Hi there–

Happy almost weekend! If this is your first issue of Bend Family Loop, welcome! If you’ve been in the Loop for a few weeks, thank you for sharing it 💛 I’d also love to hear what you think so far!

This weekend is full of arts, music, and active fun to get your family moving. Let’s jump right in!

In this weekend’s Loop:

—Megan

Here’s what’s happening this weekend!

🎨 Art Play Group
🕘 9am 📍Larkspur Community Center ⭐️ Ages 2-5
Enjoy an hour of art play with other kiddos and parents. All supplies will be provided, so come ready to get messy and have fun getting creative together!→ more info & register

💃 Zumbini
🕙 10am 📍Family Resource Center ⭐️ Ages 0-4
Move and groove with your little one in this new music and movement class! This parent-child class is free (or pay what you want) and is a great opportunity to dance, sing, and be silly together! → more info & register

🎨 Storytime Art
🕐 1pm 📍Two Suns Art Studio ⭐️ Ages 3-5
Learn about different artists and artistic styles in this play-based art class. Using stories and a little bit of teacher guidance, kids will create both individual and communal creative projects as well as have time to engage in open-ended exploration stations. Register for a single class as a drop in, or get a discount for the whole session! → learn more

🏒 Youth Stick Time
🕔 5:15-6:15pm 📍The Pavilion ⭐️ Ages 5-17
No-pressure session for kids to practice using their hockey sticks. Bring your own skates and sticks (and full gear for under-12s). Practice skating, shooting, and stickhandling at your own pace, with an adult welcome to join and coach. → more info & register

🤸 Family Open Play
🕘 9-10:30am 📍Tula Movement Arts ⭐️ Age 7 & under
Bring the family to Tula studio for open play with obstacle courses, bounce house, and lots of ways to get moving. → more info

👚 Bend Kids Clothing Exchange
🕙 10am–12pm 📍Pine Forest Grange
Come “shop” for your kiddo at this month’s clothing exchange! Bring clothes up to size 5T that are in good, clean condition to swap (note–it’s not necessary to donate to participate!!) if you’re ready to pass things along, too.

💪🏻 Creating a CommuniTEA of Fitness
🕙 10am 📍Gym X ⭐️ All ages
Learn how to incorporate family fitness into your routine at home! This active workshop will guide you through simple exercises that can be done at home, and is open to all ages. It’s free, but there are limited spots. → RSVP here

📚 Family Storytime
🕥 10:30am 📍Larkspur Community Center ⭐️ Ages 0-5
Put on those listening ears and get ready for stories, songs, and movement during this family storytime! → more info

🎼 Music in Public Places: Cascade Chamber Players Quartet
🕑 2pm 📍Sisters Library ⭐️ All ages
Here’s a free, low-stress way to enjoy the music of the Cascade Chamber Players Quartet with your kids! Head to the Sisters Library Community Room for an hour long string quartet performance. → more info

💦 Family Glow Swim
🕒 3-8pm 📍Seahorse Academy ⭐️ All ages
Glow sticks, twinkle lights, and swimming? Sounds like a fun way to spend a Saturday evening! Sign up for an hour long swim session and enjoy poolside play areas before and after to extend the fun. → more info & register

⛸ Family Skate
🕧 12:30-2:30pm 📍The Pavilion ⭐️ All Ages
Lace up your skates and enjoy a discounted family-friendly ice skating session. It’s only $8 per person and includes rentals (kids under 3 are free!)

🎭 Bring It On: The Musical
🕑 2pm 📍The Cascade Theater ⭐️ PG-13
A tale of rival cheer squads & teen drama, with music by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda, performed by teens at our longest-running community theater? Bring it on! → Get tickets

Maybe the snow isn’t going to stick around in town for the weekend, but it sure will in the mountains! If your family is looking for ways to get out and enjoy some wintry play this weekend, here are a few ideas (that aren’t skiing!):

❄️ Wanoga Snow Play Area Sno-Park: This is a classic spot for tubing, sledding, snow shoeing, and good old-fashioned snow play. This Facebook group is a good spot to check in on recent conditions. Make sure you have a Sno-Park pass before you go, which can be picked up locally at almost any outdoor shop or at REI.

❄️ Snowshoe with a Ranger: Families with kids 8+ can join a 1½ mile ranger-led snowshoe hike that departs from the Mt. Bachelor Ranger Station. Learn about the geology and biology of the area as well as snowshoeing tips (no prior experience is necessary). It’s $10 and snowshoes are included. There are still spots available on Sunday for the 1pm walk! → Book here

❄️ Virginia Meissner Sno-Park: With the $5 shuttle now running, getting up to Meissner with your family is super easy. It’s a great spot for snowshoeing, with multiple trails and a warming hut at the top.

⛷️ In last weekend’s Loop, we published all the lift ticket and rentals deals for kids – you can see it here if you missed it!

Opportunities for you get a little time without the kids (hello, date night!).

🎥 Friday Night Lights, Camera, Stop-Motion Animation!
🗓️ Friday 🕠 5:30-8:30pm 📍Stellar Jay Creative Learning ⭐️ Ages 7-14
Have a budding filmmaker who is interested in stop-motion animation? Drop them off for a Friday night of learning the technique and making a short film with all the equipment and guidance they need from the folks at Stellar Jay Creative! → learn more & register

🤸 Ninja Night (Parent’s Night Out)
🗓️ Saturday 🕠 5:30-8:30pm 📍Free Spirit ⭐️ Ages 6-13
Free Spirit coaches lead an evening of obstacle course races, team-building games, and ninja challenges. → register

Thanks for reading the Bend Family Loop today. If you found something useful, please share it with a friend 💛

Want to partner with the Bend Family Loop? Let’s chat!