Top 16 fun Things To Do with kids

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

Washington State has some fabulous options for Day Trips with kids.  Here are some recommendations:

• The Museum of Flight is just 15 minutes south of Seattle down i5.  It houses an amazing collection of 150 aircraft and spacecraft in a spacious museum.  Highlights include the Air Traffic Control Tower, Air Force One, Concorde Supersonic Jet, Flight Simulators, Apollo 17 Mission Models, Kid's Flight Zone, and World War I and II fighter planes.

• Visit the impressive Northwest Trek Wildlife Park with a spectacular setting in the shadow of Mt Rainier.  See black bears, brown bears, foxes, wolves and cougars, and take a guided Tram Tour around the park.  Eatonville is just over an hour's drive south of Seattle.

• This picturesque Bavarian-themed town offers bike rentals, hay rides and family kayaking tours in summer.  Visit the Icicle Junction Kid’s Activity Center with mini-golf, a games arcade and movies.   The Christmas Lighting Festival is a key highlight during winter.  Your kids will delight in dog sled tours, sleigh rides and cross country skiing in this fairytale atmosphere.

• When visiting Snoqualmie stop at the fantastic Snoqualmie Waterfall.  Your kids will be in awe of this 270-foot waterfall.

• The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is a 1-hour drive south of Seattle, near Tacoma. The first thing that strikes you about this Zoo is its wonderful vantage point overlooking the water and Mount Rainier.  The Zoo is spacious and well planned, with an array of fascinating animals like Polar Bears, Clouded Leopards, Malayan Tapir's and Simatran Tigers.  The shark tank is very impressive and a little scary!  Some fun activities for the kids include the Carousel and Camel rides. 

• When visiting Point Defiance Park, don't miss the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum with historic re-enactments.  Your kids will find it difficult to resist the TNT Family Go-Karts just near the entrance to the park.  In summer, the lovely Owen Beach is also definitely worth a visit.

• The Wild Waves Theme Park near Seattle has literally dozens of rides; including rollercoasters, bumper cars, a pirate ship, a ferris wheel and special kid’s rides.  This is one of the Northwest’s biggest Theme Parks.

• Remlinger Farms and Family Fun Park in Carnation is 30-miles from Seattle, and promises a great day out for younger kids (open May to October).  Kids can ride on an old steam train or mini roller coaster, play in the family fun park, pick fruit in the fields, or visit a petting zoo.  There are plenty of food booths, and a restaurant.

• In downtown Olympia, visit the Hands on Children’s Museum with educational exhibits, or the Painted Plate Studio where kids can paint their own their own pottery.  West of the city, experience the excitement of “glow in the dark golf” at Shankz Black Light mini-golf the.  Drive to Olympia's Regional Airport to the Olympic Flight Museum with a great collection of vintage aircraft.  The Airport Golf Center has batting cages and pitch machines for the baseball fanatic in your family.   

• Take a driving tour through the Olympic Game Farm to see zebras, elk, tigers, wolves, bears, yaks and a white rhinoceros.   The Olympic Game Farm is over 2-hours northwest of Seattle, near Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula.  Self driving tours usually take around 45 minutes.  The Olympic Game Farm worked closely with Walt Disney Studios during the 50’s and 60’s on television shows like “Grizzly Adams”.   You might also want to combine this with a visit to the nearby Dungeness Spit and Lighthouse.  The remarkable 5.5-mile Dungeness Spit is the world’s longest natural sand spit and is truly spectacular.

• After entering Mount Rainier National Park through the Nisqually entrance, your kids will be in awe of the spectacular drive up to Paradise featuring glaciers, waterfalls and old-growth forest areas.  Enjoy the cinema and upstairs exhibition at the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center.  Always check road status before leaving.

• Visit the old lumber town of Elbe for a trip on the Mount Rainier Railroad.  Travel through the foothills of Mt Rainier on a vintage steam logging locomotive.  Advanced bookings are always recommended.  Elbe is a 1.5 hour drive south of Seattle.

• The Scandinavian village of Poulsbo is just a short ferry ride from Seattle, and offers a wealth of FREE activities within close proximity.  The nearby Naval Undersea Museum is a “must-see”, with fascinating torpedo and submarine exhibits. No entrance fee is required.  The Poulsbo Marine Science Center on the waterfront is a fantastic activity for kids, and is also free!  The key highlight is the touch-tank, where kids can handle brightly colored starfish and sea anemones.  Further a-field; visit the 15-acre Sawdust Hill Alpaca Farm, where kids can get up-close to llamas and alpacas.

• Your kids will love the Oregon Zoo with a 1-mile Zoo Run railway.  The Oregon Museum of Science and History features a planetarium, laser light shows and motion simulator ride.   For best views of the city, ride the Portland Aerial Tram.

• The Washington State History Museum in Tacoma will keep your kids entertained for hours!  The fun and interactive exhibits include a replica of a Coal Mine, Frontier Town, Native American Plank House, and Model Railroad.

• Wolf Haven International is a sanctuary for endangered Mexican Gray Wolves and Red Wolves, located 1.5 hours south of Seattle in Tenino.  Your kids will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the thrilling sights and sounds of a wolf "howl-in".

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