What to Do in Seattle??

I didn't see this listed yet... my son was 2 and 4 months when we went in February. The monorail is phenomenal and my son loved it! He still talks about it! There is also a trolley below Pikes Place Market that runs along the shore - you could get on that, go for a distance, get off, see the boats, catch one of the ferries talked about, get back on, etc. We didn't have time to do that, but I did it as a kid several times. Have fun!

We lived there for 18 months when our kids were fairly young. Some of our favorite things to do included; Pike Place Market, the Aquarium, the Pacific Science Center, the water fountain outside of the PSC, riding up the Space Needle, hopping on the ferry to Bainbridge Island which is only a 30 minute ride- if you go without your car it's not too expensive. You can't go real far when you get there, but we used to ride over and get icecream from a place not too far from where the ferries are, walk around a bit and then ride back. Our kids LOVED it! This is making me want to go back for a visit! Have a great time!

My grandmother and I were in Seattle a long time ago and were looking for something to do. The space needle is pretty expensive and instead we did the fairy ride around the bay. I think that would be fun for a 3 year old.
Have fun:)
A.

We recently visited Seattle without our 3yo, but the parks seemed wonderful for active kids who need to let off a little steam. Green Lake has a big, lovely children's playground and room to roam on the grass and bird life to watch - also some restaurants nearby for snacks. Ravenna park has a nice playground and trails that meander across a little creek. Parking was easy on both places, and while not in downtown, they are not far away.

I used to live in seattle with my ex and my oldest daugter- she was two at the time, but we still had a ton of fun. Kids love Pikes Place Market- and it's free. You can spend a whole day there, it actually takes up four floors which most visitors don't know, and leads down to the waterfront.
Take cash- in fairly small demominations- have free samples for lunch, and maybe a fresh sausage (there is a stand that has something like 50 varieties, you can buy by the pound, or just get one and have them grill it with onions and peppers to eat like a hotdog). Get chowder from Ivars (the pierside stand or on the ferry, not the fancy restaraunt) and watch the guys from the Flying Fish work- if you decide to buy some seafood they can pack it in a container that will keep it fresh for 48 hours to bring back on the plane. The waterfront has a hoard of other activites as well- an old deisel sub that you can go on (I did it VERY preggers, that was a tight squeeze), an aquarium (fairly decently priced if I recall correctly), you can watch the fishermen on the peir catching dinner for the expensive-restaraunt-goers

About half an hour north of Seattle is Everett- Port for the USS Abraham Lincoln, try to find out if it will be in when you are going, and if they are offering tours while you are up there- a real joy for little boys of all ages (even the grown up ones) There is also a berry farm just north of Everett- if you pick your own they are dirt cheap, and that can be fun too. Blackberries will be in season for another couple of weeks, but you can pick buckets-full out of any empty lot in the area.

Another short drive away is Boeing's headquarters, and I know they give tours, which I beleive are free.
Bruce and Brandon Lee are buried in the area, I can't remember precicely which cemetary, but if you go, their graves are by the flag pole at the top of the hill.

Across the sound from Seattle is Bremerton (a ferry ride away, walk on if you can, don't drive if you don't need to) were the Navy has their dry docks for the entire west coast, there is sure be at least one masive ship lifted out of the water- the propellers on the aircraft carriers are the size of a small house. Again, see if you can find a tour, if not you can usually see them fairly well from off base. There is also a war plane museum in the area.

I have to leave for work, but if you need more ideas, send me a message.

They have a great children's museum there (thechildrensmuseum.org) You could also take a ferry ride, which is always fun for kids.
Have a great time!

Defiantly go to Pike's Place Market to wander and see the fish throwing (go a t a busy time... they only throw if someones buying usually). I would also highly recommend the Science Center... lots of fun hands on stuff for kids to do. I don't know how much it is now but we weren't wealthy when I was growing up and we had annual passes... and my husband and I went while on vacation a few years ago too... I don't recall it being expensive (I do remember skipping the space needle becuase it was $15 a person, so I'm sure it was less than that). The Woodland Park Zoo isn't in downtown, but it is amazing also... not sure how expensive it is. And I'm pretty sure that there's a Seattle Children's Museum in or near the Seattle Center, but I'm not certain and have no idea how much it might cost. Have fun... I love Seattle... I miss it... its home to me. =)

Hi KJ,
We went to Seattle last spring (right before my daughter turnes 3). I would suggest The Ballard Locks, the Colombia Tower and Snoqualmie Falls (in addtion to all the other fantastic suggestions). The Ballard Locks or more specifically, the Hyrum Chittenden Locks (located in Ballard) go from Lake Union to the Puget Sound. We sat there for an hour watching the boats go from the higher Lake Union, to the lower Puget Sound. It was fascinating. Our daughter loved it! The Colombia Tower was our substitution for the Space Needle which was way too expensive. The Colombia Tower is in downtown, and is 3x the size of the Space Needle and was less than half the price for us, and my daughter was free. You get to see almost the same views as the Space Needle, but you are inside the building. When we went, there was only one other guy up there, so we almost had the place to ourselves. (You have to go on a week day though, since it is a business office.) And go to Snoqualmie Falls, in Snoqualmie. It is a gorgeous waterfall! It is a really scenic drive (If I recall, about a 30-40 min drive from Seattle) and well worth it. There is a trail that goes down to the bottom, which was an easy hike. My daughter had a great time. There are squirrels and birds all over too. While in Snoqulamie, they have a small train exhibit with a giant log on a train car. We had a great time checking out the logging equipment and logging trains.
We love the Seattle Area. The Pike Place Market, The Aquarium, the Science Center, also Gas Works Park, the Monorail, and of course the Ferry Rides. If you have a long time to spend, I would also recommend going to Anacortes and riding the ferry to the San Juan Islands. This time of year there is whale watching. When we went, it was very beautiful. As we arrived back in Anacortes, it was low tide, and we explored the tide pools. If you want to stay closer, you can go to Deception Pass State park and find plenty of sea life on those rocky beaches. Have fun exploring with your son. He will love it! We can't wait to go back!