Places We Have Been

  • Woodland Park Zoo ($10 – $15 per person.) We have an annual pass and come here almost weekly. It’s great visiting in the rain and bad weather because often the animals are out and there are very few other people around! Also, they have a pretty great indoor play area called the Zoomazium that the kiddos can kill a good chunk of time in too.
  • Seattle Aquarium ($20-$30 per person – kids under 3 are free) This one is definitely just for special occasions due to the price, but it’s a wonderful experience for the kiddos and is worth a visit.
  • Play Happy Cafe – (Lynwood. $12 per child, can leave and come back) This is a great space to take your kids on a rainy day if they are good at independent play and you want a little time to relax. There are tons of different toys to play with and areas for them to explore. There is even a little baby-safe area in the middle in case one of your littles is too small to play in the larger area. Even if your child needs to have you in there to play with them, it’s still a nice change of pace and a great way to get a lot of energy out. Which hopefully means your kiddos will sleep well after a visit!
  • Imagine Children’s Museum (Everett. $13 per person 1 year and up) – This place is huge and has just about anything a kiddo could want to play with there. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but you could spend quite a few hours there so it’s worth the price. Also, in the summer time they open up the rooftop outdoor play space which I hear is pretty awesome.
  • Community Play Gyms (Various community centers around King County. Free – $2) This is one of the best ways to kill some time with your kiddos on a rainy day in Seattle. Different community centers are open on different days, so be sure to check and head to one that is open.
  • Seattle Childrens’ Museum (Seattle. $12 per person 1 year and up) I We took our girls here when they were one and three and it was a pretty good time. It was nice to check it off our list, but I don’t think I feel the need to come back again any time soon. The space is fun and interactive, but is feeling a little dated. We also got lunch afterwards in the upstairs pavilion and it was a bit much for us. We had a hard time finding a table because they were all occupied by homeless people.
  • Cafe Aroma (Free with price of drink/food) This one is pretty great and we go here all the time during the winter. It’s just a neighborhood coffee shop that has a small room filled with toys for the kiddos to play with. It’s a great way to kill some time and get the kids out of the house for a little change of pace.
  • 3rd Place Books (Free! – I recommend Lake Forest Park location) This is another go-to for me and the kiddos during the dreary winter months. It’s located in the Lake Forest Park Town Center building so there is actually a lot going on here. There is a large community space that sometimes has kids programs or free concerts to take the little ones to. But there is also a little play space that is enclosed so you can grab a coffee and sit on the outside and just watch your kiddos play for a bit.
  • Library Story Time (Held 1x per week at most libraries (look up the locations closest to you), so you can jump around and fill your week with them if you want! Free!!) This is another wonderful city sponsored program where you can bring your child to an age appropriate story time and get some interaction with other kids their age. At story time the leader typically reads a few books and leads the group in some songs while teaching a specific letter, color or word. It’s a fun, educational time for all!

Places On Our List To Go See

  • KiDiMu (Bainbridge Island. $8 for one year and up) Once my kiddos are old enough for a day trip, we will head downtown and take the ferry across to Bainbridge Island, and then check out the museum.
  • Pump it Up (Lynwood. Prices vary, but typically ~$9 per child) Check schedule for open jump times. There are also some interesting looking programs geared towards younger kids, and they have a few family jump nights as well. Spaces are also available for rent so is a great option for birthday parties.
  • Funtastic Playtorium (Alderwood Mall and Factoria. ~$12 per child) This one looks pretty great, but my only problem would be that my kids would be in separate spaces since they are 1 & 3 (They have a little kiddo area for under 3 and big kiddo space for over 3)
  • Arena Sports ($10 per child for non-members, $7 for members. Various locations; Magnusun is where we would go) Specifically the Inflatable FunZone. This looks like a fantastic way to get some of the wiggles our of my kiddos! Open daily (except Mondays) from various times.
  • Wunderkind ($6 per child for a day pass) This space in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle caters to kids and adults. It’s primarily Lego and Duplo focused as far as toys go, so probably best for slightly older kids.
  • Ballard Play Space (Free! Open Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:45 – 12:45, First Fridays from 5:30 – 8:30)
  • Museum Of Flight (Seattle, expensive and you have to purchase your tickets ahead of time?) We will wait until the girls are older before we do this one.