This page contains a list of locations and resources specific to Washington State residents that we think parents would want to know about. Check back as the list continues to grow.
Family Event Listings - (Sites that send Weekly Activity Emails)
- Red-Tricycle Be in the know! Sign up for their awesome weekend newsletter.
- Parent Map Easy to read calendar chalk full of local events
- Ruby Slipper Guide Family guide to activities on the Eastside (Sign-up for Newsletter)
- Seattle’s Child Great parenting articles and resource
- Macaroni Kid - Eastside Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Woodinville, Bothell, and Kenmore
- Macaroni Kid - Snoqualmie Valley Issaquah, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, North Bend, Fall City
- Macaroni Kid - Mercer Island Weekly Newsletter of activities for Mercer Island
- Macaroni Kid - West Seattle Weekly Newsletter of activities for West Seattle
- Macaroni Kid - North Sound Shoreline, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mill Creek
- Macaroni Kid - South Sound Tacoma, Auburn, Burien, Puyallup, Renton, Olympia
- Snohomish County Kids Blog site of activities for cities in North Snohomish County
Kid Activity & Online Resource Award Lists
~ Great resources for a list of top activities
- Seattle's Totally Awesome Award Winners for 2012 list by Red Tricycle (great kid activity idea list!
- Best of Washington WA (King 5) - Winners
- Red Tricycle Awards
- Parents Connect Awards for Seattle, WA (By Nickelodeon)
- ParentMap Golden Teddy Awards for Seattle, WA
- 25 Winter Play List Activities in Greater Seattle by Parentmap
- 50 Great Places to Play Inside by Parentmap
- HappyNest Play Center Redmond, WA
- The Village Bean Bothell, WA (Country Village)
- Spotted Cow Mill Creek, WA
- The Nest Woodinville, WA (Every Sat. night, Parents Night out)
- Orange Blossom Redmond, WA
- Twirl Cafe Seattle, WA
- Third Place Books Lake Forest Park, WA
Indoor Play Gyms (Ages 1 - 5)
- North Kirkland Community Center Indoor Gym (Sept - June) $3 per child
- Spartan Rec Center at Shoreline's Community Center - Slides, teeter-totters, climbing toys, etc. (M-F @ 9:30 - 11:30am) $2 per child
- List of Seattle "Indoor Gyms" Locations
- Kids Cove FREE to public (Bellevue Square Mall (3rd floor))
- PlayDate SEA - Indoor Kid Playland (Seattle, Mercer St)
Bouncy Houses / Trampolines
- Pump It Up - bouncy houses w/ Pop in Play Pre-K (Kirkland)
- Jump Planet - trampoline Play Area w/ Drop-In Calender (Bothell)
- 3-2-1 Bounce - bouncy houses (Bellevue)
- Sky High Sports - trampoline Play Area (Bellevue, WA
- Arena Sports - Indoor Play Area (Redmond, WA)
- Great Play - Kenmore & Redmond, WA
- Dizzy's Tumblebus - Bellevue, WA (Mobile Gym on Wheels)
- Elevated Sportz - Trampolines & Toddler Adventure Area (Bothell)
- Wiggle Works - Indoor Gym Kid Play Area (Bellevue)
Organized Baby/Toddler Classes
- The Little Gym Activity gym classes (Seattle, Bellevue, Issaquah, Lynnwood, Everett, etc.)
- Gymboree Play Activity gym classes
- Great Play Activity gym classes (Redmond & Kenmore)
- Evergreen Hospital Parent-Baby Classes Classes by every 3 months from 0 - 15 months
- Adventure Kids Playcare Drop off kids for playcare rates (Issaquah/Bellevue)
- Lakeshore Learning FREE Craft Classes
- Michael's Craft Classes
- Kirkland Parks & Recreation Community classes you can sign-up to attend with your kids attend with your kids
- Mill Creek Parks & Recreation Community classes you can sign-up to attend with your kids
Children's Museums
- KidsQuest Children's Museum Multi-themed children's science museum. {1st Friday night of month FREE} (Bellevue/Factoria)
- Imagine Children's Museum Endless children's activities, water area, open-roof playground. {3rd Friday night of month FREE} (Everett)
- The Children's Museum Large museum with a variety of exhibits for kids & families (Seattle)
- Pacific Science Center (Seattle)
- Experience Music Project (EMP) (Seattle)
- Children's Museum of Skagit County (Burlington)
- Children's Museum (Tacoma)
- The Hands On Children's Museum (Olympia)
- Mobius Kids (Spokane)
- Association of Children's Museums --> search for a Children's Museum near you!
