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Cover photo by BO WHITE Bouldering at Seattle Bouldering Project’s new location in the University District.
When cabin fever strikes, the Northwest’s cold and rainy days can seem endless. Getting out and doing something fun and active together is good for all ages. That’s why we present Get Moving! — our round-up of places to go for drop-in, indoor active fun. (We also included 10 of our favorite places to get outside in the winter months to “touch the grass.”)
Tips: Drop-in, not drop-off! Parents or caretakers need to accompany their kids. Schedules and rates change. Check the website for the most upto-date details. Make reservations if it’s an option — advance tickets are often discounted. Finally, make sure the kids remember to wear socks! They are required for almost everything except golf and swimming.
Have fun getting moving!
A GUIDE TO ACTIVE INSIDE DROP-IN FUN
BOWLING
Tips
1. Very young kids can bowl if they can lift a 6 lb. ball.
2. Ask for kid aids: bumpers (barriers that keep the ball out of the gutter), lighter balls, or a ramp.
3. Cosmic (lights-out) Bowling sessions are a big hit.
4. Many bowling alleys offer good deals on Sunday.
5. Check schedules carefully — league play often takes over on weekdays.
HUB Games –University of Washington
A 12-lane bowling alley at the HUB (student center) on the UW campus. Cosmic bowling and arcade games. Don’t like bowling shoes? They sell tennis shoe covers. Parking on campus is $5/hour weekdays, parking is FREE Saturday noon thru Sunday. The Metro bus goes on campus or take the light rail to Husky Stadium.
Cost: $5-$6/person/game
Kenmore Lanes
One of the largest bowling alleys “north of Reno and west of the Mississippi” with 50 lanes of bowling!
Cost: $6-$8/person/per person; Shoe Rental: $4
Lynnwood Bowl and Skate
Offers 24 wood bowling lanes connected to a 13,250 sq. ft. roller skating rink. Cosmic Bowling (with the lights out) Friday evening, and all day Saturday and Sunday.
Cost: $10/person/game in-
cluding shoes except Cosmic Bowling $42/lane/hour
Roxbury Bowling
Located in the White Center neighborhood of Seattle, offers daily drop-in sessions for families, 45 arcade games.
Cost: $3.50-$4.50/person/ game
West Seattle Bowl
There’s 32 lanes, it’s kid-friendly with bumpers, ball ramps, and a large selection of lightweight balls.
Cost: $32-$40/lane/hour; Shoe rentals: $5.50
Round1 Southcenter
There’s a bowling alley and giant arcade game center, ping pong, billiards and karaoke at this amusement center inside Southcenter Mall.
Cost: $25-$32/lane (6 people max per lane) or $6/person
BOULDERING/ CLIMBING
Tips
1. Bouldering (vs climbing) suits little kids due to its lower height and no need for a rope.
2. All children must be supervised by an adult at all times. 3. Bouldering is a good activity for a family with a wide age range of kids — toddler and up.
Half Moon
Bouldering
This family-friendly gym in Greenwood in Seattle has castle learning area designed so families can climb together.
Cost: Single Day Pass
$25/adult, $22/ ages 23 to 4; Free/3 and under
REMINDER
Drop-in doesn’t mean drop-off! Parent or caretaker must stick around to supervise.
Seattle Bouldering Project
The Seattle Bouldering Project welcomes ages 4+ and all experience levels for drop-in bouldering, which is rock climbing without using ropes
or harnesses, at all three locations: Fremont, International District and University District. Willy Wonka-esque whimsical shapes on the walls invite even the youngest kids, new to bouldering, to jump right in.
Cost: Day Pass: Adults/$30, Ages 14-20/$25, 13 years and under/$20
GOLF
Flatstick Pub
The indoor 9-hole mini golf course has elevation changes and moving kegs as obstacles. Also a 9-hole course of duffleboard (mix of mini golf and shuffleboard). Multiple locations: South Lake Union (Seattle) and Redmond.
Cost: $10 per person for mini golf, $5 per person for duffleboard
Monster Mini Golf
A glow-in-the-dark mini golf course located in Factoria Square with 18 holes of wildly inventive monsters and creatures. Also a laser maze, bowling alley, and a gaming arcade.
Ages: All ages
Cost: Mini golf $12 for little monsters, $14 for big monsters
Par1 Mini Golf
Located in Lincoln Square in Bellevue, Par1 Mini Golf has 18 holes of imaginative fun.
Ages: All ages.
Cost: $15/golfer
BEFORE YOU GO
Schedules & rates change. Check websites for the latest info. Reservations & advance tickets are often available and a few require them.
Waiver forms may be required. Check to see if you can fill one out online before going.
