We had the most amazing trip to Seattle, WA this past February! It was truly one of those trips that we planned for the kids. Nowadays, we try to keep the kids in mind when booking most of our trips, but sometimes we do better than others. This trip was solely planned around them, and I think we executed it perfectly!
I don’t know if your little ones have ever watched Blippi on YouTube, but Hunter’s close friend introduced him to Blippi and our lives are forever changed … enter – “The Pacific Science Center Seattle Space Needle Washington” as Hunter proudly calls it. The awesomeness of the PSC got our gears turning. Chance and I had been to Seattle back in 2015 (pre-kids → look at how well-rested we are!) and really loved the area.
We were happy to go back there, but we definitely had a different itinerary this time (and I use the word “itinerary” loosely because we are not scheduled people on vacation).
The other thing that prompted us to take on Seattle was our children’s museum ASTC Travel Passport Program. We pay a little more for our membership here in New Orleans, but it grants us free (or half price) admission to many museums around the country who are also participating in the reciprocal membership. We reevaluate every year when our renewal comes up based on where we may travel, but one other museum visit usually covers us. It has been a huge source of savings for us! (You can read more about it here). We’ve used it already in Los Angeles, Boston, Orlando, Mississippi Gulf Coast & Atlanta to name a few. What’s truly great about the free admission is that we never feel guilty if we’re only trying to fill a 1-2 hour void of time. Just like all of our memberships here, we don’t pressure our kids to stay the whole day or we just leave if someone’s not having a good day – such a relief to know we’re not wasting our money or pushing our kids too hard!
Kids Activities in Seattle
Our highlights of the trip were: The Pacific Science Center, The Woodland Park Zoo, KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Pike Place Market, Snoqualmie pass, and Discovery park. You might think that having toddlers with you would limit the amount of places you’d be able to go, but there were actually a plethora of options for us in and around Seattle!
Pacific Science Center
I highly recommend The Pacific Science Center (PSC) if you’re traveling to Seattle with children. Our 3 year old LOVED the dinosaurs – pretty sure we visited that exhibit about 5 times. They were all huge and some moved. The room itself had jungle-like sounds piped in. This is every dinosaur-loving kid’s dream!
The butterfly garden was also amazing; you go in and the butterflies are just all around you! It’s a bit hot and humid in there, but they have a lot of different types of beautiful butterflies so it’s totally worth it! It’s also where you can see the window that shows the stages of the caterpillar/butterfly life cycle. You have to be extra cautious to make sure you didn’t step on them – or walk out with them attached to you.
Our 18 month old was able to freely roam the toddler area, which was fairly large in size. He also loves water play, and the PSC has strategically set up their water table so that older kids can access it from one side and the toddler area accesses it from the other. Another time I definitely should have packed a change of clothes, since Gage was super wet after this! The toddler area had a variety of age appropriate toys and plenty of space to spread out. There was a music room as well as motor skills board. They also had these giant lego blocks that Hunter loved playing with.
Just outside of the tot area was a saltwater touch pool that had starfish, anemone, hermit crabs and other living sea creatures. Gage slept through this part, but Hunter had a blast feeling the different types of colorful animals in there that were representative of the Sound.
Another fun area was the large bubble maker. I don’t know about you, but our kids are obsessed with bubbles! Hunter loved getting to pull up the rope to make the bubble film and then blowing them to make super huge bubbles 🙂
As for the older kids, you’ll find lots of science – things like the solar system, body movement, naked mole rats, pollination and a Puget Sound model (Chance & I actually thought that one was really neat!). They also have some really cool water projectiles setup in the outdoor courtyard area. It was a little chilly and overcast on the day we went, so we didn’t spend too much time outside.
PSC does have an indoor cafe with limited seating, but there’s tons of seating outside. They ask that if you bring your lunch you use one of their outdoor tables. I actually found their cafe selection to be well stocked, diverse and fair in price for a museum.
We felt about 5 hours was good here; more depending on how long your kids might want to play at a certain exhibit. The ideal age range is probably 4-10 for this place, as there were many exhibits we didn’t spend time at because they were too advanced for the boys. They do have the toddler area, and of course, the dinosaurs will peak any little boy’s interest; but I think we’ll definitely be going back once the kiddos get a bit older.
PSC does have an attached parking garage, but it’s basically public parking. The rates are fair for being in the city, but we parked there starting at 7:30am to get the all day rate. We strategically parked there to be able to walk to Pike Place Market and the Space Needle as well. We were lucky that it wasn’t a rainy day, and our boys love being outside. I don’t know about y’all – but shuffling our kids in and out of car seats is a pain. We choose to park and walk/stroller as much as possible! We are certainly not used to hills, though, as everything here in New Orleans is flat … we were embarrassingly winded at a few points!
