Seattle is one of our favorite family destinations in the Pacific Northwest. We lived in the Seattle area for five years before moving to North Idaho. This city holds a special place for our family, and we still return whenever we can. Over several trips we have taken our kids to the Seattle Aquarium and the Woodland Park Zoo to see the animals. We’ve also visited several Seattle museums, many playgrounds, and a family fun center packed with rides.
Because Seattle weather is often overcast and misty, we have learned to plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities. Whether you are visiting Seattle for the first time or you live nearby, you can find many things to do in Seattle with kids!
In this family travel guide:
- Downtown Seattle Landmarks
- Seattle Zoo & Aquarium
- Museums for Kids
- Seattle Playgrounds
- Family Fun Center in Tukwila
- HomeExchange
- FAQ
Getting Around Seattle
Seattle is an easy Pacific Northwest road trip destination. From our home in North Idaho, Seattle is about a 5-hour drive. Visiting the city is very doable as a weekend or a week-long visit. You can expect overcast, misty weather much of the year. We actually love those cozy gray days, but they are a great reason to plan a few indoor activities. Downtown Seattle parking is available in garages for an hourly rate, especially near Pike Place Market.
Downtown Seattle Landmarks with Kids
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is first on our list, with many independent vendors, artisans, and the very first Starbucks location. On one visit, we arrived shortly after it opened at 9am. This allowed us to explore Pike Place without much of a crowd. Vendors sell fresh flowers, fruit and produce, handcrafted goods, artisan jewelry, fine art, sauces and dips, fresh fish and meats, and gourmet pastries. Our kids loved sampling fresh fruit slices handed out by the produce vendors. We bought dried strawberries that tasted as sweet as candy!
Handcrafted Organic Skincare
We also stopped by the Moon Valley Organics stand, an absolutely divine handcrafted skincare company. I’ve had the chance to try several of their skincare products, lip balms, and lotion bars. Several years ago, we visited the Moon Valley Organics farm and had the chance to see how some of their Organic skincare products are made.
Artisan Flavored Yogurt
We also enjoyed some artisan probiotic Ellenos Yogurt in flavors lemon curd and mixed berry. It was hard to choose a favorite flavor; other available flavors included activated charcoal yogurt with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin pie yogurt. Everything sounded amazing and the flavors we tried tasted tart and smooth.
Seattle Gum Wall
Located at the end of Pike Place Market, the famous Seattle gum wall decorates the brick walls of an alley with thousands of colorful pieces of gum. The city cleaned off around 20 years of gum in 2015, so today’s wall is newer than the one we visited years ago. However, the gum wall is still a quirky and free stop to see in Seattle.
Space Needle and Museum of Pop Culture
Next, the Space Needle is Seattle’s most iconic landmark, and even just seeing it from the ground is a thrill for kids. Right beside it sits the artistically designed Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). Inside, families can view props and costumes from iconic movies such as The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Rotating exhibits highlight topics such as Minecraft: The Exhibition, Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic, and Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction.
Fremont Bridge Troll
The Fremont Troll is one of our kids’ favorite Seattle stops. Created in 1990 as the winner of an art competition to rehabilitate the space under the bridge, this giant sculpture clutches a real Volkswagen Beetle in one hand. Our kids loved climbing on the troll and posing in a photo. They didn’t quite believe there was a troll under the bridge until they saw it!
Seattle Zoo & Aquarium
Woodland Park Zoo
The Woodland Park Zoo is another very special place to visit with kids in Seattle. We went often when we were locals to the area. We love spending a relaxing day seeing the animals, grabbing a snack, and watching a wildlife program. On an overcast day, the zoo is not very crowded and many of the animals come out close to the viewing areas. Our kids have enjoyed seeing the lions, gorillas, giraffes, reptiles, pink flamingos, and penguins. The walking paths are easy to navigate with a stroller or a group of kids. Also, there are little burrows and tunnels to crawl into along the way, plus an interactive farm area. In winter, the zoo hosts a spectacular holiday light display. See our Woodland Park Zoo guide and tips for visiting with kids!
Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium is an engaging family destination and opportunity for kids to see birds, mammals, and fish up close. This waterfront landmark is a popular attraction for tourists and locals. Kids will especially enjoy getting a look at the Puget Sound’s amazing underwater world. See colorful marine creatures in their recreated natural habitats and feel some of the creatures in the touch pools. Once you learn about Pacific Northwest’s native sea life, you can take your family on an adventure to find some of it on your own along Seattle’s rugged coastline.
Seattle Museums for Kids
Museum of Flight
Rainy days are perfect to visit the Seattle Museum of Flight, which is very kid-friendly and educational. We have explored this museum several times, and we always find something new to discover about the Seattle area’s role in aviation and aerospace history.
Kids’ Flight Zone – One of our first stops was the Kids’ Flight Zone, an enclosed space full of aerospace activities designed for kids. Interactive displays show how airplane engines work, how hot air balloons rise, and how a plane gets lift. There is a light-up engine demonstration that shows how jet engines use air and fuel, and a flight control lever kids can move to see how a plane maneuvers. My little guy loved sitting in the prop plane.
Great Gallery aircraft – The T. A. Wilson Great Gallery holds 39 full-size historic aircraft in a six-story hall. Kids can climb into the cockpit of a real SR-71A Blackbird or a full-scale F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet.
Space Gallery – Walk across the sky bridge to the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery, where the highlight is the NASA Full Fuselage Trainer, a full-scale space shuttle mockup you can actually walk into. It was used to train astronauts, who spent up to 100 hours in more than 20 separate classes.
