Seattle
Seattle, Washington
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35 Free and Cheap Things to Do With Kids in Seattle
Visiting Seattle on a budget? No problem. Check out these 35 free and cheap family-friendly activities in Seattle: 1. Ride a bike on the Burke-Gilman Trail. 2. Run through the 9,000-gallon International Fountain. 3. Watch fish and boats navigate through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. 4. Cower under giant traffic cones and play hide-and-seek among the art at the Olympic Sculpture Park. 5. Ride the West Seattle Water Taxi to West Seattle. 6. Sample fruit and meet the Doughnut Robot at the Pike Place Market. 7. Pick the Fremont Troll’s nose and take a picture with Lenin in the Fremont neighborhood. 8. Check out the cheese-making process at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.…
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Hikes for Kids Near Downtown Seattle
When visiting Seattle, don’t miss the chance to scramble up a fewhiking  trails with the kids. The city limits yield plenty of hiking treasures, and if you’re in town for a few days and you’ve rented a car, spectacular scenery is within a 45-minute drive of the Seattle. This week, hiking expert Joan Burton tells visitors and locals where to hike in and around Seattle with kids.  Burton is the author of Urban Walks, 23 Walks through Seattle’s Parks and Neighborhoods, published by Thistle Press and Best Hikes With Kids: Western Washington & the Cascades, published by Mountaineers Books. Burton offers great information on kid-friendly hikes in our area. For even more tree-lined…
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Free Museums in Seattle and Tacoma with Kids
Updated for Summer 2013 Here’s a rundown of Seattle’s free museums. I’ve included my opinion on the ages that will get the most out of the experience. Every Friday Free Seattle Museum: Soundbridge at Benaroya Hall. 200 University St.,  Seattle; 206-336-6600. Pay-what-you-can every Friday from 10-4. Suggested donation $5-15/family. Best for children under age 6. First Thursday Free Seattle Museums: Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Free. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., University of Washington, NE 45th Street and 17th Avenue NE; 206-543-5590. Best for kids age 3 and up. Henry Art Gallery. “Pay as you wish†(or free) 11 a.m.-9 p.m. First Thursday, University of Washington, NE 45th Street and 17th Avenue NE.…
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Seattle Spotlight: Pacific Science Center
“The dinosaurs! The dinosaurs!†That’s what my 4-year-old son demands, when I ask where he wants to go at the Pacific Science Center. And it’s true – dinos are the big draw at this six-acre science playground, only a Monorail-ride away from downtown Seattle. In the “Dinosaurs: A Journey Through Time” exhibit, robotic meat-eaters claw at a carcass, while a T. Rex towers over visitors. Screeches and cries fill the room, which can (at first) alarm very young kids. So encourage them to listen carefully – you’ll hear the soft whirring and clicks of these mechanical dinos. In one corner, you can even drive a dino skeleton: rotating the eyes,…
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Spotlight: Seattle Whirligig!
For the next month, the circus-themed Whirligig event offers a dry escape on rainy Seattle days. The Center is now full of 10 bounce houses – a few gentle ones for children under age 3, many enormous houses for older kids. Face painters turn regular children into princesses and Spider-Men, cartoonists create pics of mom-and-kid duos and live entertainment lights up the Center House’s stage. Here are a few tips we gleaned from the staff: Stash cash. Tickets or passes can only be bought with cash. There is an ATM machine available, but it might be best to bring cash with you. Buy passes ($7.50). The tickets just go too quickly…
