Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Seattle
Every May and June, thousands of local parents, grandparents, and caregivers weigh in on their favorite local places to take kids. This page is where we showcase the 2023 list of winners for the area. (Click here for the full list of nominees.)
After you check out the list, make sure to find great things to do on our packed daily calendar, sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter, and visit our Everything That's Free page for lots more ideas.
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1. Sammamish Animal Sanctuary
Sammamish Animal Sanctuary is a farm that hosts many different rescue animals! Sammamish Animal Sanctuary is the home of the animals from the Rescue Series Books, written by Diane Odegard Gockel. It is regularly open to the public and available for birthday parties, corporate events, and more! Now located in a brand-new location in East Renton! Come visit us or reach out for details!
2. Woodland Park Zoo
Founded in 1899, Woodland Park Zoo has sparked delight, discovery and unforgettable memories for generations of Northwest families. People who experience the wonders of the natural world are inspired to protect it. That's why every year we lead more than 1 million people on a journey that inspires a lifelong love of animals, makes science come alive, and gives people the tools to take conservation action.
3. Swans Trail Farms
Swans Trail Farms is your ultimate destination for unforgettable family fun in scenic Snohomish! Join us for three seasons of festivals and U-Pick adventures with strawberries, apples, and pumpkins. From Spring Baby Animals & Berries to the Apple Festival and Fall Festival, there's something for everyone. Hop on a wagon ride, cheer on your favorite duck in water-trough races and enjoy endless entertainment for the young and the young at heart. Don't miss our annual Apple Extravaganza, where you can pick your own apples, indulge in warm apple cider donuts, and witness the magic of cider pressing at our Cider Mill. Spring brings adorable lambs, playful baby goats, and adorable ducklings for cuddling and petting. And when fall arrives, our pumpkin patches, wagon hayrides, and Washington State corn maze create the perfect fall experience. Join us at Swans Trail Farms for a good, old-fashioned farm adventure that will make you fall in love with family fun all over again.
4. My Local Library
Of course, the libraries in the Seattle area are not really ONE place, but MANY places... but it's important to emphasize how valuable libraries are for family learning and fun. The libraries in our area are wonderful about posting their events to the KidsOutAndAbout calendar so you always can get ideas for free things to do with your kids that celebrate education and imagination. KidsOutAndAbout.com takes this opportunity to salute the wonderful children's librarians who serve our community with such dedication. They're proud that locals voted them #13 in best places to take kids this year!
5. Seattle Aquarium
Come explore the wonders of the marine environment—including sea otters, moon jellies, pufferfish, harbor seals and more—at the Seattle Aquarium. Now with timed ticketing and plan-ahead pricing so you can choose the best fit for your budget and schedule. Have fun while joining us in our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment!
6. KidsQuest Children's Museum
KidsQuest Children’s Museum is a hands-on, interactive children’s museum that encourages learning through play with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM)! Explore over 25 innovative exhibits designed for children ages 0-10, plus their friends and family. KidsQuest offers a variety of unique programs throughout the year including early learning classes, summer camps, school-age workshops, free art and science programs, plus special events. Head to kidsquestmuseum.org for updates on events, programs, and to book your ticket. You can also reserve for your child’s birthday party! Watch for FREE programming like Story Time, Science Hour, and Camptivities. Reservations are required for entry, so book now to come out and PLAY! KidsQuest is open Tuesday-Sunday 9:30am-5:00pm and check the website for the latest information.
7. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Experience the Pacific Northwest's only combined zoo and aquarium. Experience unforgettable up-close encounters with tigers, hammerhead sharks, red wolves, sea lions and more. See an award-winning live animal show and close encounters with animals and keepers. There's always something new to see and do and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Learn more at www.pdza.org.
8. Pacific Science Center
Pacific Science Center ignites curiosity in every child and fuels a passion for discovery, experimentation, and critical thinking in all of us.
9. Alki Beach Park
Picture a perfect summer day, and chances are your thoughts will take you to Alki Beach Park, a long beach strip that runs roughly from 64th Place SW to Duwamish Head on Elliott Bay. It's a great spot for a long walk any time of year, and in the summer draws joggers, rollerbladers, volleyball players, sunbathers, bicyclists and strollers out to enjoy the sun. The water temperature ranges from 46 to 56 degrees Fahrenheit depending on season.