The Seattle Museum of Flight also has a control tower replica, flight simulators (for an extra cost), a 3D IMAX theater, a cafe, and a gift shop. A family could easily spend a whole day here.
Seattle Children’s Museum
Additionally, the Seattle Children’s Museum is a wonderful place for younger kids, with themed sections that encourage science, role play, and nature exploration. Kids can shoot ping pong balls through clear tubes with air suction and experiment with levers and gears. In another area, they can dress up and pretend to be an optometrist, mail carrier, or sushi chef.
Seattle Area Playgrounds
Seattle Center Artists at Play
When the kids need to run, the Artists at Play playground at Seattle Center is our go-to, located right next to the Museum of Pop Culture. Our kids are always eager to scale the huge climbing structure, cross the enclosed hanging walkways high above the ground, and tackle the network of climbing ropes to the top. Artists at Play is a free attraction with swings, a walking maze painted on the ground, and a small toddler playground.
My kids immediately tried to follow the winding orange maze-like walking path. This maze activity took them several minutes of energetic running and walking to get to the center of the painted design.
Another fun feature of the Artists at Play playground is the massive climbing structure with two slides and a network of climbing ropes and ladders. This play activity isn’t designed for young kids because it’s challenging to climb and super high at the top. Older kids could spend hours climbing and walking along the suspended bridges and going down the slides. The Seattle Center playground also has swings and a smaller toddler play area with a rope walk that’s low to the ground and a small slide.
Seattle Public Library
The Seattle Public Library is a lovely low-key stop, especially on a rainy afternoon. Kids can read books, attend story time, and explore the library’s digital media programs. It is a relaxing way to spend an hour or two downtown.
Family Fun Center (Tukwila)
When you need to burn energy indoors, the Family Fun Center in Tukwila, just south of Seattle, is a fantastic choice. This fun center has something for every age.
For younger kids, there is a huge climbing play structure with slides, tunnels, curvy tubes, and padded walls. The play space is roomy enough for a parent to climb up to rescue a stuck toddler. Little ones can ride the Drop & Twist and Frog Hopper kiddie rides. Also, the Traffic School Mini Cars let kids drive a car all by themselves.
For the whole family, try the bumper cars, which kids can drive on their own once they meet the height requirement. Or race go-karts on the big track with hairpin turns, and play games at the arcade. Our kids loved the dinosaur games and the rainbow ball claw machine.
For older kids and teens, you can try laser tag, bowling, an XD Theater experience, batting cages, mini golf with two 18-hole courses, and bumper boats. The Screamin’ Swing sends riders through the air at 65 miles per hour. The whole center runs on a rechargeable card you swipe for each game and attraction, then cash in your tickets for prizes on the way out.
Racing go-karts at the family fun center in Tukwila, WA.
Stay in a House through HomeExchange
As we’ve illustrated, there’s a lot of great places to go with kids in downtown Seattle and we really can’t see everything in just one trip. We try to visit the Seattle, Washington area often because it has so many great things to do. Regardless of where you go, resources such as HomeExchange make it even easier to plan a budget friendly vacation. This community allows you to choose the perfect home that fits your needs. You can book a home based on point values and you can earn more points by hosting guests in your own home. HomeExchange is essentially a “home swap” platform which opens up a lot of possibilities for traveling in the US and abroad.
We’ve had some great experiences with staying in other people’s houses through HomeExchange. The greatest benefit is that you can search for a home that feels like your own, with single or multiple levels, rooms for your whole family and a wide variety of amenities. The people whose homes we’ve stayed in have left their homes “guest-ready” with helpful instructions, plenty of towels and sheets, and even suggestion books about things to do in the area. We’ve also experienced that staying in a home is much more cozy than staying in a traditional vacation rental. Best of all, HomeExchange makes it possible for its members to be able to travel wherever they want in the world!
We hope you enjoy your next trip to Seattle and find some of our tips and suggestions helpful! We feel very blessed to live so close to such a great area in the Pacific Northwest!
Seattle with Kids FAQ
What are the best things to do in Seattle with kids?
Our family favorites include the Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, the Museum of Flight, Pike Place Market, the Fremont Troll, and the free Artists at Play playground at Seattle Center. For a rainy day, the Family Fun Center in Tukwila has rides, go-karts, and an arcade.
What can you do in Seattle with kids on a rainy day?
Seattle’s overcast weather is perfect for indoor stops like the Museum of Flight, the Seattle Children’s Museum, the Museum of Pop Culture, the public library, and the Family Fun Center in Tukwila.
Is Seattle good for toddlers?
Yes. The Woodland Park Zoo is stroller-friendly and the Museum of Flight has an enclosed Kids’ Flight Zone. Additionally, the Family Fun Center in Tukwila has a toddler climbing structure and kiddie rides. The Artists at Play playground also has a smaller toddler area.
How many days do you need in Seattle with kids?
A long weekend covers the highlights like Pike Place, the zoo, and one or two museums. With a full week you can add the aquarium, Museum of Pop Culture, and the Family Fun Center.
How far is Seattle from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho?
Seattle is about a 5-hour drive from Coeur d’Alene, which makes it an easy long-weekend road trip from North Idaho.
Hi, I’m Katie! I’m a homeschool mom who’s traveling the world with my husband and 4 kids. We raised our family in North Idaho and currently live in Mérida, Mexico. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I hope you enjoy our creative ideas and family adventures!
