Best Seattle-Area Playgrounds to Visit This Pandemic Season

Sunny day? Head out to play

We are loving the sunny forecast this week! Pandemic plus rainy winter weather is too much to take. Let’s take advantage of dry days! Gather the kids, mask up and head out to zap those too-much-screen-time wiggles.

We’ve organized this list by region, but some of these are destination playgrounds worth a trip from wherever you are (we’ll note them as such). No matter where you go, around the corner or to a new neighborhood, you need to wear your masks, keep your distance from other kids and families, and sanitize your hands before and after playing. And if you find a crowd at your first-choice spot, move on. (Read detailed rules for Seattle playgrounds and note that the same or similar apply in all jurisdictions in Washington.)

Use the arrows above the image to browse through the selection of playgrounds, or skip ahead to a few fun Seattle playgrounds, Eastside playgrounds, South Sound-area playgrounds or North Sound-area playgrounds.

Editor’s note: Nearly all the images shown are from pre-pandemic days, so you won’t see masks in the photos.

Seattle-area playgrounds for pandemic season play

High Point, the neighborhood so named because it sits at Seattle’s highest point (yes, higher than Queen Anne or Capitol Hill), features an awesome new playground that opened last year. Play on all the equipment, kick a soccer ball, practice cartwheels, get out the zoomies — this is a very fun spot.

Super-huge Discovery Park in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood has a terrific, updated playground, tons of space and so much fun stuff to do with kids. You can truly play all day here. Count this one among regional destination parks.

At Georgetown Playfield’s updated playground, you’ll find many unique and cool play features. It’s definitely worth checking out, especially for airplane fans. The park is situated right by Boeing Field and the planes fly in low and loud.

Newer Yesler Terrace Park playground sits perched on a hillside where Seattle’s International District and Central District come together. A roller slide will entertain little kids and bigger kids will find a piece of cardboard and just slide down the turf — over and over. There’s a spot to play soccer also, and for parents, an amazing view.

At popular Wallingford Playfield, they removed the rotting old wooden play structure and installed a fantastic fort that will have your kids sprinting from the car. It’s got towers, bridges, slides and more.

Next up: Eastside playgrounds

Eastside playgrounds

Surrey Downs Park’s new playground opened in Bellevue in 2019 and has been enticing families from near and far ever since. Bring your bikes and enjoy the peekaboo view of Mount Rainier.

The magical playground known as Castle Park will ignite your kids’ imaginations and foster pretend play. Fairies, knights, archers and queens frolic here. Find this playground in Kirkland.

Spacious Fisher Creek Park in Snoqualmie has many fun play elements in its playground, including seven slides(!) and lots of space to play. Your kids may never want to leave — the sign of a great playground.

Bellevue’s phenomenal Inspiration Playground can get busy, so plan your strike for early or late, or else bring a towel and brave the drizzle. This accessible play area in Downtown Park features giant twisting vines to climb on, whimsical playhouse structures and various slides, bouncers and swings.

At Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah, you’ll need a Discover Pass to park. But if you can swing the cost ($35/year), you’ll be supporting all our amazing state parks and you’ll have access to this park’s super-cool play area. It’s got a play mine, a climbing dome, toadstools and a saucer swing.

Next up: South Sound playgrounds

South Sound-area playgrounds

The City of Olympia actually opened a playground this pandemic year, when most playgrounds around the region were closed for months and months (don’t we know it). The new playground is at Friendly Grove Park and its fun features cater to local families. There’s a play structure for bigger kids, another one for littles, cool musical elements and swings.

Our writer recently visited Tacoma Nature Center to test drive the center’s individual family field trip — spoiler, it was a big hit! After their tour, the kids loved playing at the center’s nature-themed Discovery Pond play area. With this spot’s walking trails and a fun free nature app to try, there’s lots to do.

Brookville Community Gardens Park in Fife features a newer playground and the chance to learn about the history of local Puyallup people and their connection with the mud-grown tuber called the wapato.

Tacoma’s newer Dune Peninsula area isn’t a true playground, but the hillside slides are epic. All the space here and wide-open views should help the cooped-up feelings we’re all having. Bring bikes, scooters or skates to get rolling on the pathways.

A super spacious playground opened in Covington in 2018, and while this King County town is not really in the South Sound, it is close to fast-growing areas where lots of families are settling down. Covington Community Park includes a rope climbing tower, a zip line, giant rocks to climb on and various bouncers.

Next up: North Sound playgrounds

North Sound-area playgrounds

Seaview Park in Edmonds features the city’s first inclusive playground, partly inspired by a local family with a child who uses a walker. Fun play elements at this neighborhood park include a rope climber, several kinds of swings, mushrooms to balance on and cozy places to hide for a quiet moment.

Kids love the bridgeways and lookout tower at Bothell’s Miner’s Corner Park. This spot is also an inclusive play spot where the tower is wheelchair-accessible.

Our local readers in Marysville kept raving about Jennings Memorial Park so we finally went to check it out, and it’s every bit as good as they said. This huge community park includes two play areas, one of them dino-themed(!), a pond, trails and a lovely garden.

Fantastic, nature-themed Exploration Park was designed for its local Mill Creek neighborhood. But families in nearby communities can pick an early, late or rainy moment and pop in to try out the tunnel slides and climbing rock here. The completely overhauled playground opened late in 2019.