911, a media arts center in South Lake Union, provides the community - and teens - with access to media tools and space to finish and display projects. Members can rent field equipment and use the center's editing suites, shooting space, and screening room. An animation lab is available to members of all ages.

Youth programs include the Young Producers Project, a program for middle- and high school students that introduces them to media literacy through alternative forms of media production. Media Underground is a weeklong intensive workshop for teens. Professional videomakers teach kids how to deconstruct media, design and storyboard a short video, and operate professional digital video cameras. Other youth programs are listed on the website - click on the "Youth" tab.

911, a media arts center in South Lake Union, provides the community - and teens - with access to media tools and space to finish and display projects. Members can rent field equipment and use the center's editing suites, shooting space, and screening room. An animation lab is available to members of all ages.

Youth programs include the Young Producers Project, a program for middle- and high school students that introduces them to media literacy through alternative forms of media production. Media Underground is a weeklong intensive workshop for teens. Professional videomakers teach kids how to deconstruct media, design and storyboard a short video, and operate professional digital video cameras. Other youth programs are listed on the website - click on the "Youth" tab.

Kids and adults create art at this converted 1911 bathhouse, located right on Alki Beach.

The studio offers pottery classes for parents and children; ongoing drawing, pottery, ceramics, and painting classes for gradeschoolers and teens - as well as one-day workshops - and open studio time for artists of all levels and interests.

During the summer, Art Camp for gradeschoolers teaches kids skills in working with different media, such as papier mache and clay, and gives them the chance to design their own costumes, backgrounds, and props for a play they write. Three summer sessions are available, starting in June.

Classes and camps are administered through the Alki Community Center; call for a catalog or to register. An online catalog is available on the website.

The Alki Community Center offers a wide variety of programs and classes for all ages, including adults. Toddlers and preschoolers can attend arts classes and playclub (school year and summer). Kids can learn cartooning or pottery, take sports and music classes, or attend arts workshops. Teens have a full schedule that includes sports classes, arts, dance, performing arts, movie nights, and a chance to sit on the Teen Advisory Council.

Drop-in activities include ping-pong and pool all day, as well as a drop-in playtime for tots and their parents during the fall and winter. The Community Center also hosts periodic community events like picnics or sports days for youth. A children's playground and playfield are located adjacent to the center.

The center offers before- and after school care, summer camps, and school break camps. Parents' nights out are offered once a month.

The Community Center's art classes are held at the Bathhouse Art Studio, a beautiful venue located on Alki Beach.

Kids from preschool to high school can take tap, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, creative dance, ballroom, and swing dancing - as well as parent and tot classes - at this spacious, light-filled neighborhood studio, which has two dance floors.

Classes start up quarterly, and the year includes holiday and Valentine's Day parties and a Spring Performance at the Shorecrest Performing Arts Center in Shoreline. A full schedule is available by calling or online.

Summer dance camps, offered in weeklong sessions beginning at the end of June, meet Mon-Fri for 2 1/2 hours each day.

The studios are also available for birthday party and special event rental. If you rent space for a birthday party, the studio can provide an instructor to lead the kids in dances and art activities.

All That Dance also offer classes at its renovated satellite studio at 5500 35th Avenue NE (30 blocks to the south).

Allegro Performing Arts Academy offers summer classes, camps, and intensives for all ages and levels. Programs include dance team intensives, princess camp, pop-star camp, a healthy living seminar, a Fosse workshop for advanced dancer, a jump rope camp, tumbling camps, and dance movie nights.

ARC Dance Productions is a ballet-based, répertoire dance company under the Artistic Direction of Marie Chong. It performs a full season from September through June in venues such as Benaroya Hall, Meany Hall for the Performing Arts, Shorecrest Performing Arts Center, and Eastlake Performing Arts Center.

It presents works from a wide range of dance idioms such as classical and contemporary ballet, modern and jazz. ARC's mission is to cultivate an appreciation of dance as a performing art by presenting a rich palette of performers and choreography from all disciplines of dance.

