KIDSPACE Child Enrichment Center

THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THE BABIES ARE HATCHING! 🚨🐣

We have literal spring chickens coming in just under the wire before summer solstice. And witnessing our students witness new life and changing seasons is such a meta metaphor.

Here we are at the end of another school year at Kidspace. We have had the privilege of “incubating” our preschoolers and kindergarteners all year. We have tended to them, learned what helps them grow and flourish, given them a safe and fun place to come out of their shells, seen them through all kinds of transitions, and now, like these chicks, they are ready for the next phase of life… and it fills us with immense pride and gratitude for the experience. Our hearts and coops are FULL!!

In the circle of life… welcome back, Pumpkin Jack!

Some of you may recall that in the fall, we ceremonially placed the moldy, half-decomposed remains of ol’ Pumpkin Jack in this sacred spot*. But was that the end of our gourd study? Ha! Nope!

Much like our students in their educational journey, Jack is in a new phase. That’s right; just because we are inching ever closer to the “end” of another school year, we are still growing, putting on new leaves (building neural pathways as we explore), and making constant adjustments as we transition.

Plant your seeds in our garden! We would love to help your child grow and we are currently enrolling for our Fall 2026 preschool, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classes. 🎃🌱🚿

*in Vancouver, Washington, where a pumpkin will apparently grow in the shade of a rhododendron

Our museum overseers are so proud of their individual and joint collections and cannot wait to share their works with you!

Join us Friday, May 8th, from 5:30 - 7:00, for an Evening at the Museum!

Come for the art, stay for the community-building (and Kona Ice and Wraps Around Town food trucks, and the opportunity to add to your personal collection, and to support Fr1ends of the Ch1ldren, and and and)! We can’t wait to spend the evening with you!

THIS IS GONNA BE OUR YEAR. WE CAN FEEL IT.

Reasons why WE JUST KNOW we’re going to walk into school today and find that we’ve trapped a leprechaun:

🍀We read a whole book about trapping a leprechaun
🍀Everyone pitched in to draw a plan to catch a leprechaun
🍀 We built the trap using supplies we had on hand to lure a leprechaun to our school (so we could have our own leprechaun)
🍀 We involved slime
🍀 We wrote lovely (devious) little notes, hoping to give the leprechaun a false sense of security so we could trap him and keep him forever
🍀 Rainbows, gold, et. al

Edited to add: It was—in fact—not our year. But that just means… we’ll get the little imp next year.

Sometimes you just have to paint the rainbows you want to see in the world. Good thing we have an atelier, unlimited color, and kids with visions and plans.

Practicing kinship and solidarity with those around us, and after a thoughtful and heartfelt staff discussion, we—as a staff—have decided that Kidspace “proper” will be closed tomorrow, Friday, January 30th in support of the National Shutdown Day.

We understand that some families may have essential commitments and need childcare. We also want to support those needs. We have decided to open Kamp Kindness on Friday, January 30th at KIDSPACE from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for families who have no other options and require care tomorrow.

Our hearts have been heavy as we witness the events unfolding across our country. As always, we remain committed to leading with love, kindness, and care for children and families.

We are grateful for each of you and the compassion and understanding that define our KIDSPACE community. 🩶🤎🤍

“Art has the role in education of helping children become like themselves instead of more like everyone else.” -Sydney Gurewitz Clemens

Cut these learners loose with wood and glue and no limits. Over the course of several days in the atelier, they built and waited for their structures to dry, and then stained them to each artists’ perfect hue.

Process Art. Slow Art. The Art of patience and waiting. Seeing what happens when I add this piece here, or layer this stain over that. Making until it’s just right to me because I felt so. There is limitless freedom in the lack of a determined outcome. And we revel in the journey.

Oh, you thought we were exaggerating when we said our kindergarteners are obsessed with decomposition? We don’t just stop at pumpkins! Here’s our apple doll who gets more wrinkly and smiley by the day! Our class collaborated on every step of her “becoming.”