special events

Family Movie Night

 

Join your neighbors and meet new friends for dinner, a craft and the newest family movies on our Big Screen at Family Night every 2nd Friday. 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.

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

Date	Time	Movie	Fee
Friday February 10, 2012	6:30 - 9 pm	Lady and the Tramp	$5/child or adult Frankie's Pizza Dinner
Friday March 9, 2012	6:30 - 9 pm	Puss in Boots	$5/child or adult Frankie's Pizza Dinner

Thank you to our generous Family Night community partners.

Trick or Trucks

A safe and fun family alternative to traditional trick-or-treating!

Just imagine being four years old again and pretending you are driving a real size dump truck! And to make it even more exciting, the actual dump truck driver gives you candy! What could be better?

On October 31, Halloween day, the GMVCC Children and Family Program will host our annual “TRICK OR TRUCKS” event! The “big rigs” that children see everyday in their community are parked on our lot for this one special night and children are allowed safely climb, sit on, and explore the vehicles and do their trick-or-treating at the same time. Don't forget to wear your costume and join us for all the fun and a special Halloween pizza dinner!

Parking and shuttle service at the Maple Valley Church of the Nazarene.

Age Requirement: Families with children. For more information email Cindy or call 425-432-1272.

Date	Time	Location	Fee
Annual Event Every Halloween on October 31 (PDF 443KB)	4 - 6 pm No horns from 4:00 to 5:30 pm	GMVCC	NO PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED $3 per child for each Trick or Trucks   Pizza, Salad & Dessert Dinner $5/adult and $3/child
October 31	4 - 10 pm	The Den	$3/child for Less Scary Haunted House

BIG TRUCKS NEEDED!
If you would like to participate with your big truck, please email Cindy or call 425-432-1272. Garbage trucks, tow trucks, excavators, backhoes, tractors, buses, street sweepers, YOU NAME IT! 

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

We have several Sponsorship Opportunities (PDF 467KB) that will benefit our non-profit organization as well as your business. Sponsor benefits including advertising your business in our monthly calendar, in the newspapers, on our website, and on our Facebook page. Additional opportunities for visibility may be available. For more information about becoming a sponsor, please contact Children & Family Program Coordinator Cindy Pettigrew.

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.

Date	Time	Location	Fee
Wednesday TBD	6 - 8 pm	Lake Wilderness Lodge	FREE Donations accepted

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.

Date	Time	Location	Fee
Wednesday December 12, 2012	6 - 8 pm	GMVCC	$6.00 per child No pre-registration required

Abrakadoodle

Coming in January

Join Abrakadoodle (PDF 1.4 MB) at the Community Center this winter and have fun learning new techniques and creating unique art. Plug into your imagination and explore new mediums such as video game art, rice painting, newspaper watercolor and a scuplture made with straws. Without leaving the country our imagination will plug us into Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and India. We will visit a lollipop garden. We will play a watercolor piano. We will celebrate the Festival of Lights and more.

Abrakadoodle is an international art education program dedicated to developing creativity and innovation in children. Learn more! Call Laurie at 425-691-0349.

Age Requirement: 2 ½ to 11 years.

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

Date	Time	Ages	Session	Fee
Wednesdays Thursdays Thursdays	9:30 - 10:30 am 4:15 - 5:00 pm 5:15 - 6:00 pm	2 - 3 years 6 - 12 years 6 - 12 years	Starting 01/11/12 Starting 01/12/12 Starting 01/12/12	$68/child Register On-line $68/child Register On-line $68/child Register On-line

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 registration form 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.

Date	Time	Location	Fee
Wednesday January 25, 2012	4 pm set-up for preschools only   6 - 8 pm Fair	GMVCC	FREE For Parents & Children Preschool Fee Schedule: $50 for table and listing in Preschool Directory $30 for listing only in Preschool Directory

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.

Date	Time	Location	Fee
Saturday April 8, 2012	10 am SHARP!	Lake Wilderness Park	FREE

Clothing Exchange

The Ultimate Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Event

Join us for our annual clothing exchange. Birth to children's size 18 clothing, shoes and accessories are needed. Maternity and nursing clothes and baby equipment are also welcomed. Items remaining after the event will be donated to charity.

This is how it works! Starting at 4 pm, you can drop off your clean and gently worn clothes and shoes with our Girl Scout volunteers at the back entrance of the Community Center through the covered breezeway.  Please have clothes sorted by size so that they can be put on the correct tables.  The doors will open at 6pm for you to shop for clothes in the sizes that you need. It's that easy. It is FREE! No money exchanges hands. If you are interested in donating only, the day of the event, you can get a tax receipt for your donations. Clothes must be clean and gently worn to be donated. This is a really fun event. It only happens once a year!

For more information view our Clothing Exchange flyer or email Volunteer Coordinator Kim Chan or GMVCC Children & Family Program Coordinator Cindy or call the Community Center at 425-432-1272.

Date	Time	Location	Fee
Monday, April 16, 2012	4-7pm Drop-off clothes in breezeway 6-8 pm Exchange open to everyone	GMVCC	FREE

School Readiness Workshops

Preparing your child for school

Will your child ready for school? What will the school expect from them? What can you do to help them be ready? All these question and more will be answered during two informative workshops, regarding school readiness. The workshops are in partnership with Maple Valley Community Center, Tahoma School District and other local agencies. Both School Readiness Workshops (PDF 103 KB) are FREE!

Age Requirement: Families with preschool age children.

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

Date	Time	Location	Fee
Monday, February 6, 2012		Parents Night (Parents only please)	GMVCC	FREE
Monday, February 13, 2012		Hands-on (Parent and child)	GMVCC	FREE

Cooking 101

Mixing math, science, food and fun

Create healthy, delicious and kid-friendly meals that the whole family will enjoy.  We will be making breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizers and snacks together.  The best part will be tasting our meals and re-creating them at home with recipes for everyone. Who knows...you just might get a night or two away from the kitchen this summer!

Age Requirement: 4 - 9 years. Call 425-432-1272 to pre-register.

For more information email Brandy or call 425-432-1272.

Date	Time	Location	Ages	Instructor	Fee
TBA	TBA	GMVCC	4 - 9 years	Brandy Rowland	TBA

Safe Sitter® Parents' Night Out

Need a night out without the kids?

Bring them to the Community Center for Parents’ Night Out! Fun activities include movies, pizza dinner, snacks, games, and arts & crafts. Childcare is provided by GMVCC Children & Family program staff and our own Safe Sitter® graduates. Our first event was a huge success. Watch for more dates to be added throughout the year. Register early! Minimum 10 children required or event will be cancelled.

Age Requirement: For children ages 3 through 9 years. All children MUST be potty trained.

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

Date	Time	Location	Fee
Next Date TBA	5:30 pm - 9:30 pm	GMVCC	$20 for the 1st child and only $15 for each additional child.