This is my hometown, so I've scouted out tons of great activities, restaurants and even hotels for families with kids in Seattle. The relaxed approach towards everything in Seattle makes it an easy place to travel with kids, and we'll help you find fun family activities beyond just Pike Place Market and Seattle Center. Here is a list of my favorite books, maps, and resources for planning a trip to Seattle with kids
One of the best performances we saw last year was a live piece at the annual Children's Film Festival at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle. Don't you just wish you where there so you could find out what was inside that package? This year's film festival ...
Fall arrived like a foggy curtain dropping down on Seattle in mid-October. After an unusually warm and dry fall, waking up to find myself enveloped in a gray morning, brilliantly colored leaves, and the threat of rain was a welcome surprise. With it came a craving for a trip to ...
I've long wanted to check out the Marriott Residence Inn in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood. It's location across from a fun park and a short trolley ride from downtown makes it a good choice for families, and I'm a fan of suites properties. Still, I ...
Seattle's South Lake Union area has been undergoing a huge revitalization. One that, caught up in my busy everyday routine, I have largely ignored. When our last week of summer rolled around, I set aside a week for "mom camp" where we'd explore a different attraction or area ...
I must have 50 photos of my kids on or next to the big "piggy bank" that stands in front of Seattle's Pike Place Market. Here are a few of my favorites.
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When I filmed my video about Seattle for Expedia, the new Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum wasn't yet opened, and everyone (including the kids and I) was peeking through gaps in the landscaping and trying to get a view inside. So it seemed only fitting to go back and ...
Everest is 7 years old now, which means that we've explored Seattle for seven summers, collecting activities and favorite spots as we went. Here are my favorite spots that are off the beaten path for out of town visitors, but still close-in enough to enjoy if you visit Seattle ...
No doubt about it. My kids are city kids. We're steeped in a daily life that includes freeway commutes, Starbucks drivethroughs, and access to every imaginable museum and afterschool activity. I love my city life, but sometimes I forget that living next to one of Seattle's "Emerald Necklace ...
This is a spot in Seattle's Northend that I just love. And it's a not-so-secret front for something other than space travel. Who can tell me what this really is?
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I leave for Zambia this weekend, and I find myself thinking a lot about Seattle as I get ready to go - about how our lives are different in so many ways from what I'll see on the ground in Lusaka. Here's one last photo from Seattle before I ...
The pictures we bring back from the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival (just north of Seattle) each April belie the reality of the experience. The truth is that the fields are a big muddy mess! It's tons of fun though, with activities for kids and a chance to pick up ...
Seattle isn't exactly famed for its cherry blossoms, but trees seem to be everywhere - in front yards, along streets, and in parks (in the fall, it feels like Maples are everywhere, funny how that works).
The best place for cherry blossom viewing is at the University of Washington's ...
In between errands the kids and I are often out and about in downtown Seattle. I've become a master at finding inexpensive activities that the kids will enjoy, and I thought I'd share them in this post. If you know of one I've missed, please add it ...
I don't think I play favorites, but I'll admit that I just can't get enough of Darya right now. At five, she's astoundingly capable, but still adorably naive. She smells sweetly sweaty when she sleeps, and for her there's still magic in the world. Most ...
People look at me like I'm a little nutty when I recommend the Rem Koolhaas designed Seattle Public Library as one of the best places to check out when you're visiting Seattle with a toddler. Afterall modern architecture is hardly a mainstay toddler interest. But really, what two ...
We're lucky to live near Seattle's International District. My kids have grown up wandering the colorful Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and South East Asian produce shops with me, and while that might not make them any less finicky when it comes to eating, they think it's as fun ...
Every year we head up to Seattle's Capitol Hill for trick-or-treating. The neighborhood's 100+ year old homes provide the perfect backdrop for spooky decorations and even dramatic productions complete with kids dressed as monsters or zombies. The pre-dusk hours are for the little guys, though, complete with a ...
Working waterfront doesn't sound as idyllic as an isolated beach, but with kids in tow, an active shipping corridor is a view that everyone can sit still and enjoy. Here's a shot I just love from Alki Beach in Seattle
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The Blue Angels visited Seattle a few weeks ago, as they do every year, for our annual Seafair festival. Every year I moan about the noise - they practice for two days, and then they perform for two days. There's the inevitable sonic boom when one of the pilots decides ...
I'll write about my favorite travel-related kids books every other week. Most books are from my personal collection, or checked out from the library, but whenever I do accept a book for review from a publisher, I will always let you know. If you buy the book using the ...
We were invited guests of the Four Seasons Seattle on this trip. I received no other compensation beyond the room and a lovely "welcome platter" of cookies and juice. The hotel did not require that I express a particular point of view.
