Low-sensory area to be hosted at this year’s Kirkland Summerfest

Roo’s World of Discovery partners to host low-sensory area at Kidszone in Heritage Park.

August 8, 2018 4:30 pm
Tia Ekle, 4, plays with her bubble gun during Kirkland’s Summerfest Aug. 11. Megan Campbell/staff photo
Tia Ekle, 4, plays with her bubble gun during Kirkland’s Summerfest Aug. 11. Megan Campbell/staff photo

Roo’s World of Discovery, an inclusive Montessori-inspired indoor play space for children birth to five years old – in partnership with Frameworks CTR, JUMP, Kindering, Mosaic Children’s Therapy, and The Washington Autism Advocacy & Alliance (WAAA) – is hosting the first-ever low-sensory play area at this year’s Kirkland Summerfest.

The low-sensory area will be situated in the KidsZone at Heritage Park.

“Organizers approached me to create a low-sensory play area at this year’s Summerfest for kids who need to step away from the busyness of the festival yet still participate in the fun,” Michelle Pollak Landwehr, Founder and Owner of Roo’s World of Discovery, said in a press release. “With such short notice, I knew I couldn’t do it alone and I wanted to make sure it was done right. I called in my friends and partners from the early intervention and Autism communities and together we are excited to make this low-sensory area possible.”

The 2018 Kirkland Summerfest low-sensory area is made possible by staff and volunteers from:

● Frameworks CTR provides coordinated therapies and resources designed to promote skill development and support for individuals with social, emotional, and developmental disabilities, their family members, caregivers, and other team members

● JUMP engages students by building trusting relationships and exploring opportunities for individuals with and without disabilities to jump beyond their believed personal limits.

● Kindering, a non-profit early intervention center, embraces children of diverse abilities and their families by providing the finest education and therapies to nurture hope, courage and the skills to soar.

● MOSAIC Children’s Therapy Clinics provide birth to young adult occupational, physical and speech therapies, social skills and feeding therapy. Four locations in Bellevue, Issaquah, Mountlake Terrace, and Seattle.

● Roo’s World of Discovery is an inclusive Montessori-inspired indoor play space for children birth to five and their families.

● WAAA’s mission is to ensure that all children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disabilities have every opportunity to thrive and become productive members of society.

“We wanted to make this year’s Summerfest a more inclusive event for members of our entire community,” Amanda Falwell, Marketing and Public relations Manager of Chump Change Productions and organizer of Kirkland Summerfest, said in a press release. “We heard that Roo’s World of Discovery would be able to create such a space and reached out to Michelle. With her connections, the first-ever low sensory area in the KidZone is going to be a lot of fun for everyone.”

This year’s KidZone in Heritage Park will have activities for kids of all ages to enjoy corn on the cob, ice cream, BBQ, face painting, balloon animals, rides, art, and much more.

Roo’s World of Discovery will be at Kirkland Summerfest on Sunday, Aug. 12 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.