INDOOR PLAYSPACES
Seattle Parks and Recreation Community Centers Tot Gyms and Tot Rooms
Seattle Parks and Rec offers drop-in gym sessions and tot rooms during the school year for young kids (limited sessions in the summer) to socialize and play. At Tot Gyms kids get to enjoy rambunctious play in a big space with big toys, balls, mats, and wheeled vehicles. In Tot Rooms kids can enjoy a quiet play place with toys and books. All kids must be accompanied by a caregiver 14 years+. All the community centers offer Toddler Gym and/or Tot Room at least 2X a week. Sessions are 2-3 hours long with some in the morning and afternoon.
Ages: Infant-5 years
Cost: FREE
BALLARD COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM & TOT ROOM)
Mon, Weds, Fri, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
BITTER LAKE COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Sun, Mon, Weds, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
GARFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Mon, Weds, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
HIGH POINT COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Tues, Thur, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
JEFFERSON COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Tues, Thur, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
LOYAL HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Tues, Thur, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
MAGNUSON COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Weds, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Sat, 12:30 pm-2:30 p.m.
MILLER COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Tues, Thur, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
NORTHGATE COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Tues, Thur, 9:00 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
QUEEN ANNE COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM & TOT ROOM) Tues, Thur, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
RAINIER COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM)
Mon, Weds, 10 a.m.-noon
RAINIER BEACH COMMUNITY CENTER Mon, Thur, Fri, 9 a.m.-noon
RAVENNA-ECKSTEIN COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM & TOT ROOM) Mon-Thur, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
VAN ASSELT COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM) Tues, Thur, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
YESLER COMMUNITY CENTER (TODDLER GYM) Mon, Weds, Fri, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Eastside Community Centers Indoor Playgrounds
At these Eastside Community Centers parents or caregivers can bring kids to play in a large multi-purpose room with toy cars, bikes, push and pull toys, climbing sculptures and slides, gym mats, and more. Adults must supervise at all times.
HIGHLAND COMMUNITY CENTER (BELLEVUE)
Ages: 7 years and under Hours: Weds & Fri, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Cost: $4/resident, $5/non-resident
ISSAQUAH COMMUNITY CENTER
Ages: 4 years and under
Hours: Weds & Fri, 7 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Cost: $2/child
NORTH KIRKLAND COMMUNITY CENTER
Ages: 9 months-5 years
Hours: Weds, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Cost: $3/child
SOUTH BELLEVUE COMMUNITY CENTER
Ages: 5 and under
Hours: Mon, Weds, Fri, 10:30 a.m.-noon.
Cost: $4/resident, $5/non-resident
INDOOR PLAYGROUNDS & INFLATABLES
Arena Sports Inflatable FunZone
The Arena Sports Indoor Inflatable FunZone play-
grounds offer a wide array of giant bounce houses where kids can bounce, slide, and jump. Socks required. There’s also a family entertainment center in Mill Creek and Issaquah with arcade and virtual reality games, a ropes course, climbing walls, classic bowling, laser tag, mini bowling and more.
MAGNUSON PARK (SEATTLE)
Ages: 3-12 years
Cost: $12/child
SODO (SEATTLE)
Ages: 18 months-12 years
Cost: $8/child
ISSAQUAH & MILL CREEK
Ages: 2-10 years
Cost: $12.75/child, Discounted passes available
Funtastic Playtorium
Large indoor playground for kids with three locations.
FACTORIA MALL & ALDERWOOD MALL
Cost: $12.99 weekdays, $14.99 weekends and school holidays
TACOMA
Cost: $11.99 weekdays, $13.99 weekends and school holidays
Ages: 1-10 years
Kidz Bounce
Kidz Bounce inflatable playground near Issaquah has drop-in times three times a week.
Cost: $13/child
Ages: 2-10 years
Kids Magic Lab
Kids Magic Lab in Redmond is a multi-sensory science and STEM enrichment lab and indoor playground. For children under 4, they offer a Sensory-Rich curriculum that includes music, yoga, art, and STEM activities.
Cost: All-day pass/$30. Packs of drop-in one-hour open play passes available. One adult free.
Ages: 9 months-8 years
Playdate Seattle
An 8,000-square-foot indoor playground located in South Lake Union with interactive dance floors, structures for climbing and crawling, and a special area for toddlers.
Cost: $15.50/hour per child; $20/child for all day pass
Ages: Infant to 12 years
OCTOBER 19, 2024 – MARCH 31, 2025
Pump it Up
Pump it Up in Lynnwood is a large indoor inflatable playground. There are pre-K jump sessions, all-ages kids jump sessions and family jump sessions.
