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Program Spotlight: Shared Services Brings Child Care Providers Together

Child care providers across Washington build friendships and find support through the Shared Services Hub! Shared Services is a partnership between The Imagine Institute and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. It connects licensed family child care providers and child care center directors to resources and services to help grow their businesses, build bonds with fellow providers, and access free training and expert advice. All licensed family child care providers and independent child care center directors in Washington State

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Finding a Staycation: Western Washington

There are a lot of places to visit in Western Washington, and if you’re looking for some good vacation ideas, you might consider something in your own area. There are so many places to choose from, but we thought we would mention a few you may not have thought of to take your family for the day. Take a ferry across Puget Sound: There are many options to choose from when taking a ferry across Puget Sound, but the best one may

Read More

Easy, Inexpensive Outdoor Activities for Kids

Summer is a great time for kids and families to get outside and play. With the warm weather and long days, there are many activities you can plan to make sure kids have a fun time, without spending too much money. At the Imagine Institute, we wanted to share just a few outdoor activities you can plan for. Backyard Obstacle Course – These can be easy to set up, without spending a lot of money. You can set up an obstacle course

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A Few Fun Summer Activities For Kids

As the season turns into summer, there are many things you can do to keep kids active and get them outside. We wanted to share a few ideas of activities you can do with your kids, both indoors and outdoors, that will be fun and entertaining. Color Coded Scavenger Hunt – This is a simple and easy way to keep kids occupied and to get them some time outside. Simply take a piece of paper and create a grid of different colored

Read More

Imagine Spotlight: Mumina Hassan

This week, we’re proud to feature Mumina Hassan, who is a lead mentor with the Imagine Institute, a state-approved trainer, and child care provider in Seattle. MEET mUMINA The Imagine Institute is supporting providers across Washington State, offering resources to help them learn more about child care and teaching them about the services they provide. This week, we want to introduce you to a lead mentor who has been with Imagine from the beginning, Mumina Hassan. FINDING HER PASSION Mumina came to

Read More

Washington History: First Asian American Governor in the Continental U.S.

As we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we wanted to highlight some of the local Asian-Americans who have made a big impact in the Northwest and around the world. This week, we are taking a look at former Washington Governor Gary Locke, the first Asian American Governor in the continental U.S. Locke was born in 1950 in Seattle, Washington, and is a third generation Chinese American. His grandfather immigrated to Washington and worked in exchange for English lessons. Locke’s father was

Read More

Get Outside for a Bike Ride!

May is National Bike Month, and it’s a good way to encourage kids to get outside and ride a bike, or maybe start learning for the first time. In fact, Sunday May 7th is National Ride a Bike Day. This is always held on the first Sunday of May, and organizers in many communities hold events to try to get more people interested in how cycling can be both important and fun. National Bike Month was started in 1956 and is promoted

Read More

Celebrating Earth Day: What’s it All About?

As we take some time to celebrate Earth Day, we wanted to share some of the history of the event, and let you know about some activities you could do with kids to teach them about the importance of the world we live on. Earth Day was started on April 22, 1970 by a group of university student activists and a senator from Wisconsin. It was created as a way to set aside time to educate people about the environment, and what

Read More

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day With Kids

When March rolls around, it’s time to break out the greent-shirt and grab your four-leaf clovers to help celebrateSt. Patrick’s Day. It’s usually known as an Irish celebration, but it can be fun for kids of all ethnicities. Here are just a few activities providers can do during March to celebrate the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Finding Treasure – One of the stories surrounding St. Patrick’s Day is that there is a pot of gold at the end

Read More
A graphic with a photo of a little girl dancing with glow sticks and text that reads "Black History Month Playlist"

A Playlist ft. Black Musical Artists

Today is the last day of Black History Month, but we can celebrate Black history, culture, and lives every day. Renata Bryant, Community and Advocacy Specialist at Imagine, put together a playlist of music by Black artists, with a mix of songs for littles and their caregivers. Here are a few highlights from the last six decades for your next dance party: “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” by Stevie Wonder (1967) – This is one of Motown great Stevie Wonder’s first hits. The bass

