=
Expand search form

Rainy day escapes: Stretch your body, stretch your mind, save your sanity

Kids find a rainy day escape in building with Legos. Story page 24. Photos by Melissa Wagoner
Kids find a rainy day escape in building with Legos. Story page 24. Photos by Melissa Wagoner

By Melissa Wagoner

No matter the weather, no matter the age, there are fun things to do in Silverton and Mount Angel.

Weekly activities for children and families are in full swing at both the Silverton and Mount Angel public libraries. Many of the programs are weekly, including children’s story times, and Builders Clubs. There are also special events and monthly programs.

Stephanie Laing, the new youth services librarian in Mount Angel, said the monthly programs will include family game nights as well as special events like Valentines party, bird feeder making, stuffed animal sleepover and movie matinées complete with popcorn.

Places to explore or expand interests

Apples to Oranges
204 East Main St., Silverton
Beginning Knitting: Tuesdays 5-7 p.m.
After School Kids Knit:
Wednesdays and Thursdays 4 to 5 p.m.
www.applestooranges.net

Mount Angel Public Library
290 E. Charles St., Mount Angel
Lego Club (K-sixth grade):
Tuesdays 4:45 p.m.;
Indoor Playtime (ages 0-4):
Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.
www.mountangel.ccrls.org

Silver Falls Library
410 S. Water St., Silverton
Crafty Kids (ages 5-11):
Tuesdays 3:30-9 p.m.; Builders Club
(ages 5-11): Wednesdays 3:30-4:30 p.m.;
Chickadees Storytime (ages 3-5):
Wednesdays 12:30-1:30 p.m.;
Baby Birds Storytime (ages 0-36 months):
Thursdays and Fridays 11 a.m.-noon;
Family Game Day: Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
www.silverfallslibrary.org

Silver Falls YMCA
421 S. Water St., Silverton.
Yoga: Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays 8-9 a.m.; Y Power:
Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays 9-10 a.m.;
Zumba: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-10 a.m.

Silverton Pool
601 Miller St., Silverton.
Aquacise: Monday-Thursdays
8-9 a.m. and 6-7 p.m.,
Fridays 8-9 a.m.;
Stretch and Tone: Monday –Friday 9-10 a.m.

Silverton Indoor Park
United Methodist Church,
203 W. Main St., Silverton.
Monday-Thursday 9-11:30 a.m. (Ages 0-5)
$40 family fee per semester
and six duties; $5 Drop-in Day:
Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m.
www.facebook.com/SilvertonIndoorPark

Silverton Senior Center
115 Westfield St., Silverton.Chair Yoga:
Wednesdays 3 p.m.: Zumba: Tuesdays and
Thursdays 9 a.m.; Stay Fit: Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30 a.m.
silvertonseniorcenter.org

Mount Angel’s weekly programs include Toddler Story time, Indoor Playtime, Lego club and Family story time.

Laing moved to the area four years ago from Southern California.

“We love it here and find it so family friendly,” Laing said. “I fell in love with the Mount Angel Public Library the moment I walked into the door for my interview. The children’s area is welcoming and bright and, let’s not forget, there is a fireplace that is perfect to read by on a rainy day.”

Although gross motor play is not on the agenda at most libraries, Mount Angel  has added Indoor Playtime for infants and preschoolers. On Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. children can play in the ball pit and go down the slide.

Similarly, Silverton’s Indoor Park, held in the United Methodist Church is a hub for unstructured play time. Indoor Park features toys for climbers and peddlers as well as slides for infants and preschoolers. The park is a great way for little ones to get the wiggles out plus it provides a way for parents to network.

But it’s not just children who need to get out and move during the rainy season.

For adults who want to become more active or make good on a New Year’s resolution, there are classes at the Silver Falls YMCA and the Silverton Senior Center. All fitness and skill levels can find the right fit with offerings that include Chair Yoga, Stay Fit and Zumba. The Senior Center has an ever- changing list of events, too.

“There are the trips and travel opportunities, games and socials and there will be more pancake breakfasts and other fun events like the ROCK the Casino, talent show, dinners and barbecues,” Dodie Brockamp, the center’s executive director said.

Adults looking to learn a new skill or take up a new hobby, are invited to visit Apples to Oranges yarn shop, 204 E. Main St. The shop is not only one-stop shopping for fiber arts supplies but also a hub of classes for both the beginning knitter and those seasoned veterans.

The shop features Silverton’s only tea bar with a menu of 30 varieties.  The warm and colorful setting is a great place to sip while you stitch – but you don’t have you be a knitter to go in, sit down and enjoy a cup of tea.

For those who enjoy imbibbing a more frothy beverage, on the third Thursday of every month there’s an evening of Pints and Purls at Seven Brides Brewing in Silverton for camarderie while working a yarn project.

The four-legged members of the family may appreciate a stretch at the Silverton Dog Park, 115 Westfield St. The park is located behind the Silverton Senior Center. There are two areas: one for larger dogs, one for smaller varieties. It’s a place for a dog to run off-leash in fenced safety.

Rain or shine, everyone needs a good stretch to stay healthy and happy. even in winter.

Previous Article

Setting the course: Silverton envisions 2035, builds the plan to get there

Next Article

Agreement reached: Silverton Health to join Legacy Health system

You might be interested in …

Gone, but not forgotten – Old Oak Tree emblem refurbished

By Melissa Wagoner There is no symbol in Silverton’s history more iconic than that of the “Old Oak Tree,” a meeting place initially for the Native tribes of the Molalla and Santiam area and eventually for the white homesteaders who settled here. “The old oak, as everybody called it, was a stately giant, and the early settlers of Silverton looked […]

The Forum: What’s good for Silverton?

So here it comes! For as long as I have known a few of the unpleasant players in this civic horror story they have found ways to create doubt and distrust of anyone in public focus, calling almost everyone a crook on the take. Well, honestly, how much “Take” can there be really from SACA, Silverton Together or being a city councilor?

Athletes wrap up seasons

The Silverton High Schools boys and girls track and field teams both won the Mid-Willamette Conference district and dual championships.