Cost: $10/child/80 minute sessions (toddlers and adults free)
The Ridge
This indoor playground in Bothell is an enormous play structure with multiple stories, a Valo Climb Wall and racing slides. There’s also a toddler zone with an enclosed play structure, a water table, and sand table, and for older kids — laser tag. Dropin daily.
Cost: $13/child/one hour sessions
Ages: All ages
Seattle Gymnastics Academy
During the open gym drop-in sessions for ages infant to 5 years at Seattle Gymnastics Academy, little ones have access to most of the academy’s gymnastics equipment for climbing, swinging, jumping, and other active fun.
Cost: $10/child/one hour session. Babies under 12 months are free
Low-Sensory Playground: Drop-ins are available at some gyms
Parents Night Out: Available for ages 5-11 years old. A 3-hour Saturday night playtime for bigger kids to explore the gym and watch a movie while parents go out on a date. Parents Night Out costs $35/child for SCA members, $60/child for non-members.
Locations: Lake City, Ballard, Columbia City, Burien
Twinkle Land Play Cafe
At this indoor play center with a café in Bellevue you’ll find a playground equipped with climbing structures, slides, trampolines, and ball pits suitable for toddlers up to
preteens and a games arcade.
WiggleWorks
The two locations in Bellevue Crossroads Mall and Puyallup South Hill Mall are filled with soft, bright climbing sculptures, designed to give preschoolers and toddlers hours of active fun.
PUYALLUP
Cost: Weekdays $11/child, Weekends $12/child
BELLEVUE
Cost: Weekdays $11.99/child, Weekends: $13.99. Must be under 48 inches tall.
SKATING: ROLLER & SKATEBOARDING
Tips
1. Kids should wear properly fitted, buckled helmets, wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads.
2. Tell first-time roller skaters to bend knees, lean slightly forward, and start by walk-
El Centro Skate Rink
Located in Federal Way, the rink features a maple floor curved for speed and open skate sessions with Top 40 music.
Cost: $12 w/o skates, $14 w/skates. Kids 5 and under free.
Lynnwood Skate and Bowl
Come spin around the largest maple roller skating rink in Washington, with a bowling alley, game arcade and full restaurant.
All ages skate sessions: Weds, Fri, Sat, Sun. $16/person. Skatemates (walkers) available for additional $6 plus safety gear for all ages based on availability.
REMINDER
Drop-in doesn’t mean drop-off! Parent or caretaker must stick around to supervise.
ing, not rolling.
3. If available, pay extra to give beginners a skate mate (walker).
All Together Skatepark
The Seattle area’s only indoor skatepark in Wallingford covers 6,900 square feet of space, including ledges, manual pads, quarter pipes, banks, stairs, rails and a “vert” wall on which to shred. Helmets, skateboards and pads available.
Ages: All ages. Saturday from noon to 2 pm are open to ages 12 & under only.
Cost: $10 per person
Bitter Lake Community Center Family Skate
Seattle Parks and Rec presents Friday Night Family Skating Night at Bitterlake Community Center in north Seattle.
Ages: 5 years and up
Cost: $6/person
Drop-in skate lessons: Sundays, 11 a.m.-noon. Open to all ages. $25/person. Includes lesson, quad or inline skate rental, and all-day skate session after the lesson. No pre-registration required.
Southgate Roller Rink
The popular Southgate Roller Rink in the White Center neighborhood has skating games, activities and music to liven up the family skate sessions. Family skating only available on weekends (21+ and up weekdays). They also host roller derby matches!
Cost: $13 (includes skates)
SKATING: ICE Tips
1. Dress kids warmly, but not bulky. Wear mittens or gloves, tights, leggings or pants.
2. Use helmets — bike helmets, skateboard helmets, ski helmets. Mom and Dad, if you are first-timers, you should wear a helmet, too. Knee pads are also a good
idea for beginners.
3. Put your children’s skates on in the lobby and show them what they will be doing before getting on the slippery stuff.
4. Renting a walker for beginners is very helpful.
Kraken Community Iceplex
Public ice skating sessions are available daily at Kraken Community Iceplex in Northgate. Special family-friendly features include a Tot play hour for the little ones (6 and under), themed skates and sensory-friendly skating sessions with less crowds. Hours vary. Check the Kraken Public Skate Calendar online for exact days/times.
Cost: $11-14/person, $6.50 skate rentals
Sno-King Ice Arenas
The Sno-King Arenas are located in three locations — Kirkland, Renton, and Snoqualmie — and all offer public family skating sessions. They also have a ‘try hockey for free’ program for kids 4 to 17 — check the website for details. Hours vary by location.
Cost: Ages 6 and up/$14-$15. Skate rental $5. Ages 5 and under/$7 (includes skates). Walker rental/$7
Kent Valley Ice Center
Kent Valley Ice Center welcomes skaters of all ages and abilities to join them for their public skate sessions. They have a great sound system, blacklight skate sessions, and over a thousand pairs of rental skates on hand.