Zoos, Aquariums, Farms
- Seattle Aquarium Large aquarium great for strolling around with kids (Seattle)
- Woodland Park Zoo Large zoo with exhibits & Zoomazium for kids (Seattle)
- Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Large zoo & Aquarium (Tacoma)
- Cougar Mountain Zoo Smaller zoo with exhibits for kids, Reindeers in December (Issaquah)
- Northwest Trek Wildlife Park Wild animal park, drive through (Eatonville - South of Puyallup)
- Biringer Farm Modern working farm providing Berries & Family Fun (Arlington & Everett)
- Craven Farm Between Lord's Hill & Snohomish River, Pumpkin Patch (Snohomish)
- Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park Children's animal farm & horse arena (Redmond)
- Kelsey Creek Farm Park Feed animals, winter tots program, parking down hill (Bellevue)
Places Worth the Travel
- Great Wolf Lodge - Grand Mound, WA
- 10 Things to Know about Great Wolf Lodge by Red Tricycle
- Visit the Columbia Center Sky View Observatory or Smith Tower Observation Deck for an awesome view
Theater Shows for Kids
- Story Book Theater - Kirkland, Renton, Edmonds, Everett
- Kirkland Performance Center - Kirkland
- Second Story Repertory - Redmond Town Center
- Village Theater - Everett
- Seattle Children's Theater - Seattle
Painting Shops for Kids
- Paint Away w/ Tue Kid Special (Redmond Town Center)
- Color Me Mine w/ Kid Times (Mill Creek)
- Paint the Town w/ Munchkin Mondays (U Village)
Skating
- Bellevue Skate King - "Tiny Tots" skate for 10 & under on Saturdays (Bellevue)
- Lynnwood Bowl & Skate (Lynnwood)
- Skate Deck - Public roller skating (Everett, WA)
- Ice Skating - Public ice skating (Kingsgate, WA)
- Sand Box Sports - HUGE sand box play area (Seattle, WA)
- Home Court structured Parent & Tot games (Woodinville, WA)
- Seattle Children’s Theatre
- Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater Kid Shows (Snohomish)
- Country Village Train Rides, Stores, Farmer's Market (Bothell, WA)
- Mill Creek Town Center Special Events - List (Mill Creek, WA)
- Seattle Art Museum Nearby is Olympic Sculpture Park (Seattle, WA)
Dance/Gymnastics Classes
- Dance Elite starts at age 2 (Bothell)
- Northwest Aerials (Kirkland)
- Northshore Gymnastics (Woodinville)
- Eastside Gymnastics Academy (East of Woodinville)
- Dance Academy (Marysville)
Libraries
- King County Library System Main library page for King County
- Sno-Isle Libraries Main library page for Snohomish County
- King County - Bothell 18215 98th Avenue NE, Bothell 98011
- King County - Woodinville
- King County - Kirkland
- King County - Bellevue
Swim Lessons
- Mountlake Terrace Pool
- Seattle Athletic Club
- Water Babies
- Swimming in the area:
Farmer's Markets
- Woodinville Saturdays 9am - 3pm ( Located in the street on 133rd Ave NE just south of the Carol Edwards Center in front of City Hall)
- Redmond Saturday 9am - 3pm (7730 Leary Way NE, Redmond, WA)
- Des Moines Waterfront Saturdays during June - October (10am - 2pm). There is a nice grass play area, live music every week & face painting. (Located in the Des Moines Marina, WA)
- Pike Place Market Seattle
Park Listings
- My Parks and Recreation Resource guide to 10 cities on the Eastside
- Everett, WA & Everett Parks & Recreation - Check-out "Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake"
- Snohomish County Parks
- Edmonds
- Lynnwood
- Marysville
- Mill Creek
- Kirkland (Juanita Beach, Marina Park, St. Edward's Park)
- Kirkland Summer Concerts July - August on Tuesdays @ 10am (Kirkland Marina)
- Silver Lake in Everett July - August on Thursdays @ 10am (Thornton A. Sullivan Park)
- Marymoor Summer Concert Series (Everyone) - 6046 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Redmond
- Movies at Marymoor Park (Outdoors @ 7pm) - 6046 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Redmond
