Fun Things to Do with Kids in Seattle
Family Friendly Activities in Seattle
Whether you live in Seattle or are visiting, the city offers families loads of fun things to do with kids! We’ve gathered a list of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy in the Emerald City!
Check out our Travel section for more fun for kids travel tips!
The Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI)
The Museum of History & Industry, aka MOHAI, is a local treasure known for collecting and preserving artifacts, and the stories behind them, of the Puget Sound region’s compelling history of imagination and innovation. MOHAI bridges the past, present, and future through its exhibits, community engagement, and public programs. Kids 14 and under have free admission. MOHAI has Exploration and Innovation Packs for kids that want a more interactive tour experience. Packs are free and can be checked out at the Admission Desk with a driver’s license or membership card.
For more information please visit: https://mohai.org/
Seattle Center
The Seattle Center is a 74-acre campus with over 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations that reside on the campus grounds. Over 14,000 events take place on the grounds each year and attract over 12 million visitors annually, making it the top visitor and tourism destination in the region. The Seattle Center features some of the top attractions in the area:
For more information, please visit https://www.seattlecenter.com/explore/attractions
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a treasured Seattle icon and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
The Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition provides a look at the inspiration and influences of artist Dale Chihuly. It features eight galleries, a lush Garden, and the show-stopping centerpiece Glasshouse. This exhibition will change the way you look at glass.
Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP)
The Museum of Pop Culture’s mission is to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities. A fusion of textures and myriad colors, MoPOP’s exterior conveys all the energy and fluidity of music. Admission is free for kids 4 and under!
Pacific Science Center
The Pacific Science Center was first known as the United States Science Pavilion during the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, where millions came to explore the wonders of science. Upon closing ceremonies the Science Pavilion turned into the private not-for-profit Pacific Science Center, becoming the first U.S. museum founded as a science and technology center where today it still fuels a passion for discovery and experimentation and ignites curiosity.
Seattle Children’s Museum
The Seattle Children’s Museum is designed for kids ages birth to 8 years with over 18,000 sq feet of play space! The museum values family as a child’s first teacher. Its mission is to bring the joy of discovery for kids and their families through informal learning environments and open-ended exploration to ignite curiosity and encourage active, life-long learning through fun, creative, hand-on exploration with the world around them.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center
At the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center, explore interactive exhibits and programs that spark conversations, make connections and inspire action. Listen to inspiring stories of impact on some of the most pressing challenges facing today’s communities around the globe and stateside. After visiting, you’ll leave inspired to take action on a cause you care about so bring your curiosity!
International Fountain
The International Fountain was originally built for Seattle World’s Fair in 1962 and was replaced and rebuilt in 1995. Music plays as the water sprays, and it’s a crowd favorite for the young and old especially in the summer!
For more information please visit https://www.seattlecenter.com/.
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market, is one of the country’s oldest farmers markets, and was established in 1907 to connect citizens and farmers. Today it’s Seattle’s epicenter of fresh flowers and produce stands, fish markets, owner-operated bakeries, butcher shops, specialty food stores, collectibles and more! Take a permitted tour of the market or explore the market on your own with Pike Place Market’s handy dandy Walking Guide: 101 or Kids and Families Guide.
For more information please visit: https://pikeplacemarket.org/
Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium is one of the top five paid visitor attractions in the Puget Sound region and the ninth largest aquarium in the U.S. by attendance. Over 27 million visitors have received hands-on marine experiences and marine conservative education while discovering more about the amazing Puget Sound and the world’s one big ocean since the aquarium’s opening. The Seattle Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
For more information please visit: https://www.seattleaquarium.org/
Woodland Park Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo was founded in 1899 with a mission to save wildlife and inspire everyone to make conservation a priority in their lives. Over 1 million people annually experience the wonders of the natural world at Woodland Park Zoo and are taken on a journey that inspires a lifelong love of animals and are given tools to take conservative action. Since its founding, Woodland Park Zoo has sparked delight and unforgettable memories for generations of Northwest families.
For more information please visit: https://www.zoo.org/
Underground Tour
BILL SPEIDEL’S UNDERGROUND TOUR is by far one of Seattle’s most unusual attractions. The 75-minute guided walking tour takes tourists through subterranean storefronts and sidewalks entombed when Seattle rebuilt on top of itself after the Great Fire of 1889. On this tour you’ll get a time-capsule view of the buried city.