Read More

Program Spotlight: Shared Services Brings Child Care Providers Together

Child care providers across Washington build friendships and find support through the Shared Services Hub! Shared Services is a partnership between The Imagine Institute and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. It connects licensed family child care providers and child care center directors to resources and services to help grow their businesses, build bonds with fellow providers, and access free training and expert advice. All licensed family child care providers and independent child care center directors in Washington State

Read More

Finding a Staycation: Western Washington

There are a lot of places to visit in Western Washington, and if you’re looking for some good vacation ideas, you might consider something in your own area. There are so many places to choose from, but we thought we would mention a few you may not have thought of to take your family for the day. Take a ferry across Puget Sound: There are many options to choose from when taking a ferry across Puget Sound, but the best one may

Read More

Easy, Inexpensive Outdoor Activities for Kids

Summer is a great time for kids and families to get outside and play. With the warm weather and long days, there are many activities you can plan to make sure kids have a fun time, without spending too much money. At the Imagine Institute, we wanted to share just a few outdoor activities you can plan for. Backyard Obstacle Course – These can be easy to set up, without spending a lot of money. You can set up an obstacle course

Read More

A Few Fun Summer Activities For Kids

As the season turns into summer, there are many things you can do to keep kids active and get them outside. We wanted to share a few ideas of activities you can do with your kids, both indoors and outdoors, that will be fun and entertaining. Color Coded Scavenger Hunt – This is a simple and easy way to keep kids occupied and to get them some time outside. Simply take a piece of paper and create a grid of different colored

Read More

Imagine Spotlight: Mumina Hassan

This week, we’re proud to feature Mumina Hassan, who is a lead mentor with the Imagine Institute, a state-approved trainer, and child care provider in Seattle. MEET mUMINA The Imagine Institute is supporting providers across Washington State, offering resources to help them learn more about child care and teaching them about the services they provide. This week, we want to introduce you to a lead mentor who has been with Imagine from the beginning, Mumina Hassan. FINDING HER PASSION Mumina came to

Read More

Washington History: First Asian American Governor in the Continental U.S.

As we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we wanted to highlight some of the local Asian-Americans who have made a big impact in the Northwest and around the world. This week, we are taking a look at former Washington Governor Gary Locke, the first Asian American Governor in the continental U.S. Locke was born in 1950 in Seattle, Washington, and is a third generation Chinese American. His grandfather immigrated to Washington and worked in exchange for English lessons. Locke’s father was

Read More

Get Outside for a Bike Ride!

May is National Bike Month, and it’s a good way to encourage kids to get outside and ride a bike, or maybe start learning for the first time. In fact, Sunday May 7th is National Ride a Bike Day. This is always held on the first Sunday of May, and organizers in many communities hold events to try to get more people interested in how cycling can be both important and fun. National Bike Month was started in 1956 and is promoted

Read More

Celebrating Earth Day: What’s it All About?

As we take some time to celebrate Earth Day, we wanted to share some of the history of the event, and let you know about some activities you could do with kids to teach them about the importance of the world we live on. Earth Day was started on April 22, 1970 by a group of university student activists and a senator from Wisconsin. It was created as a way to set aside time to educate people about the environment, and what

Read More

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day With Kids

When March rolls around, it’s time to break out the greent-shirt and grab your four-leaf clovers to help celebrateSt. Patrick’s Day. It’s usually known as an Irish celebration, but it can be fun for kids of all ethnicities. Here are just a few activities providers can do during March to celebrate the luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Finding Treasure – One of the stories surrounding St. Patrick’s Day is that there is a pot of gold at the end

Read More
A graphic with a photo of a little girl dancing with glow sticks and text that reads "Black History Month Playlist"

A Playlist ft. Black Musical Artists

Today is the last day of Black History Month, but we can celebrate Black history, culture, and lives every day. Renata Bryant, Community and Advocacy Specialist at Imagine, put together a playlist of music by Black artists, with a mix of songs for littles and their caregivers. Here are a few highlights from the last six decades for your next dance party: “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” by Stevie Wonder (1967) – This is one of Motown great Stevie Wonder’s first hits. The bass

Read More