50 Things to Do with a Toddler in Seattle in the Summer
My daughter is just like me - we don’t like to be stuck at home. We are always planning adventures and outings. Here are some ideas including our favorite things to do in the area for toddlers (although we started taking Romy to some of these as an infant, never too young to expose them to nature!)
Go to a splash pad - Downtown Redmond Central Park, Redmond Town Center, Downtown Kirkland (outside QFC), Crossroads Park, or the Seattle Center International Fountain are a few options.
Take a ferry to Bainbridge Island - shop along the main street & eat lunch
Go swimming at the lake - Idylwood Park, Downtown Kirkland, Meydenbauer Park, Pine Lake, Sammamish State Park, Magnusen Park, Luther Burbank Park.
Swim at a pool - we love the downtown Kirkland pool, Colman pool, Juanita High School pool, McMenamin’s in Bothell (free for Bothell residents until 2030!), and Snohomish Aquatic Center
Go paddleboarding - in my experience, toddlers are fascinated by this and will sit on the board while you paddle around. Beaver Lake, Pine Lake, Cottage Lake, Green Lake are all calm small lakes.
Go on a hike - Check out Cherry Creek Falls in Duvall, Barclay Lake, Heybrook Lookout, or Mirror Lake and Franklin Falls near Snoqualmie Pass for short, easy hikes.
Redmond Town Center - besides the splash pad, they have a big open area for kids to run around. Get some cookies from Midnight Cookie Co. and do some shopping.
Children’s Museums - Seattle Children’s museum, Kids Quest Bellevue Children’s Museum in Bellevue, and Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett are all fantastic. *check out KCLS Museum Pass for free entrance to Bellevue’s museum
Seattle Aquarium - After, go ride the merry go round at Pier 57 and get some fish and chips from Ivars. *check out KCLS Museum Pass for free entrance to the aquarium
Bellevue Downtown Park - the playground is one of the coolest. They have a water area in the summer. Bring a picnic to eat on the grass or go get ice cream at Molly Moons.
Totem Lake Village - take your toddler for ice cream at Salt and Straw and sit outside on the grass area to eat. Check out the colorful playground across the street.
Discovery Park - throw rocks, run on the beach, see the lighthouse. Huge park with endless opportunities to run and play. Great place to do a nature scavenger hunt.
Ride bikes on the burke gilman trail
The Zoo - Cougar Mountain Zoo is smaller and much cheaper zoo than Woodland Park Zoo, so it’s perfect for toddlers, great selection of animals and opportunities to feed them. But, Woodland Park Zoo is on the KCLS museum pass, so you can try to get free tickets.
Downtown Snoqualmie - go see the Snoqualmie Falls, then after get ice cream in downtown historic Snoqualmie and visit the Northwest Railway Museum. Toddlers will love seeing all the trains! * check KCLS Museum Pass for free entrance
Alki Beach - play in the sand on the beach. I love to go to Metropolitan Market before and grab food for a beach picnic.
Rent a canoe at UW - Below the football stadium, there is a place to rent canoes. You can paddle around to little islands and look at wildlife.
Fly Kites and run around Gasworks Park. There is also a playground here.
University Village - lots of kid friendly spaces at this outdoor mall. Grab some lunch at Shake Shack and eat outside on the lawn.
Open Gym/Indoor Playground - A few gymnastics centers have open gym time each week for toddlers. Northshore Gymnastics, Emerald City Gymnastics, Seattle Gymnastics are a few good options. Many city Community Centers also have open gym weekly.
Take a trip to IKEA - eat the swedish meatballs, let your kids explore the kids section and lay in all the beds.
Ride the Monorail - kids under 4 are free
Volunteer Park Conservatory - my toddler loves looking at the plants and flowers. You can even bring a stroller in to make sure they don’t run free. There is a great playground and swimming pad next to it.
Green Lake Park - rent a paddle boat or ride bikes around the lake. Great big park.
Ballard Locks - picnic at the park and watch boats go through the locks.
Golden Gardens Beach Park - build sandcastles, picnic, swim, paddleboard etc.
Marymoor Park - located in Redmond. Huge park with multiple playgrounds, rock climbing wall, trails to ride bikes.
Luther Burbank Park - located in Mercer Island. Great for swimming in the lake, playground, dog park.
Center for Wooden Boats - they have free boat rides on Sundays
MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry) - located next to the Center for Wooden Boats, a great option for free first thursday museum night. They have a fun kids section.
Petting Zoo - Farrel McWhirter is a free park in Redmond that has farm animals and a large grass picnic area, Kelsey Creek Park in Bellevue also has animals for kids to see and pet.
Mt. Rainier Day Trip - go in August to see the wildflowers. Easy walks for kids from both Sunrise and Paradise locations.
Point Ruston in Tacoma - splash pad, Ice Cream Social, waterfront market
My Gym - sign up for weekly gym classes - great place to get their energy out and meet other kids.
Not specific to Seattle:
Bookstore - a great place to hang out on a rainy day
Nature walk - go to your local park and have your toddler find leaves, sticks, flowers, bugs etc.
Chalk - take your chalk to a new park or part of town for a change in scenery
Bubbles - Bring bubbles to a park and go crazy
Dog Park - if your toddler is like mine and loves dogs, they will love going to a dog park and seeing all the pups run around.
Visit a skate park - bring your toddler’s balance bike and let them ride around, or watch the skaters. Either way, they will love it
Paint picnic - bring a plastic sheet to lay on the grass and paint outside. Cleaner, change of scenery and fun!
Story time at the library - most public libraries have weekly story and singing time for toddlers. Great place to meet other parents too.
Pick fruit - in the summer, bring your kids to the strawberry or raspberry farm. In fall, go pick apples. In Seattle, we go to Harvold Berry Farm.
Build boats and float them in a nearby pond or pool - every kid loves this
Go to the grocery store and let kids help pick food for a picnic at the park
Take photos - let your toddler take pictures outside of what they see. Give them an old phone or a kid camera
Ride the bus for fun - sing the wheels on the bus song
Feed the ducks at the local pond - identify birds, bugs, and animals you see
Visit the local pet store and look at the animals (good for a rainy day when you need to get out of the house)
Backyard camping - set up the tent, roast marshmallows over a stove, read books with a flashlight, watch a movie in the tent etc.