Ettas Seafood

Address 2020 Western Ave., Seattle WA, Tel (206) 443-6000 Call, Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30am-4pm, Dinner Mon-Th 4pm-9:30pm; Fri-Sat 4pm-10pm; Sun 4pm-9pm, Brunch Weekends 9am-3pm

Ettas is a seattle institution owned and operated by Tom Douglas, one of our best known chefs. Featuring excellent brunches and lots of seafood, this restaurant has a nice but family friendly atmosphere. 1/2 block north of Pike's Market. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Beechers Handmade Cheese

Address 1600 Pike Place, Seattle WA, Tel (206) 322-1644 Call, Hours 9am-6pm daily

Located right on Pike's market, this is a great place to dine with kids. Kids will enjoy watching how cheese is made and the opportunity to sample the fresh cheeses. Best of all, is their excellent Macaroni and Cheese, made with fresh cheese. Casual. No reservations

Pike Place Market

Address 1501 Pike Pl # 510, Seattle, WA, Hours Vary, most vendors open by 8am

Start your day at Pike Place Market. It's a destination on any tourist map. Luckily, kids love it too. It's fun to choose fruit from the colorful displays, there are a few bakeries and restaurants to pick up a snack or lunch and lots of music and activity. Kids will also enjoy the "flying fish," the big tanks of live crabs, and sitting on the big pig near the market's entrance.

On summer weekends there is almost always something special going on. Best of all, the market opens early, giving you an activity when the kids wake up at the crack of dawn.

World Spice

Address 1509 Western Ave, Seattle WA, Tel (206) 682-7274 Call, Hours Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 12n-5pm, Cost Free

After visiting Pike's Market, swing into World Spice. If you enjoy cooking, you will love the wide variety of high quality spices and tea. Because you buy in bulk, prices are often cheaper than the grocery store. Let your kids explore, smelling each spice, and try buying a few favorites and seasoning your picky toddler's food with them (it worked for me!)

Central Library

Address 1000 4th Ave, Seattle, WA, Tel 206-386-4636 Call, Hours M-Th 10am-8pm, Fri & Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12n-6pm, Cost Free

Wander through the visually stunning Seattle Central Library. Explore the red meeting area on the fourth floor, the wacky art installations in the escalator and the beautiful wooden floor on the first floor.

Finish your visit with free time in the 15,000 sq foot children's section. It's completely separate from the grown up areas, meaning that kids can be kids without fear of disturbing someone deep in thought. There is great selection of toys for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers (plus WIFI and comfortable chairs for mom & dad)

The teen center on the third floor has a huge collection of comics, zines, and music listening stations.

Bus Free Ride Area

From 6a.m. to 7p.m. daily in downtown seattle (including Pioneer square) the bus is free. Collapse your stroller after boarding.

Seattle Art Museum

Address 1300 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101-2003, Tel 206.654.3100 Call, Hours Tu-Su: 10am–5pm; Th & Fri 10am–9pm; closed Mon, Cost Some areas free. Children 12 & under free. Adults $13

The newly reopened Seattle Art Museum has some free areas that are great for kids! The "art ladder" (the grand staircase to the right of the main entrance) has a craft area for kid and art installations specifically designed to be visually engaging and interesting for all ages.

Check out the art installations in the lobby (at this writing, there were lighted cars suspended from the ceiling) and the huge Joseph Borofsky hammering man statue outside

Finally, the shop has a particularly nice selection of toys and books that engage children with visual arts.