Fisher Park Parent/Child Golf Tourney

FISHER PARK PARENT/CHILD TOURNAMENT | Parent with child under 14 years. Nine-Hole Scramble begins at 1 p.m. Aug. 16. Cost: $15 pair. Fisher Park Golf Course, 823 S. 40th Ave., Yakima; 575-6075.

Wenas Mammoth Dig

WENAS MAMMOTH DIG. Tours every 30 minutes, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Visit a working archaeology site. Free; bring water, good shoes, hats and sunscreen. Located on private property at 1770 S. Wenas Road, Selah. 509-963-3201. www.cwu.edu/~masters/mammoth.html

Home Depot Kids Workshop

HOME DEPOT KIDS WORKSHOP. 9 a.m. to noon. Free drop-in projects for kids 5-12. The Home Depot, 2115 S. First St., Yakima. 452-3016.

Yakima Valley Trolleys

YAKIMA VALLEY TROLLEYS. Departing hourly, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thirty-minute ride on historic trolley. Yakima Electric Railway Museum, S. Third Avenue and Pine Street, Yakima. Cost: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors. 509-249-5962. yakimavalleytrolleys.org

Ace Kids Club

ACE KIDS CLUB. 10 a.m. to noon. Free drop-in projects for kids ages 3-12. Hometown Ace Hardware, 3700 Tieton Drive, Yakima. 972-4400.

Borders Story Time

BORDERS STORY TIME. 11 a.m. Free. Borders Books, 1700 E. Washington Ave., Union Gap. 248-4018.

Franklin Pool – Sat.

FRANKLIN POOL. Saturday Open Swim: 12:30-4 p.m. Cost: $3.75 adult, $2 youth, $10 family. Franklin Pool, 2102 Tieton Dr., Yakima; 575-6035.

Selah Pool – Sat.

SELAH POOL. Saturday Open Swim: 1-5 p.m. Cost: $3 adults, $2 youth, $8 family. Selah’s J. Francis Pool, 214 S. Third St.; 698-7306.

Saturday Nite Live

SATURDAY NITE LIVE. 7-9:30 p.m. Free drop-in program open to youth ages 7-15, in partnership with Yakima Valley Young Life. Swimming, sports, games, Christian message. Yakima Family YMCA, 5 N. Naches Ave. 248-1202 or 961-9898.

Summer Campfire Program

SUMMER CAMPFIRE PROGRAM. 7 p.m. Rose & Sun Country Friends play country western/gospel music. Yakima Sportsman State Park, 904 S. 33rd St. Free. Bring chairs. 575-2774.

Yakima Bears

YAKIMA BEARS. 7:05 p.m. Minor league baseball v. Everett at Yakima County Stadium, 1301 S. Fair Ave. Cost: $6.50 adults, $5.50 kids 3-12. Fireworks after the game. yakimabears.com

Yakima Farmers Market

YAKIMA FARMERS MARKET. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In front of the Capitol Theatre at Third Street and Yakima Avenue.

Mommy Connection

MOMMY CONNECTION. 9:15-11:30 a.m. Free. First hour is Mommy & Me, second hour is just for moms; all ages welcome. Child care reservations: 966-1900. For more, e-mail Katie Thorner: katejoyt@hotmail.com. Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6015 Summitview Ave., Yakima.

Franklin Pool – Sun.

FRANKLIN POOL. Sunday Open Swim: 12:30-4 p.m. Cost: $3.75 adult, $2 youth, $10 family. Franklin Pool, 2102 Tieton Dr., Yakima; 575-6035.

Selah Pool – Sun.

SELAH POOL. Sunday Open Swim: 1-5 p.m., 5:45-8:45 p.m. Cost: $3 adults, $2 youth, $8 family. Selah’s J. Francis Pool, 214 S. Third St.; 698-7306.

A fun stop in Bellevue

After dropping a friend off at SeaTac on Friday, the kids and I needed a place to stop and burn some energy before heading back home to Yakima. Of course, Seattle has lots of fun things to do with kids: Pacific Science Center, Woodland Park Zoo and the wading pool at Green Lake were all tempting options.

Ultimately, though, I decided to stay on the eastside of Friday afternoon traffic. So, we stopped by the KidsQuest Children’s Museum at the Factoria Mall in Bellevue. It’s at the junction of I-90 and I-405, so it was super convenient for our route. Admission was $7.50 per person. We stayed about two hours and, honestly, the kids could have stayed longer but I was ready to move on (especially because the “jeans for $12″ sign on the OshKosh B’gosh store across the way was screaming at me to check out their back-to-school sale).

Anyway, the kids had a great time. Annie, 4, loved the Waterways area, which had several interactive exhibits that allowed kids to explore the power of water. Max, 6, really loved “driving” the full-size Peterbilt semi-truck.