Cost: $18 for general admission (4+), FREE for toddlers (3 and under). Extras include $5
BEFORE YOU GO
Schedules & rates change. Check websites for the latest info. Reservations & advance tickets are often available and a few require them.
Waiver forms may be required. Check to see if you can fill one out online before going.
skate rental, $2 helmet rental, and $7 walker rental.
SWIMMING POOLS
Seattle Parks and Recreation Rainier Beach Pool
In this amazing pool playland in south Seattle, there’s a giant slide, lazy river, spray feature, warm pool, lap pool, spa and sauna.
Cost: $6.50/adult, $4.50/youth (ages 1-17)
Lynnwood Recreation Center & Indoor Pool
There’s a warm pool (93 degrees), a recreation pool with a lazy river and lap pool, waterslides, a water play area with tipping water buckets and a family hot tub.
Cost: $7/person per session, Under 2 years swim FREE
Mountlake Terrace Pool
Mountlake Terrace’s pool has a lazy river and an entry that mimics a beach. There are three spray toys, water basketball hoops, and a variety of floats and water toys.
Cost: Adults/$5.75
Ages: 1 years-15 years/$4.75
Snohomish Aquatic Center
In addition to the lap pool; a warm-water pool, a lazy river; a massive, enclosed waterslide; a spray-play section and two shallow areas for smaller kids (one that’s a zero-depth entry zone for tiny kids or folks with physical limitations). Best of all, there’s a FlowRider machine for simulated surfing. Kids over 42 inches can ride boogie boards there and kids over 52 inches can ride the stand-up board.
Cost: $9/ages 3 & up; FlowRider all day sessions: $17.50/person
Seattle Public Pools
There are eight indoor public pools across the city. They all offer drop-in programs such as Family Swims and Pool Playland, as well as lessons. For more information check the pool schedule.
Cost at all pools: $6.50/adult, $4.50/youth (1-17). Scholarship/Financial Aid Discount Pricing- Pre-Qualified available.
BALLARD POOL
EVANS POOL (GREEN LAKE)
Six swimming lanes, a diving board, rope swing, slide and a warm-water pool.
Twenty-five foot lap pool. Pool currently open but check their website for upcoming pool improvement construction schedule.
MADISON POOL (NORTH SEATTLE)
Six lanes, a teaching pool with shallow water for lessons and two diving boards, one at 1 meter and one at 3 meters.
MEADOWBROOK POOL (NORTH OF THE WEDGEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD AND EAST OF LAKE CITY)
Six-lanes, a 1- and 3-meter diving boards, rope swing, and sauna.
MEDGAR EVERS POOL (GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY CENTER)
Lap swim, pool play toys, recreation swim and more.
QUEEN ANNE POOL 25-yard, 6-lane pool.
SOUTHWEST POOL (WEST SEATTLE)
Six lanes and two diving boards, a 102-degree therapy pool and a sauna.
EVERGREEN AQUATIC CENTER (WHITE CENTER)
Six-lane pool with family drop-in swims.
Eastside Public Pools
BELLEVUE AQUATIC CENTER
Features two pools, one for lap swimming and the other is a warm-water pool for therapeutic use. The lap pool features a diving board and a 10-foot slide.
Ages: All ages
Cost: $7/adult, $6/youth
JULIUS BOEHM POOL (ISSAQUAH)
Has shallow and deep areas separated by a bulkhead, with recreational swims daily.
Ages: All ages
Cost: $5/ youth, $6 /adult
MARY WAYTE POOL (MERCER ISLAND)
Has shallow and deep areas separated by a bulkhead. There are lots of open and family swim hours available in the shallow pool.
Ages: All ages
Cost: $7.50/adult, $5.50/ youth, offers 10 punch card
FEDERAL WAY COMMUNITY CENTER POOL
Has a leisure pool, lazy river, 2-story slide, and diving boards.
Cost: $10 for an adult,
$6 for child 12 and over, and $3 for children 3-11
TRAMPOLINES
Elevated Sportz Trampoline Park
Kids aged 3 and older can bounce on the trampoline
courts while under-3 can enjoy the Kidz Adventure Zone, featuring a multi-level climbing castle with a ball pit.
Ages: 3 and older (12 and younger for play area, and 48 inches tall for ninja course)
Cost: $15-$29 per person depending on ticket type
Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park
At Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park in Everett, you’ll find trampolines in a safe environment, including a special toddler trampoline area, climbing walls, and a cafe.
Ages: All ages
Cost: $19 for 60 minutes, $24 for 90 minute, $29 for 120 minutes (date specific). Ages 6 years and under/$14/ hour in the toddler trampoline area.
