Switch up your family’s monotonous routine with a quick dinner trip to Washington State! Kids become full of inquisitive questions when the centerpiece changes from salt and pepper to the Space Needle and a volcano!
Here are some ideas of how to accomplish a fun evening in the simplest way:
Drop by the library and go to the junior non-fiction section to pick up a book on Washington State, or search the internet for facts about Washington State.
We created the centerpieces using only construction paper, skewers, styrofoam plates, a marker, and masking tape. Use your imagination and let your kids use theirs! (Perfection is not what we are after here.) 
Show a map to your kids to make sure they know where Washington is compared to where you live. We own a globe and it comes out for fun nights like this, but a simple map pulled up on the internet works as well.
The food we had for the evening was salmon, garlic fries, asparagus, apples cut up in vanilla yogurt, and apple juice. If we had had more time, I would have liked to have made scones and a cherry cheesecake! Our dinner was late because of practices, but a different dessert idea would have been to end the evening by getting a soft serve ice cream cone –the first soft serve machine was in Washington! (Search for food that Washington State is known for and plan your own menu.)
I learned Garlic Fries are a must. We made them by purchasing a 32oz frozen bag of fries from the grocery store. I rubbed margarine on the bottom of the pan and placed the fries on it. Then sprinkled the fries with salt, pepper, and a bit of garlic powder. I melted two tablespoons of margarine and put a tablespoon of dried parsley flakes in it. I let it sit for a few minutes and then I spooned it over the fries. We baked it according to package directions and stirred it often. There you have Garlic Fries. A much fancier recipe is found here: LINK TO GARLIC FRIES
Fast facts about Washington State were discussed at dinner…
- Mt Rainier
- Mt. Saint Helens and its eruption in 1980
- Space Needle –in Seattle, built in 1962
- Chinese came to help build railroads and work in mines, people from Mexico and Latin America came during WWII when there weren’t enough workers to harvest crops…thus the population diversity
- Nez Perce
- Bill Gates was born in Washington State
- Boeing airplanes
- Green Darner Dragonfly
- Apples, Salmon, Cherries
We watched a YouTube video about 15 tourist attractions in Washington State. LINK TO TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Have a fun night! I hope my kids enjoy the memory of the night and are able to pick out a few distinct places in Washington State….but if I had to choose one thing I hope they know we love them.
Sources:
Washington–A Guide to American States by Leslie Strudwick
Washington—World Almanac Library of the States by Rachel Barenblat
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