Pike Place
Pike Place Market was another fun spot we visited! I feel like everyone knows about this famous local farmers market, but I will say the experience is slightly different with little ones Haha. We had gone to breakfast there back during our 2015 visit, and we racked our brains to remember where we had eaten because it was so delicious with an amazing view of the Sound! We eventually figured it out (after some Googling) – it was The Athenian. When we went back this time they were super accommodating with kids. And still delicious!
After that we made sure to see all the seafood, flowers, chocolates etc with the kids. We always get there pretty early because it’s way less crowded in the morning as things get rolling, plus coming from central time zone means we’re up earlier anyway. And of course, don’t forget to grab a coffee from the original Starbucks shop … tastes exactly the same as any other Starbucks location, but a cool experience nonetheless!
Space Needle
As mentioned above, we visited the Seattle Space Needle on the same day as Pike Place and the PSC. It’s right next to the PSC and a very short walk to it. The lines were extremely short the day we went, and thankfully it wasn’t very crowded. We didn’t have to wait in line for the elevator ride; but if you do have to wait, they’ve done a phenomenal job of displaying how the tower was originally built for the 1962 World Fair. I know Chance was secretly sad that he didn’t get to read more!
The top floors actually just underwent a renovation recently, and they did a fantastic job. I included an old picture back from 2015 so you can see just how much nicer it is now! Hunter enjoyed the long elevator ride to the top and was amazed by how fast we went. The new outer glass is beautiful, and we were there on a clear day with lovely views. This is one of our favorite ways to see the Sound, the ferries, and water planes landing.
They do offer beverages and snacks on the inside of the top floor. They also have a restaurant on the lower floor, but we haven’t had the opportunity to try it out yet. The lower level also has a rotating glass floor – the boys thought that was so cool! This lower floor was also a little more shaded if you need that for any reason. You do have to walk down a set of stairs to this floor to catch the elevator back down to the bottom. I’m going to be honest, I think the boys thought the elevator rides were equally as cool as the lookout itself! Haha. This isn’t a must-see with little kids, but it doesn’t take a long time if the lines aren’t massive.
Woodland Park Zoo
The Woodland Park Zoo was another fun day! It was a little chilly early in the morning before the sun came out, but that never stops our boys (mom wishes she would have remembered her gloves, though!). Seriously, just about any activity outside is a good one for us.
The zoo actually has a few different entrances and parking lots. We personally parked in the Hippo Lot at the South entrance and found that entrance to be easily accessible. There were short lines to buy tickets there, and it was a convenient spot all around. You do have to pay to park, but the fee is nominal. The Hippo Lot is also right next to a large park if you just want to let the kiddos roam around.
Overall, the zoo has a great layout – logistics are very important to my Type A personality. Like most zoos, it’s sectioned off by continent and the animals are grouped by their indigenous habitats. Our favorite area was the Northern Trail. These animals were so different from what we typically see at any of the other zoos we’ve visited – think gray wolves, elk, snowy owls, grizzly bears, etc. They also had your traditional zoo animals – lions, hippos, ostriches, monkeys, gorillas, birds, rhinos, penguins, tigers and otters. There’s a petting zoo area that’s open in the summer time, and right near that is an area to teach kids about gardening and composting. They have a child size garden that Hunter got to play in. They have a life-size cow to demonstrate where milk comes from and then real cows that come up right next to you through the fence!
If it’s a lovely day, I highly recommend packing a lunch and using one of their outdoor spots to eat and take a break! We felt that about 4-5 hours was a good amount of time to see everything here depending on how fast or slow you walk or how much you read (Chance sometimes like to ready everythingggg).
After the Woodland Zoo, we made the drive south down to the Georgetown area. It was a nice little ride and gave Gage the opportunity to take a power nap in the car. We went to this small, family-owned Mexican restaurant that had great reviews online. The area was very industrial and had mostly a business crowd in there as it was a weekday. All of the food was excellent, we had great service, the prices were reasonable and there was free parking in the back. It was the perfect break between the zoo and the next museum on our list. They don’t have a website, but search for “Jalisco Restaurant Seattle” in google (it’s on 14th St).
The Museum of Flight
A quick 5 minute drive from the restaurant, and we were at The Museum of Flight. This was such a cool place. It was another museum on our reciprocal membership and the perfect way to spend a lovely weather afternoon. Again, we were there on a weekday in February, so it wasn’t crowded at all. They had many exhibits inside for the space program. They talked about what life is like in the ISS – such as health, toiletries and basic self needs/care. Then we walked outside to all of the large aircraft which I think I can safely say was everyone’s favorite part. It’s so cool to be able to explore the aircraft and see how much they’ve improved over the last 50-70 years. There was a really neat play area for the kids where they could “check you in” at the service counter, a baggage conveyor belt, and cart to drive. The boys had so much fun playing behind the ticket counter desk!