Arc School of Ballet offers dance instruction in four coordinated programs: Children's (for ages three-six); Student (ages six-20); Mentor/Apprentice (ages 16-23); and Progressive Open (teen through adult). The school offers summer programs as well.

ArtsWest is a gallery, theatre, and music venue all rolled into one. It presents late-night improv, theatrical productions for grownups, and music as well as periodic family-friendly shows. (Check our calendar for listings.)

In the summer ArtsWest offers a Musical Theater Conservatory, a seven-week intensive program for students ages 13-20. It also offers a six-week Summer Musical Theater Adventures Camp for ages nine-15. In both programs, Students learn theater skills while rehearsing and performing a full-length musical.

The independent, non-profit school was established in 1995 by a group of Asian American professionals as a way of providing cultural and language instruction for children. APLS offers several language programs for kids of all ages.

Preschool for children ages two and one-half to six takes place in a multi-cultural setting and includes age-appropriate Asian language instruction. Classes are held Mon-Fri, 9am-12n, at the Overlake Presbyterian Church in Bellevue.

Before- and afterschool language programs and Saturday school include Chinese, Japanese, and Thai language classes, English enhancement, art, Math for WASL, and cultural activities, at the APLS' headquarters as well as at private and public schools in the area.

Summer language camp for children includes Chinese or Japanese language instruction and a fun, unifying theme.

August Arts Camp, co-sponsored by the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council and Meridian Park School, is a five-day camp held each August for students in grades three-six. Students explore the arts with professional artist-educators, choosing a main area of interest for emphasis (core class) where they spend three hours each day. They also choose two other areas as elective classes. Classes include steel drums, visual arts, dance, and drama. Class size is limited to 12 students per class and are assigned on a first-come/first-served basis, so parents are encouraged to apply early. Registration forms are available online or in person at the Shoreline-LFP Office at the Shoreline Center, 18560 First Avenue NE, Shoreline.

Bellevue Youth Theatre (formerly Ivanhoe or Crossroads Youth Theatre) is a joint project between the City of Bellevue and Bellevue Public Schools, offering theatre classes and camps for young people ages five to 19 and encouraging persons with disabilities, families, and senior citizens to participate. BYT presents 10-11 productions each year.

Blue Ribbon Cooking School offers after school cooking classes and summer cooking camps for kids.

In the cooking classes, kids cook a simple but sophisticated entree that can be taken home for their family's dinner. Tuesday and Thursday classes start after school and go until 5:30pm; Saturday classes are once a month at 2pm-4pm.

Summer camp kids attend the school from 10:30am-3:30pm for week-long sessions that start in mid-June and run through the end of August/early September. Kids learn new culinary skills and cook dinner for their families at the school graduation dinner party on Thursday evening.

A schedule of classes and current prices are available online. Call or email to register.

At Broadway Bound, kids get a chance to participate in a professionally-produced show and perform in front of a live, paying audience. The theatre offers three full-length productions per year.

Summer camps let kids study dinner theatre (with a show and dinner for family/friends at the end), improv, and a wide variety of other theatre topics.

The Broadway Conservatory at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts offers programs and camps year-round that are designed to develop imagination, concentration, and character in youth and adults ages five and up. Training is facilitated by professional teaching artists with the hope that lessons learned on the stage will serve participants though improved performing arts skills, increased self-confidence, and greater understanding of the world around them. Financial Aid is available.

The Cornish Summer Program offers an array of arts courses for kids and teens within a unique college environment. The Summer Dance Program offers classes for kids ages four and up; the Art and Design Teen Program is offered to teens ages 13-18, and the Music Intensive is for students age 17 and up.

Kids get a lesson in culinary basics at CC's Young Chef Series, weeklong summer cooking day camps for children ages seven to 17. In addition to cooking from recipes, kids learn techniques that give them confidence to whip up a wide range of dishes. Four age-specific sessions are offered (for ages seven to 11 and 12 to 17) from June to August; sessions feature different curricula but all kids learn knife skills, product ID, cooking techniques, and fun projects like making ice cream or doing kitchen science experiments. Classes culminate in a Parents' Dinner on Friday evening in which kids cook and serve.

