10 best things to do in Washington with kids
Seattle Center
The Seattle Center is located in downtown Seattle. Here you will find many of Seattle’s biggest attractions. The Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, and Museum of Pop Culture are all very fun to explore with kids. There is also the monorail and a huge playground here. You could easily spend a couple of days here.
Discovery Park
Discovery Park is a 534 acre natural area park in Seattle. It is located on the former Fort Lawton site. The whole park is incredibly beautiful. It is situated on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park offers spectacular view of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges. You can hike down to the beach where you will find two miles of protected tidal beaches. Here you can also find open meadow lands, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, active sand dunes, thickets and streams.
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is an air and space museum located just south of Seattle. Kids of all ages will love looking at all of the real airplanes hanging from the ceiling and displayed all around. They even let you climb into the cockpits of fighter jets and walk through an old Air Force One plane. There is also a whole hanger dedicated to NASA and space exploration. The museum also has a one whole area dedicated to allowing young kids to play.
the Fremont Troll
The Fremont Troll is a large sculpture located under a bridge in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. The troll has a hubcap for an eye and is clutching an actual Volkswagen Beetle, as if it had just swiped it from the roadway above. Everyone is encouraged to climb all over the troll…if you dare!
Take a ferry ride
Washington State has the country’s largest ferry system. The ferry is a great way to explore Puget Sound. You can take a short ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Or take a much longer ride to San Juan Island. You can drive your car onto the ferries or you can walk on and off.
Mt. Rainier National Park
Mt. Rainier is large active volcano that you can see from miles around. There are so many things for families to do around Mt. Rainier. You can hike around the mountain, ride the Mt. Rainier Railroad, take a gondola ride, or visit a sculpture park. Tipsoo Lake is a really good place to explore with kids, especially during the summer. There are wildflowers everywhere you look, and an easy hike around a lake. While you are here, try and make time to stop at the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. It is one of the largest outdoor play areas in the state and is a great place to let kids run free and play.
Olympic National Park
The Olympic National Park is on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The large park extends across several different ecosystems, from the dramatic peaks of the Olympic Mountains, to old-growth forests, to wild beaches, to rain forests. Ruby Beach is amazing, especially at low-tide when you can see a huge variety of sea life. There are also multiple rain forests in this park. The Quinolt Rain Forest and the Hoh Rain Forest are some of the most easily accessible. Also make sure to stop by Crescent Lake while you are here.
Leavenworth
Leavenworth is an unique town in eastern Washington. It is a Bavarian village that hosts summer art fairs and has liederhosen-clad musicians, in-town goats, and Bavarian-themed miniature golf. In the summer, you can go whitewater rafting on the Wenatchee River. In fall, come to Leavenworth for a family-friendly Oktoberfest featuring good food, beer, and music.
Fruit Picking
If you are in Washington in the summer, try and get out to the country and go berry picking. June is a great time to pick up strawberries, while July is the time to pick apricots, cherries, peaches, and raspberries. August is a great time to pick blackberries and blueberries. But you don’t necessarily need to go to a farm to pick blackberries. There are blackberry plants growing all over the place, even near downtown Seattle!
San Juan Island
San Juan Island is located off the northern part of the state, near Canada. You can get here by either airplane or ferry. The scenery here is majestic and there is lots of rural charm. There are lots of places to see wildlife and go hiking. There is also the Whale Museum and the San Juan Island National Historical Park to explore. You can also go whale watching, sea kayaking, and biking around the island.