by Mark Van Streefkerk

For kids and their caregivers experiencing Zoom learning fatigue, a new Family Exploration Kit might be a welcome opportunity to get outside and explore the Washington Park Arboretum, Kubota Garden, or their own backyard. The self-guided exploration kits are designed for kids ages four to 12 and their caregivers, offered through a partnership between the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and Kubota Garden Foundation (KGF). With scavenger hunts, treasure maps, discovery games, hand lenses, and a comic, the kits provide hands-on science education activities, as well as sharing the story of Kubota Garden and pointing to the larger history of the Japanese-American community in South Seattle.

Kits can easily serve four kids at a time and cost $7 but are available to all regardless of ability to pay. To ensure COVID-19 safety, those who sign up for the kits can choose a time slot and location (Othello Commons, the Arboretum, or the Kubota Garden Foundation’s office) for pick up.