After we finished on this side of the street, we used the skywalk to get to the other side. On this side, we saw the original factory where Boeing first started manufacturing airplanes – think beautiful wood and rudimentary belt-driven machinery. We also saw their exhibit on World War II aircraft. From there, we visited some smaller planes that were indoors and concluded in the “Flight Zone” children’s area. Hunter got to hop into a plane and a helicopter in there as well as learn about engines (Chance loved this part, too). We could have used a little more time here, but it was getting late and the boys needed to get back in time for dinner. This could easily be a 4-8 hour museum depending on how much you want to read or how many of their videos you’d like to watch. We wish we would have been able to make it to the Boeing Future of Flight and Factory Tour, but it was in the opposite direction and just wouldn’t have been as kid friendly. It will definitely be on our list the next time we make it back to Seattle!
Snoqualmie/Hyak Sno Park
On one of our weekend days, we decided to head up to Snoqualmie to go tubing and let the boys play in the snow. Hunter “saw” snow for the first time on a ski trip in Utah at 3 months old; Gage hadn’t seen snow at all. Poor Louisiana boys haha. Well, we were hoping to go tubing, and we knew we had to pre-buy tickets; but by the Saturday before, they were all sold out. This was probably for the best given I was 20 something weeks pregnant and we had two toddlers. We were able to find another snow park, however, to still let the boys go play and experience the snow. Hyak Sno Park was perfect for what we were looking for, and the boys seriously had a BLAST (we all did)! It started dumping snow on us halfway through, and it was simply magical. Truly one of those mom memories I’ll tuck away in the back of my mind forever. We built a snowman (thanks to Mr. Robin who’s from Montana) and found a snow-walrus someone else had built haha. We were ill prepared without a sled or snow “tools.” Some kids there had the equivalent of pails and shovels like we use down here for the beach – who knew?!? Parking was $20, but they did take credit cards and the restroom facilities were very nice and warm. I can only imagine how beautiful this area is during the summer as well. It’s super important to note, though, that if you have a rental car and are going to drive up there during the winter, you need all wheel/4 wheel drive!!
KidsQuest
Another day was well spent at the KidsQuest Children’s Museum in Bellevue. It was smaller than I expected, but clean and had well thought-out play areas. When you first walk in, you’re greeted with a massive climbing structure. Hunter could go up the first level, but that was about it. It’s definitely a better activity for kids ages 4-5 and up. It went high and looked super cool from the outside!
The water play area was very large and accommodated kids of all ages. The boys both love anything with water and “mess” as Gage says, so we spent a good while in here. They provided aprons and driers, but I wish we would have had a change of clothes and saved this area for last. I’m still learning in that mom-department; you think I’d know better by now (especially with boys LOL)!
They also had a full size truck cab in the “On the Go” area which was super cool. It showed the kids all about what went into the process of packaging and transportation – not something you usually see on a level they can understand. Hunter also enjoyed racing cars at his height level, and I enjoyed the view out the window. I have to say that the museum made great use of space for the most part.
When you head upstairs, the first thing you encounter is a lego table. The boys ran for it immediately and played for a solid ten minutes or more before they even noticed anything else.
They also had an awesome toddler area (the “Tot Orchard”) that was gated off for children ages 0-3. It was a little busy in there on a school weekday, but all of the kids were playing well together. There were age appropriate slides, climbers, motor skills toys and kitchen sets. They had a reading area that was tucked away from the crowded areas. This would be perfect for children with sensory disorders or anyone just needing a moment of calm for themselves without leaving the gates! It was nice that since Hunter is still 3, we could bring both boys in there. Hunter didn’t last too long, though, as he was more interested in the legos and train tables just outside the tot area.
We don’t have a bunch of trains at home, so he thoroughly enjoyed the large train tables they had. There were lots of accessories like bridges and boats to go along with the trains. The only negative about this upstairs area is that the stairs are right by all of the exhibits, and they aren’t barricaded in any way. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I was a little nervous about that and was constantly watching to make sure they weren’t accidentally meandering off to the stairs.
There was also this super cute reading tree upstairs. It had nooks for kids to read the books in both up in the treehouse or underneath the tree – such a neat and different take on the book area of a children’s museum!
We also hit up the paint studio which didn’t have anyone else in there at the time. They had art supplies out for sketching and coloring, and the artist in there was super attentive and sweet to the boys.
