Yellow Pages
Youngsters seeking fun and games this summer will have a chance to have a stompin’ good time.
Beginning Thursday, Skagit’s Totally Outrageous Mobile Playground (STOMP) will come to Riverfront Park in Sedro-Woolley. The program will provide a variety of activities for children ages 6 through 12.
The program is in its second year and is conducted by the Skagit County Parks and Recreation Department. STOMP will rotate sites each weekday throughout the county, but will be available in Sedro-Woolley each Thursday until Aug. 21.
STOMP is a way for the county to go to different communities and is an affordable, local alternative for children to participate in safe activities within their communities, said Skye Dunn, youth and teen recreation coordinator for the county recreation department.
“It gets them off the street,” he said. “It teaches them how to become more active, use their imagination and be creative.”
Three of the program’s staff members — including one certified teacher — will provide a variety of arts, crafts and games that tie into the day’s theme. Each week will provide a different theme.
STOMP helps children have fun during summer by adding on to what’s already available in the Sedro-Woolley community, Dunn said.
There’s definitely a need for a summer recreation program in Sedro-Woolley said Nathan Salseina, Sedro-Woolley parks department lead worker. Salseina has worked with the county to bring the STOMP program to Sedro-Woolley.
“Kids need things to do in the summer months when they are out of school,” he said.
The county’s recreation department brought the STOMP program to Sedro-Woolley last summer where it was located at Northern State Park. Dunn said due to location, the program did not receive the turnout that was expected.
Riverfront Park will be a better location since it’s more central for parents to drop off their children, he said. Also, the size of the park, the playground, water, bathroom availability and the view contribute to its convenience, he said.
Salseina said he sees an opportunity to partner with and learn from the county, since Sedro-Woolley is in the process of developing its first recreation department.
Creating partnerships is essential to having a successful recreation program, he said. They can “show us the ropes,” he said.
Dunn said although recreation departments in Skagit County are often looked at as competitors, they like to work together since they each have the same goal of engaging communities in activity.
Parents can register their child for all nine sessions in Sedro-Woolley for $89, which includes a T-shirt. Or they can pay $10 per visit. The program hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Participants should pack a lunch and water each day and snacks will be provided. A maximum of 30 children can register each day for the program.
For more information, call the Skagit Parks and Recreation Department at 360-336-9414.