For more information please visit: https://www.undergroundtour.com/
T-Mobile Park Tour or Mariners Game
Take a tour of T-Mobile Park, formerly called Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners. This premier baseball facility is a 19.59 acre outdoor ballpark featuring real grass, a retractable roof and state-of-the-art amenities. On the tour you’ll get to view areas normally restricted to the public, including the Press Box, Owners Suite, Field, Visitors Clubhouse, All-Star Club, and more. (All areas of the ballpark are subject to availability based on ballpark activities.) While at the ballpark, perhaps you’d like to pick up tickets for an upcoming game, too?
For more information about tours, please visit: https://www.mlb.com/mariners/ballpark/tours.
For more information about Mariners tickets, please visit: https://www.mlb.com/mariners/schedule/2020-02
CenturyLink Field Tour or Seahawks or Sounders Game
Take a tour of CenturyLink Field, “The Clink” for short but formerly known as Qwest Field, home of Seattle Seahawks AND the Seattle Sounders FC. Whether you’re a fan of American football or football (aka soccer), or don’t know the difference between a first down and a touchdown, there’s something to enjoy about this approximate 90-minute long tour experience. From the 300 level concourses, get awe-inspiring views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and downtown Seattle so be sure to bring your camera! Other stadium elements highlighted on the tour include: the Helmet Wall, Field, Home Interview Room, Visiting Locker Room, “12” Flag Pole, Verizon Lounge, a Suite, Press Box, the Wall of Legends and the Super Bowl XLVIII Numbers. While at the stadium, perhaps you’d like to pick up tickets for an upcoming game or match, too?
For more information about stadium tours, please visit: https://www.lumenfield.com/.
For more information about tickets, please visit https://www.seahawks.com/tickets/ for Seahawks and https://www.soundersfc.com/tickets for Sounders FC.
Ferris Wheel on Seattle Waterfront
Since its opening to the public in June 2012, The Seattle Great Wheel has become a Seattle icon and a destination for tourists and locals alike. At 60 meters tall, it is the largest observation wheel on the west coast. The Seattle Great Wheel has 42 fully-enclosed gondolas and can hold over 300 passengers at any given time. Because of the fully-enclosed gondolas and a covered waiting area, inclement weather is not an issue so Seattle Great Wheel can remain open year round.
For more information, please visit: https://seattlegreatwheel.com/
Seattle Pinball Museum
The concept of the Seattle Pinball Museum was to provide vintage pinball machines as an interactive display of kinetic art to be shared with other local collectors. The museum has over 50 pinball games and kids must be 7 years of age or older to play. Just pay an admission fee and then play to your heart’s content.
For more information, please visit: https://www.seattlepinballmuseum.com/.
Theo Chocolate Factory Tour
On this hour-long interactive experience, you’ll get an inside view of Theo’s factory, discover the origins of cacao, learn about the close partnerships Theo has cultivated with the farmers they source from, and how they craft their chocolate from scratch in Seattle. Plus, you’ll get to indulge in tasting a wide range of their nationwide best sellers to hand-crafted confections.
INSIDER RECOMMENDATION:
KIDS’ CHOCOLATE STORY TIME is a kid-friendly tour full of chocolate and imagination. This 45-minute tour features the original story of Molly and the Chocolate Tree! and chocolate treats. This tour is recommended for kids ages 2-6 and kids must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.
For more information, please visit: https://theochocolate.com/factory-tours.
Fremont Troll
The Fremont Troll is a famous sculpture in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle that was inspired by the folktale The Three Billy Goat’s Gruff. Made from rebar steel, wire, and 2 tons of messy ferroconcrete, the Fremont Troll stands 18 ft tall with a shiny metal eye and a crushed Volkswagen Beetle in his left hand.
For more information, please visit: https://fremont.com/.
Gas Works Park
Gas Works Park is one of the most unique parks in Seattle if not America. The 19-acre park was built on the site of a former coal gasification plant. Famous landscape architect Richard Haag, the park’s designer, was able to change the public’s perception of post-industrial landscapes by incorporating remnants of the gas plant, such as the abandoned industrial towers, with reclaimed soil formerly polluted by the toxins produced by the gases of the plant. Other remaining structures of the old plant were transformed into key elements of the park today: the exhauster-compressor building is now an open-air play barn; the boiler house is now a picnic shelter with tables and fire grills. Gas Works has a big hill that’s very popular for flying kites and offers a beautiful view of Seattle and Lake Union.
For more information, please visit: https://tclf.org/landscapes/gas-works-park.
What fun activities for kids in Seattle are we missing? Please let us know in the comments below so we can add them to the list!