We didn’t get to utilize the outdoor area because it was a bit cold and gloomy the day we went. I was a little disappointed in the “snack area.” It was basically a bench. Our boys were troopers, though, just sitting on the bench to eat their lunch (helps that they were hungry and we had brought non-messy sandwiches!), but I feel like the museum was really missing an area for kids to eat and take a break – which we all know toddlers need. If we had gotten to the museum a bit earlier (as originally planned, but hey, kids lol), we would have easily been able to play in the morning and then have lunch after leaving. The museum itself is a little drive outside of the city, but you ride across the lake and it’s beautiful. The admission pricing is very reasonable, and children under 1 are free. There’s about a dozen free parking spaces right in front of the museum. Those were all taken when we got there, but the museum offers a 3 hour validation for a local parking garage and hotel in the area. We chose the valet at the hotel and had a lovely 5 minute or less walk through Bellevue to get to the museum. I would say about 3-4 hours at this museum is plenty; a great way to spend a half day!
Discovery Park
Discovery Park – a truly hidden gem! This is another one of my favorites from this trip!!! It was a little out of the way, but so totally worth it. Our friend that we stayed with, who is local to the area, filled us in on this beautiful spot. They have tons of trails that many locals were using for exercise. We got here a little late in the day, so we didn’t get to explore as much by foot as we would have liked. We wound up going down to the edge of the water. They offer parking to the elderly and families with a child under the age of 7 near here. Otherwise, the nearest parking lot to this exact spot looked to be about a 15-20 minute walk away. Just let these pictures show you the beauty of this place! The boys love being outside period, so this was great to just let them run around and find all the caves, big sticks, shells etc out there.
REI
I forgot to mention that we got lost for almost half a day in the REI flagship store in Seattle. We miss the REI we had back in Atlanta, so this was a special treat for us! Your typical REI is already a pretty big store, but this place was huge! There are two stories of retail space, plus a 65-foot tall indoor climbing wall. They also had the coolest little play area for kids that the boys had tons of fun in while Chance & I took turns shopping. Even the walkway between the parking garage and the store is decked out – Hunter of course loved the little waterfall they had outside. Parking is validated for one hour during the week and two hours on weekends if you park in their garage; if you’re any bit of an outdoors-y person, you’ll probably need at least half a day!
Restaurants We Loved
As parents, we all know finding the right restaurant with little ones can be critical, especially when they are off of their routines and it’s been a long day of fun! Here are some great spots we found that were great for the kiddos but were good enough that we would totally go back without kids.
One restaurant we definitely have to praise is Vios Cafe. Chance spent some time specifically looking for kid-friendly restaurants in Seattle; and this one kept showing up, so we decided to give it a try. I have to HIGHLY PRAISE this restaurant’s play area for kids. It’s sort of fenced in by tables (which made it SO easy for us to watch them while we sat at the table and talked), and the play area was stocked with books, coloring tools, motor skills toys, etc. I wish every restaurant had this! The food was also delicious. It is street parking only for the location in Capital Hill; but the neighborhood is beautiful to walk through, and we didn’t have any issues, even at rush hour.
We picked up pizza twice from Pagliacci’s. It was another recommendation to us by locals, and it didn’t disappoint – hence the second pickup. 😉 It’s a thin style pizza that we don’t really have down here in New Orleans. We’ve really gotten into the habit of picking up pizza at least one night when we’re on vacation. We strategically plan it for either the first night after a long travel day or a busy/long day where we know the boys won’t be up for sitting at a restaurant (plus it’s pretty cost effective).
For our Italian fix that week, we went to Domani in the Queen Anne area. We were there during “Happy Hour” (remember, we were two hours behind our normal time zone) which allowed us to try a bunch of different dishes on the menu at a great price. Everything we ate there was delicious, they had a good drink menu, and they had plenty of plainer dishes for the kid who might only want pasta with marinara. It wasn’t super busy, they had a beautiful fire going, and you could see out the window to the action on the street.
There’s seriously so much to do in Seattle for kids (and adults) no matter what time of year you go. Arguably, there’s more in the spring/summer/fall since being outside is so lovely and they have plenty of outdoor options with minimal driving time outside of the city. Spots we didn’t get to hit this trip: Gas Works Park, the Seattle Aquarium (it’s not the best aquarium, but can fill a day esp if it’s inclement weather), Seattle Children’s Museum, a ferry ride, & the fish ladder at Ballard Locks. Looks like we’ll have another trip in our future 🙂
5 Responses
We love Seattle! You have so many wonderful ideas. One of our kids favorite book is called “Weedle on the Needle”. It talks about how Seattle has changed over the years. Can’t wait to read more about your fun travels! Thank you.
My son also love Blippi! It would be fun to incorporate somewhere that my son has seen on Blippi into a vacation. It would be a great learning experience. 🙂
Okay, it’s official … I need to go to Seattle! I showed some of your pictures to my daughter and she wants to go too. I also told her that Starbucks was founded in Seattle and she was even more excited … she knows Mama loves the coffee and she loves the cakepops there. That zoo though … OMG! We love the zoo. So many great family-friendly places in Seattle. We’ll have to add it to our bucket list. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
These are wonderful kids activities. Our kids would love the zoo! Thanks so much for sharing!