10. Remlinger Farms
Remlinger Farms is the place for Family Fun in Carnation, Washington. What began over 50 years ago as a humble produce stand has grown into a 200 acre tourist center offering a full service restaurant, bakery, ice cream parlor, large picnic areas, U-Pick fields, Birthday Party Packages, fun and educational tours and Country Fair Fun Park.
11. Bob's Corn & Pumpkin Farm Country Store
Bob’s Corn and Pumpkin Farm is home to the farm fresh Country Store located at the heart of the farm! Browse the store for cooking essentials, farm merchandise, gifts and canned goods! Enjoy our homemade fudge and fresh popped kettle corn while the little ones enjoy the TOMY John Deere Toys and an assortment of festive candies to round out an amazing farm visit!
12. Job Carr Cabin Museum
Job Carr Cabin Museum is a replica of Tacoma's first permanent non-Native residence, located in Old Town Park. The Museum brings Tacoma’s history to life through interactive learning for elementary students and our community. FREE admission and events, including craft days, story times, and educational resources.
13. Redmond Art Works
Redmond Art Works was founded on the idea of creating a space for our community to gather and make art! We specialize in providing innovative art education through weekly classes, camps, birthday parties, and family workshops specially crafted for the artist in all of us. Students (at any age) exposed to art on a regular basis are four times more likely to lead a fulfilling and well balanced life. Redmond Art Works gives students the space to find their natural creativity, develop critical problem solving skills, and build art skills - beginning to advanced. We hope to see you in the studio soon!
14. Kelsey Creek Farm
Kelsey Creek Community Park features 150 acres of forest, meadows and wetlands in the heart of Bellevue, offering a glimpse of this city's rural past. The park features hiking and jogging trails, picnic areas, a playground, wetlands, open grassy areas, creeks and forests. The historic Fraser Cabin sits on the hill adjacent to the park's historic dairy barns. Kelsey Creek Farm offers year-round programs, summer day camps, birthday party opportunities, school group tours, and rentals.
16. The Outback Kangaroo Farm
40-minute tours at The Outback Kangaroo Farm are both educational and recreational. Whether you are eight or 80, you will find something to pique your curiosity. Our menagerie of furry and feathered residents is extensive and varied! The Outback Kangaroo Farm is a unique petting farm experience.
17. Seattle Mariners
Since the Inaugural Game on July 15, 1999, T-Mobile Park has gained a reputation locally, regionally and nationally as a terrific setting for baseball and a great place for baseball fans. Sweeping views of Seattle's downtown skyline, breathtaking sunsets over Puget Sound, combined with excellent views of game action from all angles give fans at T-Mobile Park an experience unequalled in Major League Baseball.
18. Maris Farms
What started as a humble and quaint pumpkin patch has sprouted into a full-fledged Fall “agritainment” destination for thousands of Puget Sound area families. It serves guests of all ages who seek the thrill of navigating their way through the 5+ acre corn maze, searching for and finding that perfect pumpkin in the 8+ acre pumpkin patch or braving the now infamous Haunted Woods.
19. Museum of Pop Culture
MoPOP is a leading-edge nonprofit museum, dedicated to the ideas and risk-taking that fuel contemporary popular culture.
20. Pike Place Market
The Pike Place Market has been a defining Seattle icon for more than a century. Considered by many “the soul of Seattle,” the Market spans nine historic acres in the center of downtown where everyday locals and tourists alike shop, visit, eat and discover.
Founded in 1907, the Market is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the United States and is brought to life by the hundreds of farmers, crafters, small businesses, and residents that call it “home”.
Top Arts Educator: Seattle Children's Theatre
Seattle Children's Theatre (SCT) is the second largest resident theatre for young audiences in North America. Our programs empower young people to make new discoveries about themselves and the world around them while building a lifelong interest in the arts.
Top Sports Educator: The Little Gym
The Little Gym specializes in unique educational classes that revolve around active play. Several locations around the Seattle area:
Top STEM Educator: Sammamish Animal Sanctuary
Sammamish Animal Sanctuary is a farm that hosts many different rescue animals! Sammamish Animal Sanctuary is the home of the animals from the Rescue Series Books, written by Diane Odegard Gockel. It is regularly open to the public and available for birthday parties, corporate events, and more! Now located in a brand-new location in East Renton! Come visit us or reach out for details!