Do you ever see a fancy new hotel ...
Right in the heart of downtown Seattle, in front of our Benaroya Symphony Hall is a war memorial called the Garden of Remembrance. That might seem like a strange place to stop with kids, but it's one of our favorite detours when we're out and about.
You can ...
I'm going to start sharing my favorite travel-related (or destination related) children's books. I'll write about a new one every other week. Most books are from my personal collection, or checked out from the library, but whenever I do accept a book for review from a publisher ...
Earlier this week, I shared some of my favorite spots for kids along Seattle's Link Light Rail Line That post covered the stations beginning at Westlake Center and ending at SODO station. Here are my favorite kid-friendly spots near the remaining light rail stations
Beacon Hill Station
Even if ...
Japan is high on the list of places I would like to go with my kids. We haven't been able to make a trip work yet, so I console myself by taking them to Seattle's International District. One of our favorite stops is Unicorn Crepes. The shop serves ...
I have written before about how passionate E is about Seattle's new Light Rail. For the past few months we have been exploring each of the stations along the short route and keeping track of what the kids enjoy. That seems like a great list to share, and if ...
Saying that E is obsessed with Seattle's Link Light Rail would be an understatement. He learned to write by copying the station names off of a Light Rail map. His own train set is in almost constant use, and his teachers say that he has designated different areas on ...
Yesterday I posted about the amazing the outpouring of support for our Passports With Purpose fundraiser, and today I am feeling even more grateful. Not only did over 40 bloggers post about their own prizes, but together we raised over $1000 in donations in 24 hours - $10 at a time ...
I sometimes hear people claim that our American cities lack a sense of community or somehow imply that city dwellers aren't "real" Americans. In my view, nothing could be further from the truth. I love my urban life. Limited real estate means that there are few big box stores ...
E has always loved riding the train, so he was beyond thrilled this summer when Seattle got its very own light rail line. When fellow blogger Heather Poole visited Seattle last week he insisted on dragging her on the light rail. (She posted a cute story and video that you ...
As summer draws to a close, and as it gets easier and easier to get around with three kids, I'm beginning to feel a little bit restless. We've been branching out from our normal routine lately, and I've officially tagged next week "mommy camp."
We spent this ...
This article includes a review of a complimentary outing to see the Seattle Storm basketball team. I received no other compensation besides the tickets and food at the game, and there was no requirement that I express a particular point of view. I do not accept pay-per-post or pay-per-positive reviews ...
This post includes a review of our family visit to the Theo Chocolate Factory and our at-home experiments with a
Make Your Own Chocolate Kit
With breakable (and expensive) artwork everywhere, and searing hot ovens in the back, a glassblowing studio hardly seems like a great destination for children. Still, when we're downtown, and the kids are in a manageable mood, the Seattle Glassblowing Studio makes a fun outing.
The shop is filled with ...
Have you ever been to a scratch patch? Here in the United States they're virtually unheard of. In fact, I'd never seen one until Earth's Minerals Scratch Patch opened in a nearby neighborhood. The floor is covered in polished rocks, making it a dream come true for ...
Mr. Linky seems to be down this week. Please leave your links in the comments.
Seattle's Fremont Neighborhood is just far enough away from our own (both geographically and culturally) to feel like a special outing. My kids are especially delighted each time we rediscover this troll hiding under ...
Nishino, one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants here in Seattle is also a great place for eating out with kids. I also think it's a great example of how you can enjoy interesting food even with kids in tow.
In this picture, E is too young to eat solids ...
We barely left our own backyard today, but it felt like another world came to us. In the past 24 hours, we've had more snow than I can remember in the past several years. Both kids are finally old enough to really enjoy the snow, and this was the ...
Last week the kids and I had a rare day with no scheduled commitments, and I decided to take both kids out to see their first big waterfall.
While Seattle (our hometown) isn't exactly a concrete jungle, I'm always mindful of the fact that my kids don't ...
Last week I stayed home with E & D while my husband was away on business. By the weekend, we were all ready for a serious change of pace. Rather than sweat out the first warm weather of the season at home, we packed up the car and headed an hour ...
At SEATAC (Seattle) Airport near the food quart in the C Concourse is this great playground. We arrive a little early for each flight, buy the kids a snack or meal, and let them run off some steam before we board our flight. Sitting and watching the kids give us ...
Lumi, a reader from Germany wrote to ask about how to spend two weeks in the Pacific Northwest with her 4 year old and 7 year old. This post covers what to do for the week she'll spend in Seattle while her husband attends a conference.
Dear Debbie,
I ...
We're home for the next few weeks (and then headed to visit family in San Diego and LA), and I feel like we're all getting in a little bit of a rut. This weekend, in between errands with E, I realized that we had the perfect outing right ...