Kids cooking classes and After School Special Classes are offered throughout the year for ages five and up.

Cybercamps Academy offers day camps and residential summer camps with intensive study in high-tech subjects including graphic design, web design, Flash animation, computer programming and robotics, and game design and modding. Courses are delivered through a self-paced, interactive tutorial program with instructors on hand to provided one-on-one assistance.

Cybercamps Academy offers day camps and residential summer camps with intensive study in high-tech subjects including graphic design, web design, Flash animation, computer programming and robotics, and game design and modding. Courses are delivered through a self-paced, interactive tutorial program with instructors on hand to provided one-on-one assistance.

Cybercamps Academy offers day camps and residential summer camps with intensive study in high-tech subjects including graphic design, web design, Flash animation, computer programming and robotics, and game design and modding. Courses are delivered through a self-paced, interactive tutorial program with instructors on hand to provided one-on-one assistance.

Dance Fremont offers dance and movement classes during the school year and summer, from toddllers to adult. The studio also offers summer classes and camps, including a intensive two-week dance workshops for ages 12 and up, and a Musical Theatre/Costume Design & Production Camp for ages seven to 12.

DayJams is a rock music day camp program for beginners and experienced musicians ages eight to 15. Participants write an original song and perform it live, record a CD, design a poster, t-shirt, and CD cover for their band, make a music video, and, yes, spend a little time pursuing outdoor activities as well.

Applications should be sent to the main office (not the host school):

DayJams

P.O. Box 222

Lakeside, CT 06758

The non-profit chorus offers singers ages five-18 training in musicianship and vocal skills, choral discipline, choral etiquette, and showmanship. The choirs also perform in professionally produced shows. The director is Kathleen Higgins. A limited number of scholarships available.

Girls in grades K-two can join the Training Choir (no audition necessary); girls in grades three-five can audition for the Select Choir, and both boys and girls ages 11-14 can join audition for Eastside Youth Ensemble. Auditions are by appointment - call to arrange and request an audition application (or download one from the website).

Summer camps sessions for girls ages six-10 are one-week each; auditions are not required.

Edmonds Community College hosts a variety of family-friendly arts and cultural events throughout the year. Performance schedules and ticketing information are available online at artsandculture.edcc.edu or by calling 425.640.1313.

Edmonds CC offers summer camps in music, arts, theater, sports, and technology for children ages six and up. Visit www.edcc.edu/summerlearning for details.

This weird museum's 140,000 square feet includes galleries dedicated to music artifacts and exhibits, interactive exhibits, and the soaring Sky Church Concert Hall. Most exhibits here won't appeal to kids under five, although the interior of the museum is so visually arresting - an explosion of shiny surfaces, curving lines, and varied planes - that it's possible to keep a toddler busy just looking around.

If you have young children in tow, look for the Speaking Orbs on the second floor, a musical sculpture that plays when you wave your hands over shiny metal spheres. The sculpture Roots and Branches, a ceiling-high structure hung with more guitars than you've ever seen in your life, evoked a wow from our toddler, who also liked listening to the music available from several computer stations clustered around the sculpture.

Kids who are interested in music will find lots here to engage their imaginations. They can play instruments and record music in the Sound Lab, take a walk through modern musical history in the Milestones exhibit, and learn everything they ever wanted to know about Jimi Hendrix. Check out a cool-looking audio guide to the museum, included with admission.

Family-friendly programs here include the popular Family Days offered the third Saturday of each month from 11am-3pm, with activities inlcuding art projects, music demonstrations, special tours, and workshops. The pricey, multidisciplinary Experience Arts Camp for aspiring artists ages 5-16, is held during summer break. Click on the link above and then on Education for an application and/or scholarship information.

The building also houses the Science Fiction Museum - visit www.sfhomeworld.org for more information.

The museum lowered its prices in 2007, and all prices now include admission to both the EMP and SFM.

