Couve Scoop November 2026

Klawcade Brings Claw Machines and Family Fun to Vancouver 

Klawcade, a family-friendly arcade featuring claw machines, gachapon capsule toys and collectible prizes, is now open at 3021 NE 72nd Drive #15 in Vancouver. The colorful entertainment space combines arcade games, prize-winning claw machines and more for guests of all ages. 

The business was created by Ya, a mom of two who wanted to build a welcoming place where families and friends could spend time together. She said she wanted to create something more than a traditional arcade. 

“I love the energy of Japanese-style claw arcades and gachapon culture – the excitement of spotting something you love, trying to win it, opening a cute capsule or trading your prizes for something even bigger,” Ya said. “We also wanted Klawcade to feel very local and welcoming. So instead of filling a room with machines, we spent a lot of time thinking about the space, the mascot, the colors and art, the party room, the prizes, the staff and all the little details that make the experience memorable.” 

“We opened Klawcade in Vancouver because we see a growing community with so many young families and I felt there was room for different kinds of indoor entertainment experience,” she said. 

Guests can win plush toys and other prizes while playing the claw machines, or trade in prizes for something different or bigger. Younger children may need help from a parent with some games, but Klawcade is meant to be something kids, teens and adults can enjoy together. 

There is no admission fee. Guests purchase or reload a Klawcade game card to play. Birthday and private party packages are available in a dedicated party room, starting at $249 and including five game cards, party supplies and a party host. 

Klawcade is open Monday through Thursday from 1 to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Learn more at klawcade.com or on Instagram @klawcade_official.  

The Little Gym’s Holiday Giving Tree Supports Local Families – How You Can Help 

All this month, The Little Gym of Vancouver is collecting donations for local children and families through its annual Holiday Giving Tree, with donations delivered to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). 

The community is invited to donate new socks and underwear, children’s toiletries, towels, wipes, toothpaste and toothbrushes, baby formula, laundry detergent and diapers. Open packages of diapers are also welcome as long as the diapers are unused.  

“When we opened The Little Gym, I knew I wanted to be a resource for our direct community. I love teaching our classes and providing a space for families to bond and thrive, but I also love to use it as a platform to crowdsource supplies for families,” said Christy Dunbar, owner of The Little Gym of Vancouver. 

Dunbar started the drives after working with vulnerable children and families and wanting to create a way for the local community to help. What began with a few hundred diapers and wipes has grown into thousands of donated items. One year, donations filled the entire visiting room at a DCYF site and required six truckloads to deliver. 

Dunbar also encourages families to remember that small donations matter. “Those cans of formula you received as samples in the mail, the diapers that your child outgrew overnight, a pack of brand-new socks — these are lifelines for families trying to make it to payday,” she said. 

Anyone in the community is invited to participate. Donations can be dropped off at The Little Gym Vancouver at 3000 SE 164^th Ave.  

Two New Children’s Books Recently Released by Local Authors 

Two new children’s books have been recently released by Vancouver-area local parents. “Lilly’s Pads” written by Gil and Brenda Stuart is designed to help kids understand big feelings.  “What They Don’t Know” written by Andrea Moldovan shares insight into a child’s life with neurodivergence. 

 “Lilly’s Pads” is designed to help kids make brave choices and build stronger connections with the grown-ups in their lives. Through the adventures of Lilly, a unique Bullfrog-Toad, and her family, children encounter feelings and situations they recognize and the struggle to know what to do when emotions get big. 

“The story is for kids, but the conversation is for kids and grown-ups together,” said Gil and Brenda, who are local Brush Prairie parents.  

Each chapter includes conversation questions for children as well as reflections and practical tools for parents and caregivers. The goal is to help adults look beyond a child’s behavior, understand what may be happening underneath it and respond in ways that strengthen connection. 

“Lilly’s Pads” is also growing beyond the book with resources for parents, teachers, and clinicians, along with Letters from the Pond™, a monthly mailed experience that keeps children and their grown-ups learning, talking and growing together. Learn more at lillys-pads.com. 

When local mom of two Andrea Moldovan could not find a book explaining autism to her son, she decided to write her own. For a year she spent time researching, writing and crafting a book from the struggles that she saw her son face daily. Her husband Daniel spent his nights hand drawing each page and every detail. Together they created “What They Don’t Know.” 

The book follows a boy with autism named Levi through his life with classmates, at home and in everyday settings. While it highlights his challenges, it also gives perspective to parents, teachers and therapists of what an autistic child may be experiencing. The book follows his classmates and their struggles as well. 

“This book helped explain autism to my son, while also helping us see the world from his perspective,” Moldovan says. The book is now available on Amazon.  

Read the November 2026 Issue Here