Best Seattle-Area Outings With Preschoolers and Toddlers

When my older child started school, she left her little brother without his favorite playmate. So while big sister is learning in the classroom, he and I still go on all our adventures, but it’s just the two of us, unless we meet up with friends.

However, we are now beholden to the school-day schedule. Wherever our outings lead us, we always need to be home by the bell. For many area elementary schools, that’s around 2:30 p.m., so we have to plan carefully.

That’s why I’ve cooked up a variety of different adventures we call “big kids away, tots will play.” These outings perfectly suit the preschool and toddler set, fit nicely within the school day and land us back home in time for school pickup.

Climb high

My son regularly tries to scale the walls at home, so it’s a relief to take him to a playground or kid-friendly climbing gym that provides safe ways to reach for the sky.

Do tall rope structures inspire your little climber? Head to Montlake Playfield in Seattle, or Redmond’s Grass Lawn Park. Are bright colors more their style? Let kids practice risky play amid rainbows at Totem Lake Park in Kirkland or West Fenwick Park in Kent. Both of these playgrounds feature soft turf or poured rubber surfaces that cushion falls (just in case Spider-Man morphs back into Peter Parker).

Climbing gyms in Seattle are surprisingly welcoming to young children. We visited Seattle Bouldering Project’s Poplar location and loved the kid-focused area (there’s one at the Fremont location, too!). Parental supervision is required, but there’s no age limit. Little ones can enjoy the brightly colored holds leading to forts and slides, while parents will appreciate the cushy crash pads beneath. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, head to the nearby Chinatown–International District for a snack.

At the Dune Peninsula section of Point Defiance Park, climb the stairs. If that sounds boring, know that the descent will be epic.

Meet cute critters

Nothing beats the look of awe and wonder on a toddler’s face when they get to interact with an animal up close. We love heading out to meet new furry, feathery and scaly friends around town.

Woodland Park Zoo is a favorite neighborhood haunt of ours. On rainy days, we move between airy covered spaces, the picnic shelter near the carousel and the otter habitat. Cougar Mountain Zoo is known for its caring staff and up-close animal encounters — look out for the sloths and prehensile-tailed porcupine in the recently opened Rainforest Discovery Education Center. South Sound destination Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium features a new coral reef exhibit, fantastic touch tanks with tropical creatures and a wonderful nature-themed tot play area that’s tons of fun.

For a low-key (and free!) farm visit, check out The Produce Market at Flower World in Snohomish. Goats and sheep often wander close enough to the fence for a pat, and kids can go inside the bird enclosure to see ducks, geese and peacocks. Pick up a snack at the farm stand and meander across the street to Flower World to walk through the gardens. Farrel-McWhirter Park on the Eastside is another place to meet farm animals, as is Kelsey Creek Farm.

Watching our local salmon migrate back to their home waters is a fall tradition for our family. We especially love the fish ladder at the Ballard Locks for its ease and accessibility, and there’s the bonus of watching the boats pass through the locks. When we need a little more time in nature, spying spawning salmon provides great entertainment while we snack alongside a nearby river or creek.

Play indoors

When you’re ready for the sensory-bin clutter and pillow fort cleanup to happen some place other than in your home, head to a local children’s museum or indoor play space. We’re fortunate to have several around the Puget Sound region, and each one has features that make it unique and worth a stop. 

On the Eastside, Nick’s Magnificent offers an imaginative environment for playtime (with a side of coffee for parents). In Everett, you’ll find interactive ways to play at both Little Pandas Play Cafe and Imagine Children’s Museum. 

Bellevue’s KidsQuest Children’s Museum features two floors of interactive space — the tree-house-style reading nook and package-sorting facility are my preschooler’s favorite distractions. The Children’s Museum of Tacoma offers pay-what-you-can admission every day and low-sensory hours on Wednesdays, 2–4 p.m. to help make playtime accessible to all families.

You might think the Burke Museum is best suited to older kids, but there are fun things for young kids, too: dino bones and more.

Garden exploration

While walking through a tranquil garden might not be the first thing I’d think about when coming up with toddler outings, Seattle-area botanical spaces are surprisingly kid-friendly.

We love to crunch in fall leaves at Kubota Garden or the Washington Park Arboretum, which also has a tiny tot playground. The Seattle Chinese Garden, located at South Seattle College, features a bamboo forest that’s perfect for games of hide-and-seek and a pavilion with a sheltered porch for rainy days. Feeding dandelions to the chickens at the Danny Woo Community Garden was a big highlight for my son. One of the best things about the gardens is that entry to most of them is free — you don’t even have to pick up a spade!

Boardwalk stroll

One of the biggest obstacles for hiking with my preschooler on weekday mornings is distance, both the drive time and the trail length. 

His little legs do well on flat boardwalks, however. Boardwalks are usually short, with minimal elevation gain, and they offer lots to see. We love spotting trout at the Northwest Stream Center in Everett (reservations recommended). We look for birds at North Creek Park in Bothell and the park-like West Hylebos Wetlands in Federal Way. Shadow Lake Nature Preserve, in Renton, features another fascinating boardwalk stroll (reservations required).

You might even try an urban hike — you don’t even need to leave the city. Perhaps one of these urban nature spaces is waiting just down the street from you.

Tots on wheels

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. This fall, there will be a brand-new playground at the park, perfect for a mid-morning romp.

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.

Set sail

My son loves watching the white wake behind a ferry, or dipping his fingertips in a lake alongside a boat. There’s something about water that seems to exert a strong pull on toddlers. (Life jackets are a must, for just that reason.)

For an easy cruise in the South Lake Union area, head to The Center for Wooden Boats for a free one-hour peapod boat rental. (Life jackets are provided.) These little rowboats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. They’re a manageable size, and you can stick to the center’s lagoon if Lake Union feels too choppy. After your boat ride, watch the seaplanes take off, and play at the small playground behind Daniel’s Broiler. 

If you’d prefer to let someone else take the helm, opt for a 15-minute ride across Elliott Bay on the West Seattle Water Taxi. The terminal and boat are wheelchair- and stroller-friendly, and you can pay with your ORCA Card (youth ages 18 and younger ride free). We like to schedule our trip a little before lunchtime — we play on the small beach at Seacrest Park and eat lunch on Marination Ma Kai’s patio before hopping on a return trip.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2021 and was most recently updated and fact-checked on Sept. 2, 2025, by ParentMap’s family fun editor, Meredith Charaba.