Best Seattle-Area Outings With Preschoolers and Toddlers

Some city bike paths are intimidating for toddlers on scooters or balance bikes, but we’ve found a couple of parks that offer paved spaces without big kids or adults speeding by.

The bike playground in Dick Thurnau Memorial Park is truly one of a kind. A former tennis court (smooth, flat surfacing!) has been painted with realistic lane markings and signs. It’s a great place for big kids to practice the rules of the road, but tots can wobble across the space to their hearts’ content while older siblings are at school. The play area is fenced on three sides with a sidewalk ramp to the parking lot, so you’ll have plenty of warning if your little one attempts a getaway.

At Puyallup’s Van Lierop Park, you’ll find a smooth path covered in bright yellow painted flowers; motivating a tot on a balance bike is as easy as coaxing them to the next blossom (or the treats at Farm 12 next door). Visit on a clear day for views of Mount Rainier, and return in late May or early June to spy fields of beautiful purple lupines.

For roller-coaster fun for tots on two wheels, try a pump track. Little kids on balance bikes can even navigate some areas of the track.

Next up: Set sail