Make the Most of This Summer in Seattle!

At Fairway Kirkland, many of us are parents, some with children who are parents of their own, and others preparing to head off to college. And there is a whole group of us with little kids just finding their feet.

In the summer you might see a teenager wander by and have a seat out at our “living room” in front of one of the big screens to watch the soccer match, or hear tiny footsteps padding through the halls to say hi to their Papa Bob. We like kids around here. So to help you get on your way to making the most of this summer with your own children, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best things to do in the summer with little ones in tow!

Here are 15 great summertime activities to do with kids in Seattle!

1. The Woodland Park Zoo
2. Pike Place Market
3. The Museum of Flight
4. Ride a Ferry! (or take the water taxi to West Seattle)
5. Ballard Sunday Farmers Market (and start with something delicious from Café Besalu!)
6. Treat your kids to a Sounders match or catch a Mariner’s game.
7. Check out the Tide pools! Santorini Dave lists a handful of parks great for this, though we recommend heading to Edmonds!
8. See a play! One of our favorite spots to see a play is The Village Theatre in Issaquah. You could also check out Seattle Children’s Theatre.
9. Go for a hike – Seattle has tons of nearby trails that lead through tree canopies, along rivers and down to the ocean. And you don’t need to go far to find them – try Carkeek Park or Discovery Park for a full day of learning about local flora and fauna. Pack a picnic and make it a day!
10. Head to the islands (this weekend is the strawberry festival on Vashon Island)
11. Take your kids camping. Not sure you’re up for it? Pitch a tent in your back yard.
12. Get a picture with the troll. This isn’t just for tourists, kids love climbing over the infamous troll. After, you could swing by Franky & Jo’s in Ballard for some ice cream.
13. Find an open gym – most local Gymnastics schools have open gym hours, do a quick search for the ones nearest you and call to find out.
14. Go swimming – head to a local pool, a friends pool or jump in a lake! Ask around, everyone knows someone with a pool.
15. Take a family bike ride. Find a quiet street or hop on one of the great paved paths like the Burke-Gilman Trail or Interurban Trail.

Remember, you get 18 summers with your “children” – this is one of them!

“My favorite thing to do with Leighton in the summer? Take her to the zoo! I took her on Saturday and made the mistake of taking her to see the gorillas (her favorite) last. We passed the lion, on a rock, roaring and the hippo coming out of the water. And all she said was “keep going!” –Tyson Walker

“I love taking the girls swimming. My grandma’s condo has a great pool so we usually go there, but I say find whatever swimming hole you prefer.” –Pierce Rankin

“We would go to Newcastle Park and just relax – Tomoko did gymnastics 20 hours a week and we both worked, so on weekends it was important to us to just relax and be together. I say, go play in the park! Those are some really fond memories for me.” – Desiree Yuzawa

“There are few things better than sitting at a ballpark on a sunny day with your kids. Okay, maybe watching your kids play on the field. I loved taking them to see an M’s game. Actually, I still love it.” – Bob Rankin

For more information on most all of these ideas and a lot more, you could check out https://santorinidave.com/seattle-with-kids