The Play List: Top Seattle-Area Family Activities for January 2025

It’s a new year and a chance to wipe the slate clean for a fresh start. I look forward to filling the remaining no-school days with exciting new adventures, from exhilarating nature outings to eye-popping performances. And don’t miss your last chance to bask in the cheery glow of sparkling lights (when we need it most!) by catching the remaining brilliant light installations of the season. Happy New Year!

1. Seasonal skating rinks. Winter fun continues with gliding and sliding at seasonal skating rinks around town. Skate at Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink through Jan. 12; at Lights & Ice at Tulalip’s Quil Ceda Village, also through Jan. 12; at Oly on Ice through Jan. 20; and at Snohomish Valley Ice Rink all the way until Feb. 2. Book your skate session online and plan to spend $10–$25 per person, including skate rental. If you’re a fan of indoor skating, check out Ice Lights, open until Jan. 4 at the Sprinker Recreation Center in Tacoma.

2. Tacoma Light Trail. Bring on the lights fantastic and extend your holiday sparkle into January by walking the Tacoma Light Trail, a series of light-art installations set up around downtown Tacoma and — new this year — the Hilltop neighborhood and South Tacoma Way. Artworks will light up the dark and (otherwise) dreary nights Dec. 31–Jan. 12. Free.

3. WildLanterns. Perhaps you didn’t find the time or ideal weather conditions to visit WildLanterns before the end of the year. Good news — it’s not too late! Woodland Park Zoo’s enchanting WildLanterns show lingers into the new year, open Thursday–Sunday through Jan. 19. It’s a splurge, at $27.45–$33.95 per person, but your ticket purchase supports the animals in the zoo’s care.

4. Washington State Parks free-entry days. The holiday desserts have been gobbled up. Now it’s time to switch gears and get out and get moving. Washington State Parks entices your family outdoors — bundle up! — with two free-entry days this month, Jan. 1 and 20, when you don’t need to display at Discover Pass to park. Fresh air, tall trees and winter wildlife await. If you plan an outing for New Year’s Day, take advantage of one of the many guided snowshoe or hiking excursions offered through the state’s First Day Hikes.

5. Polar bear plunge. If you want to guarantee a memorable start to the new year, defy the January chill and start 2025 with a very cold dip with the bravest members of your crew. Show up for one of the many polar bear plunges making a splash around the sound. You’ll find such events on Wednesday, Jan. 1, in Seattle, Renton, Issaquah and Tacoma, to name a few. Times vary. Free or by donation.

6. Skagit Eagle Festival. Use those eagle eyes to spot majestic flyers during the monthlong Skagit Eagle Festival. Visit the Bald Eagle Interpretive Center at Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport, Washington, then join a free guided nature walk at 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. during weekends this month: Jan. 4–5, 11–12, 18–19 and 25–26.

7. Sasquatch Hunt. Resolve to embark on an outdoor adventure with the family, test your investigative skills and have a grand time. You and your squad will scour the Grandview Trail at Chambers Creek Regional Park search for eight of the usually elusive mythical creatures during the Sasquatch Hunt, Jan. 6–19. Successful searchers will earn a special prize.

8. Mochi Tsuki festival. Join the Japanese American community on Bainbridge Island to ring in the new year the traditional Japanese way, at a celebratory mochi tsuki. The process entails cooking rice over an open fire, pounding it by hand using wooden mallets, and shaping it into cakes (mochi). Sample the finished product and enjoy traditional dance and taiko drum performances at Woodward Middle School, Saturday, Jan. 11, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

9. ParentEd Talks series. Our ParentEd Talks series welcomes ADHD expert and best-selling author Dr. Ned Hallowell, who will share his personal insights about the unique gifts of ADHD, inviting families to shift thinking on neurodiversity and harness the strengths of kids with ADHD. Tune in live Thursday, Jan. 16, noon–1 p.m. or receive the recording to watch anytime. $10, or $50 for the entire 12-talk series. Members of partner schools join for free.

10. Monster Jam. Got any monster truck fans in your crew? Bring them to one of five shows at the Tacoma Dome between Jan. 17 and 19 to marvel at the epic stunts, big air and nonstop action performed on four giant wheels during Monster Jam. Favorite trucks Grave Digger, El Toro Loco, Sparkle Smash and others compete by racing, spinning, hopping and standing on two wheels. Tickets are $20 and up.

11. Ice Adventures. It’s always a frosty good time at Hands On Children’s Museum’s annual winter fest, Ice Adventures, celebrating our coolest season. This January, the museum invites us to “Embark on an Exciting Arctic Expedition” by learning to snowshoe, skating in your socks, racing ice cube skiers and more. The fun takes place Jan. 17–20, with special activities honoring Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 20. Fest is included with admission.

12. Kidstock! Rock out to kindie faves the Not-Its, take part in a mime workshop, learn festive traditional Mexican dance moves and more at Kidstock!, the free, full-day arts celebration especially for families with kids of all ages. Join the fun at Edmonds Center for the Arts, Saturday, Jan. 18, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

13. “Kooza,” Cirque du Soleil. Make it a family date night (or afternoon) and share a couple of hours of magic under the Big Top at Marymoor Park in Redmond during “Kooza,” the latest show from Cirque du Soleil. Expect lavish costumes, high-flying acrobatics, comedic clowns, as well as a special price for families of between four and eight members. The show runs Jan. 19–March 16. Prices start at $55.

14. King Day celebration. Honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. by joining the Northwest African American Museum at its annual King Day celebration, which will include notable speakers, inspirational performances, kids’ activities and giveaways. Monday, Jan. 20, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission all day.

15. Harlem Globetrotters. Don’t miss the mind-blowing trick shots of the Harlem Globetrotters, legendary team of basketball experts, as they dribble into town to perform at Climate Pledge Arena at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26. Tickets start at $31 per person. Catch a second show at Everett’s Angels of the Winds Arena on Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $22.

Editor’s note: This article is updated every month by ParentMap’s calendar editor Julie Dodobara with her favorite new family activities in and around Seattle. It was most recently updated on Dec. 20, 2024. Be sure to come back next month!