Top 8 Best Family-Friendly Activities in Seattle

[Simon Hopes]

Are you a traveler planning to visit Seattle with kids? If so, then you don’t have to worry about finding the best kid-friendly activities to do around this seaport city. From top-notch family theater productions to awesome beaches, the city is full of exciting things to explore with your kids.

To eliminate the hassle of finding Seattle's favorite attractions and kid’s friendly activities, here are some of our top recommendations.

 

1. Taking your kids to an aquarium

 

There is nothing as adventurous as taking your kids to an aquarium while in Seattle. Besides getting a chance to look at various sea creatures in their habitat, your kids will also get a chance to touch them as well as feed them. For instance, the Seattle Aquarium which is located on the city’s wonderful waterfront is a good place where you can take your kids to touch starfish and sea anemones. You can also take them to the Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder, an interesting place where your kids can see the salmon as they swim by.

 

2. Visit the park

 

You can take your kids to the nearby zoo park to spend a good part of their day there. One such park is the Woodland Park, a beautifully laid-out and relaxed park right next to the Zoo which has a variety of wild animals. Komodo dragons, giraffes, gorillas, and monkeys along with many other popular animals. Besides animals, there are also several activities you can do around this park such as watching the birds, indoor climbing, playing with your kids on the playground or burning off energy on a rainy day. You can bring your own food or pick your favorite dish from any of the restaurants within the zoo.

 

3. Consider Seattle’s best museums

 

If a museum is more your flavor then you are in luck. The city has the best museums for both kids and adults. One of them is the Seattle Children’s Museum At Seattle Center, located a few minutes’ walk from the Pacific Science Center. Another museum is the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) which has enough space to keep your kids occupied for a few hours. Here, they will appreciate cool things such as Star Wars artifacts and Star Trek souvenirs, as well as scary scenes from several science fiction books and movies. Other museums you can consider are the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.

 

4. Tour Seattle on the water with your family

 

Seattle provides several opportunities to tour its water with your family. One of these opportunities is to take the Water Taxi to West Seattle. With less than $10, you can take a 15-minute ride with your kids from Pier 50 to the West Seattle. From there, you can decide to visit the Seacrest Park to see various animals or just relax on the patio at Marination Ma Kai. Another way you can tour Seattle on the water is to rent a boat or kayak and paddle around the Greenlake or the Lake Union. You can also decide to take an Ice Cream Cruise or a two-hour long cruise on an Argosy Locks Cruise. These two tours are enough for your kids to have fun and keep them interested the entire period.

 

5. Tour the city’s underground

 

Touring the city’s underground is also one of the best kid-friendly activity you can do while in Seattle. For instance, the Tour the Seattle Underground tour will take you and your kids down beneath Pioneer Square and other awesome places under the city’s surface streets. Another famous underground tour you can consider is the Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour which lasts for more than 1 hour and runs daily throughout the year. Last but not least, is the Beneath the Streets Tour, a more intimate underground tour that comprises of less corporate and smaller groups.

 

6. Have amazing views of the city and its waterfront

 

There are several options you have if you want your kids to have amazing views of Seattle and its waterfront. One option we recommend is to let them ride the Seattle Great Wheel located on the Seattle Waterfront. This unique wheel can hold up to 8 people, so you can bring the entire family. You can buy the ticket online for this adventure any time of the year. Be sure to carry your paper tickets in hand whenever you visit the place to avoid waiting in the queue for long.

 

7. Enjoy movies and theater performances

 

One of the best places you can visit with your kids to enjoy movies and theater performance is the Seattle Children’s Theatre. For instance, there were several family-friendly plays which were shown in this place this year such as the Snowy Day and Other Stories by Ezra Jack Keats, Into the West, Seedfolks, Fire Station 7 and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If you want, you can also pair your movies and theater performances with a casual lunch out at any restaurant.

 

8. Swim at a beach

 

The city has several great beaches you can visit to swim or hang around with your family. Some of these popular beaches include the Matthews Beach on Lake Washington, Madison Park Beach on Lake Washington, the Green Lake Beach and the Golden Gardens on Puget Sound. They have nice swimming spots with friendly trainers and lifeguards in case you need any help. Other beaches are located a few minutes away from restaurants, beautiful playgrounds and walk/bike paths. If swimming is not your hobby, you can rent a paddle boat or kayak to explore various adventures on the water.

 

In fact, there are several other attractions and activities we haven’t mentioned in this article. If you’re planning on visiting two or more of these attractions around the city, the Seattle City Pass could be a great investment for you. This pass comes with a lot of benefits such as helping you visit several attractions around the city at a friendly price. It will also help you have a fast pass entry in places where the queue is quite long.

 

Feel free to check what is included in this pass.