Summer - State Fairs
- Evergreen Fair Late August - Early September (Monroe, WA)
- Puyallup Fair September (Puyallup)
Camping
- WA State Parks Reservations
- WA State Discover Pass - required at most State Parks to Park ($10/day or $30/year)
Seattle Area Run/Walks
- Seattle AIDS Run/Walk September (Seattle Volunteer Park)
- Pineapple Classic (5k Run) November (5k Obstacle Course/North Bend)
- Jingle Bell 5k Run/Walk December (Seattle - Westlake Mall)
Babysitting Sites
- A Nanny for U Seattle & Eastside Nanny service finder
- Sittercity.com (Seattle) Find qualified babysitters in your area
- Care.com Find qualified babysitters in your area
- Uptown Glassworks Learn to blow your own glass (45 minute Hot Shots Class) (Renton)
- Cinebarre Order a pitcher of beer & dinner as you watch a movie (21+ only) (Mountlake Terrace)
- TOP Seattle Restaurants List of the BEST Seattle Restaurants to go for a fancy & tasty night-out
- Snoqualmie Casino entertainment & gambling (Snoqualmie)
- Tulalip Resort & Casino entertainment & gambling (Tulalip)
- Top 100 Wines Review the list and pick a winner to try
- Wine Taste in Woodinville Wine Country List of wineries & open hours (Woodinville)
Top 100 Seattle Companies to Work For (WA State)
- 100 Best Companies to Work for 2011 Top 100 Companies in Seattle as of 2011
- 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2012 --> Nominations OPEN
- Family Business Awards 2011 - Nov 3rd Getting announced Nov. 3rd 2011
WA State Websites
- Bellevue Collection Bellevue Square & Lincoln Center Mall map (includes kids dining guide)
- Downtown Bellevue Entertainment, Fashion, Happy Hour, Living, Real Estate, Travel Network
- Seattle Examiner News about Seattle activities
- Seattle's BEST Banquet Events (Book)
- Seattle Metro Woman - Magazine publication for women & business ads
- Mill Creek City Guide
- Lynnwood Today City Guide
Travel Guides
- Nile Guide (Traveler website) - Things "To Do" in Seattle
WA Education Websites
- Washington State - List of School Districts - Main WA State page
- Northshore School District
- Northshore School District - Waivers
- Lake Washington School District
- Everett School District
- Everett District - School Finder based on house address
- School Digger is a schools comparison site which provides test score data, demographic data and neighborhood information
- State Report Card at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction provides current and historical test scores by school and district. It also provides other detailed information by school. To drill down for the data, use the search box on the top right-hand site of the OSPI site.
- http://www.greatschools.org/ provides listings nationwide on school performance, including parent ratings and reviews.
- Education channel for in-depth coverage of Seattle-area and Washington schools
Here is a helpful list of where to find more events around Snohomish County:
http://www.heraldnet.com/section/COMM
- Heraldnet.com community calendar
- Snohomish County website http://www.snohomish.org/index.php?page_id=14&site_id=
- County Connection http://www.countyconnection.net/events/
- Craigslist http://www.seattle.craigslist.org/
- Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center http://www.comcastarenaeverett.com/
- Lynnwood Convention Center http://www.lynnwoodcc.com/web/do/event/list
- Calendarhttp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2003511500_indooract060.html
- This link is mostly in and around Seattle, but does have some North listings.
- Here is the link to the $1 movies at regal which show on Tues. & wed at 10am -great way to spend a morning! http://www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress/default.aspx
- Finally Google your city or your city’s chamber of commerce to see what events they’re promoting.