Fine Art Workshops offers children the opportunity to discover oil painting with an experienced artist from Europe. The week-long summer workshops teach children to recognize colors, observe the complexity of colors in nature and their surroundings, and discover the richness of perception and its expression.

Gage Academy Youth Programs offers art classes for youth and teens, ages six to 18, including Art Ignites Minds (AIM), the after-school enrichment programs at area elementary and middle schools; Teen Art Studios (TAS); Teen Summer Intensive; and Youth Summer Workshops. Art Ignites Minds is open to kids who attend the schools only; see the website for a current schedule and information on partnering with your child's school.

The Teen Art Studios program is free and open to youth ages 13-18 on Fridays from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Teen artists drop in to study with professional artists who provide focused instruction in a variety of media in a relaxed studio atmosphere. All art materials are provided, and a different theme is explored every month.

The Teen Summer Intensive, a pre-college certificate program, offers teens ages 15 to 18 the opportunity to complete portfolio-grade work in an art-school environment. This focused, challenging Intensive fosters independence, promotes creative expression, and imparts a strong foundation in core areas along with conceptual art classes and art history.

During the summer, Youth Summer Workshops offer a full line-up of arts classes for kids ages six-18. Elementary-age kids can attend seven one-week sessions that include classes in visual and performance art. Teen workshops include fine and applied art - a variety of drawing, painting, sculpting, printmaking, cartooning, and mixed-media sessions.

Phone numbers: Auburn 253.833.9111; Eastside 206.464.6133; Tacoma 253.924.0180 (all are ext 2400)

The Heavier Than Air Family Theatre Company is a resident children's community theater group sponsored by the Associated Students of Green River Community College and Green River Foundation. The company performs several family-friendly musicals each year.

HTA offers a summer theatre program for childen ages three to 17.

Formerly a full-service restaurant, Kaspars is now a full-time special events and catering venue. Events take place throughout the year, including a Thanksgiving buffet and Christmas Eve dinner, and children are welcome at many of them.

Kaspars offers cooking camps and periodic cooking classes for kids - check the for event updates or email for notification.

Kids 'N' Clay offers a kid-friendly pottery studio where children can use the potter's wheel or hand build a masterpiece. The studio is designed for children, offers a staff to student ratio of 1:4, and uses only lead-free non-toxic materials.

The studio offers on-going weekly wet clay classes for kids and teens, and a Mommy & Me program for preschoolers.

Kids 'N' Clay also offers holiday and summer half-day camp programs, with both morning and afternoon sessions. Camps incorporate wheel throwing, hand building, and other crafts.

The studio also offers birthday parties, outreach, field trips, and Scout programs. Call or visit the website for class schedules and birthday packages.

Located at West Woodland Elementary School, Kids Inc. is a nationally accredited child care center offering full- and part-time preschool programs, a pre-kindergarten program, before and after school programming, and a summer camp.

The summer day camp offerings include theatre, kayaking, digital animation, web design, culinary arts, baseball, basketball, soccer with Skyhawks, biking, arts and crafts, and swim golf week.

KAC, located in an attractive historic brick building in downtown Kirkland, is a nonprofit visual arts school and gallery that offers ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, painting, drawing, glass fusing, and multimedia classes for all ages. Current class schedules are available online.

The Center also offers half-day summer art camps for kids ages five-seven and full-day camps for kids ages eight-12; each week campers explore a different art theme like people, cities, and nature. Camps run from late June-August.

The Kitsap Forest Theater hosts family-friendly shows produced by The Mountaineer Players, including a spring show which opens Memorial Day weekend and a summer show each August.

See the website for a current performance schedule.

Federal Way's 234-seat performing arts center offers family-friendly theatrical productions throughout the year. The theatre also offers seasonal drama and musical theatre courses for children and a summer youth musical theater program.

Lily and the People offers pottery classes and Summer Clay Camps for kids.

Mount Baker Theatre is a 1509-seat venue that opened in 1927 and was restored in 1996. The theatre offers an educational series for kids each year, as well as summer theatre camps.

Mukilteo Art Academy offers classes for kids and adults in several visual art media. Check our calendar for one-day workshops for children and families.