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Two In Tow’s Kid Picks: Family-Friendly April Events

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Welcome to Two in Tow’s Kid Picks, where I flip the script on our usual adventure column by rounding up the coolest-sounding events for families all within easy day-tripping distance from home. Instead of recapping places we’ve been to, this series is all about helping you catch the fun before it starts — so you pencil them into your own calendars and kiddo plans. Expect quirky storytimes, hands-on museum days, and can’t-miss outdoor meetups. And, don’t worry, my regular Two in Tow & On The Go column here at Gig Harbor Now will still be dishing out all the place reviews, too.

>> RELATED: Get more ideas from our debut Kid Picks article published March 28, 2025.

Mark Your Calendars! Kid fun from April to May, Spring Break and longer days.

This week, Clara, Wyatt and I are diving into a basket full of Spring Break and Easter-themed events on track with more daylight hours and slightly fewer reasons to wear a parka. Whether you’re keeping the fam local for Spring Break (April 15 through 19 for Peninsula School District) or just lookin’ to whisk the grandkids away for a few hours, these picks are curated around Easter egg hunts, train rides, tea parties and daffodils.

>> I also grabbed a couple of items from our Gig Harbor Now Events Calendar that you might find interesting, like the Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt and a Daffodil Princess Story Time.

Teen Flashlight Egg Hunt

📅 When: Friday, April 11, 2025 | 7:30 – 9:30 p.m | Doors at 7:20 p.m.

Event website | A glow-in-the-dark outdoors egg hunt that’s only for teens ages 12 to 17. In this PenMet Parks event, teens are asked to bring a flashlight and be ready to race friends to find the pre-filled eggs hidden at the park. The evening will also have music, games and treats – capping it with the egg hunt at the end.

📍Where: Sehmel Homestead Park, Gig Harbor.

💰 Cost: Free; Register for a spot on eventbrite.com.

💡Tonya Tip: Don’t forget to register in advance — they say this after-dark egg hunt fills up fast!

Kitsap Egg Hunt & Train Rides

📅 When: Saturday, April 19, 2025 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Egg hunt starts at noon.

Event website | Hunt for eggs and ride on the free miniature trains (weather permitting) at this spring event hosted by Kitsap Live Steamers.

📍Where: South Kitsap Regional Park – 3101 SE Marbeth Lane, Port Orchard.

💰 Cost: Free, no registration required. The mini train rides are also free + donations are accepted.

💡Tonya Tip: Train rides start at 10 a.m., weather permitting. Last ride is no later than 2 p.m. Hop aboard early and bring a camera for fun photo ops!

Nature Story Walk & Crafts

📅 When: Friday, April 18 , 2025|10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Event website | This cute, outdoor “story walk” features the pages from the children’s book “Old Rock (Is Not Boring)” by Deb Pilutti displayed on signs along an outdoor trail. At the kickoff event, there will be story-themed crafts and activities inspired by the main character’s surprisingly adventurous life. Hosted by Pierce County Parks and the University Place Library, the self-guided display stays up through May 4, 2025.

📍Where: Chambers Creek Regional Park’s North Meadow are, University Place.

💰 Cost: Free; no registration required.

💡Tonya Tip: Great for preschoolers and early readers to stretch their legs and meet a rock with a lot of stories to tell.

🌼Daffodil Festival Events🌼

Event website | The Daffodil Festival is a long-standing Pierce County tradition, now in its 92nd year. What began as a small garden show in the 1930s has blossomed into a countywide celebration of the region’s daffodil-growing roots. Today, the festival features parades, a royal court of local high school seniors, and a variety of family-friendly events across multiple cities. 

🌼Daffodil Princess Story Time 🌼

📅 When: Saturday, April 12, 2025 | 11 a.m.- noon

Event website | For ages 3-8. The Daffodil Festival Royal Court includes about two dozen local high school seniors who serve as princesses, aka community representatives, for the event through a youth leadership program. Some princesses will be on hand Saturday to read a children’s story aloud, talk with the kids and be available for photos. 

📍Where: Inside the Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Drive.

💰Cost: Free.

✤ ✤ ✤

🌼Tacoma Yacht Club Daffodil Marine Parade🌼

Event website | This festive boat parade featuring the Daffodil Festival Royalty and dozens of decorated yachts cruising along the waterfront across the bridge on Tacoma’s north end at Commencement Bay. Bring the kids to wave and watch the magic float by. The parade route begins at the Tacoma Yacht Club, and continues east along the Commencement Bay shoreline from Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park to the Thea Foss Waterway.

📅 When: Sunday, April 13, 2025 | Begins at 11:30 a.m.

📍Where: Tacoma Yacht Club, 5401 Yacht Club Road, Tacoma, near the Point Defiance Ferry Dock. I linked a map here.

💰COST UPDATE: The parade is free to watch along parts of the shoreline, but event organizers announced a new “Festival Entrance Fee” of $10 per person for those age 18 and older. The fee also covers the larger “Daffodil Weekend” evening entertainment and a pub-style trivia game.

💡Tonya Tip: Arrive early to grab a good viewing spot along the parade route or near the marina (see the map above).

✤ ✤ ✤

🌼Daffodil Princess Tea🌼

Event website | The Daffodil Festival Royal Court is hosting its Daffodil Princess Tea. There will be treats at teatime, a princess dance party, and related festivities in each 90-minute session. Doors open 15 minutes prior to each session. Seating is limited. Ticket registration opened Monday, April 7, 2025.

📅 When: Sunday, May 5, 2025 | Three sessions to pick from: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.

📍Where: Laurel Creek Manor, 7611 166th Ave. E, Sumner.

💰 Cost: Adults $35 per person; Kids $40 per person. Buy your tea event tickets *at this link.

💡Tonya Tip: The tea is hosted on the back patio of Laurel Creek, under a big tent, so guests are encouraged to bring a jacket. *Organizers posted to Facebook here that it’s easier to buy tickets using a desktop computer, rather than a mobile phone, due to the menu positioning on the screen.

Spring Egg Hunt at Sehmel Park

📅 When: Saturday, April 19, 2025 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Event website | A festive day of egg hunts, pics with Peter Cottontail, and other springtime festivities outdoors with PenMet Parks. The egg hunts are divided up as four, one-hour sessions that kids pre-register for online. The eggs are scattered in a grassy sports field and the children collect them after a buzzer sounds. A low-sensory, adaptive egg hunt will begin at 1 p.m. created for kids needing calmer experience.

📍Where: Sehmel Homestead Park – 10123 78th Ave. NW, Gig Harbor.

💰Cost: Free; register here.

💡Tonya Tip: Sessions fill quickly. Arrive early and don’t forget to bring a basket.

See ya out there!

— Tonya Strickland