The museum’s not especially large and I wouldn’t recommend it as a destination from Yakima, but it was a great way to pass the afternoon if you happen to be in Bellevue or (like us) just passing through. Makes me wish we had something similar closer to home…

Looking for an indoor place to beat the heat? Check out our list of Indoor Play Places.

Yakima Bears

YAKIMA BEARS. 7:05 p.m. Minor league baseball v. Boise at Yakima County Stadium, 1301 S. Fair Ave. Cost: $6.50 adults, $5.50 kids 3-12. Friday Feast: $1 hot dogs, soda, popcorn, ice cream. Live music. yakimabears.com

Outdoor Summer Cinema: ‘Twilight’

OUTDOOR SUMMER CINEMA. “Twilight,” rated PG-13, begins at sunset (about 8:30 p.m.). Admission: Canned good donation for Northwest Harvest. Gilbert Park, 50th and Lincoln avenues, Yakima. Allied Arts: 966-0930. alliedartsyakima.org

Mom & Baby

MOM & BABY. 10 a.m. to noon. Discussion group for moms with infants under 1 year; bring your baby. Free. Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital’s Community Education in the Nob Hill Plaza, 2506 W. Nob Hill Blvd., Yakima. 575-8484.

Be thrifty when buying back-to-school supplies

Beginning in July, the Yakima mom begins scouring advertisements for the best deals. She knows summer is the time to shop, because supplies will become more expensive as the school year progresses.

“Boxes of crayons and glue sticks are so much cheaper during this time, so I stock up,” said Connell, who has five children between the ages of 8 months and 11 years. “As soon as I see the sales starting, I keep an eye out.”

Connell is one of thousands of parents gearing up for the back-to-school season in the Yakima Valley. Many school districts already have mailed their supply lists or will do so in the next couple of weeks.

Classes at most schools begin in late August or early September, prompting parents and retailers alike to say that now is the time to buy.

“Back-to-school is like Christmas for us,” said Atif Awan, a sales supervisor at Office Max in Yakima. “It usually starts to get busy the last week of July, but August is when it really starts.”

The supplies begin arriving in his store in June, but the sales are heaviest in late July and throughout August, Awan said.

Lured by the promise of folders, crayons, rulers and other items for a penny, Awan said parents will flood through the doors with their lists in hand.

If they want to avoid the crowds, though, they need to plan their shopping trips wisely, he said.

“The best time to get this stuff is the moment the first ad hits,” he said. “If you wait until the last moment, you won’t get anything that cheap.”

Awan also advises people to check retailers’ Web sites to see the advertisements, and go shopping in the morning.

“Anytime before 4 p.m. is best,” he said. “That’s when people who are shopping aren’t looking for school supplies. You can take your time and you don’t have to worry about fighting someone else over it.”

Jamie Christiansen, security manager at Target, agrees that August is his busiest month. He said deals are to be had, but people must be vigilant about checking the fliers and Web site each week.

Want to know what school supplies are required? You may need to check your school district’s Web site or call the school directly to find out when supply lists will be available. For contact information and Web site links to the more than 30 school districts served by ESD 105, click here.

“Merchandise will start flying out the window by the end of the summer,” he said. “If you want to make sure what you’re looking for is in stock, you should get in as early as you can. If it’s on clearance, it might not be there.”

Connell has learned the importance of buying early. She will typically visit several stores to get her supplies, and with the exception of backpacks she gets the cheapest items possible.

“Maybe I’m not that nice of a parent, but if my kids want a sparkly folder that costs three times as much, they can use their own money,” she said. “If I come home with school supplies, they’re happy to take what I bought for them already.”

Michelle Dooley, a first-grade teacher at Terrace Heights Elementary School, also has finessed her shopping techniques. With a class of kids and a first-grade son of her own, she said she stockpiles supplies now so they will last throughout the year.

She also prefers one-stop shopping, and will wait until she sees an ad that’s too good to miss.

“I don’t run all over town for each little sale,” she said. “I would say, definitely wait until you see the better ads.”

* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 509-577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.

Back-to-school shopping tips

* Give your children only the necessary amount of pencils and lined paper each week, so you have backups if supplies are lost.

* Don’t scrimp on backpacks and lunch boxes, as those items are the most abused. By spending more money now, you avoid having to replace the items later.

* Budget for back-to-school expenses and establish a savings fund a year in advance. That way, you’ll have cash available when you need to do your shopping.

* Consider shopping at thrift or consignment shops for “gently used” clothes and backpacks.

* Stick to your budget, and have your children participate in the shopping so they can learn how to manage money.

* Don’t be afraid to say no to your children’s requests.

* Shop at home first for such basics as pencils and pens, which you probably already have.

* Look for deals at office supply stores, drugstores and even dollar stores — which all compete for back-to-school spending.

* Purchase plain supplies, which are cheaper than their decorated counterparts.

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