Spring is the perfect time to have a new family adventure, from a new indoor play spot, to biking fun and hidden-gem hikes. Here are our best ideas; also check out our calendar for more spring fun.
Outdoor fun and neighborhood explores
- Paint a rock and hide it. It's the new low-tech trend to get kids outside.
- Take a tulip trip. It's time! A veteran tulip-er shares secrets.
- Test limits at an adventurous playground. These are the region's best.
- Soak up the view. On a sunny day, these hidden-gem playgrounds are where you'll all want to be.
- Spin your wheels on a family bike ride. These 10 bike paths and routes are (generally) low traffic and flat, perfect for families. (Or try these South Sound trails.)
- Get over to Georgetown. This adventurous new playground is a perfect starting place to explore the artsy neighborhood.
- Go on a rainproof spring hike. Here are 10 kid-tested lowland hikes that combine trails with an indoor nature center where you can explore more.
Exhibits, arts and indoor play
- Rock out at "Naked Mole Rat." The Mo Willems' play is a must-see at SCT.
- Learn Anne Frank's story. It's retold at this immersive exhibit at the Holocaust Center for Humanity.
- Get nostalgic at "Totytopia." The Museum of History and Industry's exhibit features a giant piano, a walk-in dollhouse and old-school arcade games.
- Book it to a destination library. Find out which is shaped like a boat, which has a rooftop garden and which offers you a view of salmon swimming underneath it.
- Play all day at a children's museums. From Bellevue to Bainbridge, these kid paradises can anchor a fun day trip.
- Explore a kid-friendly art museum. They exist, and many have free art spaces!
- Find another new play spot. Our epic rainy-day list has more than 60 indoor play locations.
Get away
- Book a rustic retreat. Yurts are the new pup tent, and waaaay more comfortable.
- Mission: Hotel with a swimming pool. Book one of these pool-centric hotels and your kids will have a blast.
- Book a farm-fresh getaway. Miniature horses, chickens, chores, oh my!
Editor's note: This article is updated every year and has been updated for spring 2018.
