1272.

Safe Sitter®

Better sitters today. Better parents tomorrow.

Safe Sitter® is developed especially for 11 to 13 year olds and offers a curriculum that includes hands-on practice, group interaction, role-playing, games and discussion. For more information visit the Safe Sitter website. Please bring a sack lunch. Parents are invited to attend a celebration ceremony for their Safe Sitter® graduate at 3:40 pm.

Age Requirement: 11 - 13 years old. Call 425-432-1272 to register. For program information email Brandy or call 425-432-1272.

Holiday Lights at the Lodge

Family Crafts

Do not miss the largest display of holiday lights in Maple Valley when the Lake Wilderness Lodge and Arboretum turn on the twinkle. Bring your entire family and experience the thousands of lights that decorate the park.

Inside the Lodge holiday treats will be served and the Greater Maple Valley Community Center Children & Family Program will be hosting the Family Crafts Room. Holiday performances by the Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra and others will take place in and around the Lodge. Venture into the cold to hear the roving carolers sing, ride the train through the twinkling Arboretum, and experience Santa’s arrival on Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety’s Holiday Fire Engine

Family Crafts Room Age Requirement: 2 ½ to 11 years.

No pre-registration required.

For more information email Cindy or visit the Holiday Lights at the Lodge webpage.

Kids Creations

Holiday Gifts & Decorations

Make the mess at our house as we celebrate the season with our annual Kids Creations by making holiday gifts and decorations. Refreshments will be provided.

Don't forget to bring your camera for a picture with Santa!

Age Requirement: 2 ½ to 11 years.

For more information email Cindy or call the Community Center at 425-432-1272.

Preschool Fair

Looking for a preschool, but don’t know where to start?

Plan to attend our annual preschool fair and meet with representatives from local schools who will answer all of your questions. A directory of participating programs will be available. Fun, hands-on activities are provided for children.

Preschool Letter of Invitation (PDF 81 KB)

Preschool Directors: Please complete and return the Preschool Fair Registration (MSWord Document 3.8 MB) form to register your preschool. Application must be filled out and emailed to Cindy. Vendors must pre-register to reserve space.

For more program information email Cindy or call 425-432-1272.

Community Egg Hunt

Hunt eggs in the wilderness

Join the fun at Lake Wilderness Park for our 14th annual Community Egg Hunt. Meet GMVCC’s Spring Bunny and Sparky from Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety. And parents, don't forget to visit the King County Sheriff’s booth where your child can join the “My ID Club”. Participants are encouraged to bring a canned food item to donate to the Maple Valley Food Bank and Emergency Services. Donations of new or gently used children’s books will also be accepted for GMVCC’s annual Peanut Butter Jelly & Books summer outreach program.

PLEASE RECYCLE and DONATE YOUR PLASTIC EGGS AT EVENT or COMMUNITY CENTER!

Age Requirement: Toddlers (walking) through Grade 3.

For more program information email Cindy or call 425-432-1272.

Tina McDonough

GMVCC’s Community Egg Hunt is funded in part by the generous support of the following people and organizations: My ID Club Sponsor Tina McDonough of Maple Valley Windermere; Maple Valley Girl Scout Troops who so generously donated their time to stuff over 16,000 eggs; Wilderness Village Plaza (Jim Flynn); Maple Valley Black Diamond VFW; Professional Fire Fighters; Volunteer Fire Fighters; the City of Maple Valley for allowing us to use Lake Wilderness Park; Covington Costco for their donation of a gift card to purchase egg hunt treats; Motorplex Protow, Safeway and BECU for advertising this event; and John Moore of Innovative Images Photography for the beautiful pictures he captured of the event.