50+ Free, Kid-Friendly Things to do in Walkable Seattle!

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Free is my favorite price.
The only thing better would be if someone paid me to take my kids on adventures. A girl can dream...
Seattle is an expensive city and I am notoriously thrifty.  Sometimes these two thinks have trouble co-existing.
I had lived in the downtown core for many (lean and penny pinching) years before becoming a parent.  Seattle is not only significantly more expensive but I am now a (mostly) responsible parent who can no longer exist on my 90's diet of late night happy hours, left overs from The Poor Italian Cafe and cheap nachos and at Shorty's. Those were the days.
After a brief stint in the suburbs, I returned to downtown Seattle with my family in 2009.
I love raising a family downtown, but It seems that everything costs an arm and a leg... and perhaps your other arm and your other leg... and maybe a kidney.
We had to get pretty creative if we wanted to continue our adventure in this pricey metropolis. I've spent nine years figuring out how to do Seattle on a budget. We shell out bucks to do a lot of things here in the city but it's nice to pad those things with a wide variety of free activities.
Here are 50 things that you can do almost year-round.
Also check the calendar event pages for free seasonal activities.

Downtown
  • Kids activities and play structure at Westlake Park
  • Seattle Public Library has a great kid's section and there are a number of other cool things to see and do! Try out their cell phone tour and find their interesting art exhibits and Storytimes
  • Seattle Art Museum has play area  for little ones. There is an art station that is often set up for anyone to use! Most of the museum is free of charge.  Pay to see the special exhibits! Donations welcome.
  • Free Summer concerts at various locations. There is a growing number of places to catch free live music!
  • Play some shuffleboard or retro video games at the mezzanine of the Assembly Hall
  • Find the secret underground corridors that run through downtown connecting the 5th Avenue Theatre and Union Square.
  • Tour the Holocaust Center-Check out their beautiful new location between Belltown and Downtown
  • Explore the bus tunnel public art at Westlake Station and University Station.Go see the Amazon Spheres. They are not generally open to the public but if you have any Amazon friends or family, you may be able to score a peek inside.  They also offer tours twice  a month, but they book up well in advance, so plan ahead!
  • Explore the courtyard at Two Union Square.  There's lots of open space and a waterfall! In fact, Seattle is home to a lot of hidden courtyards, open spaces, and lunchtime hangouts. Pack a picnic and check one out!
  • Barnes and Noble Storytime

 Pike Place Market
  • Pike Place Free Seattle Walking Tour-Tour is free (Tips appreciated!)
  • Wander Pike Place Market. This is probably the best free thing on the list! Make sure to go downstairs and find back hallways. Some of the best shops are the ones that are a little tricky to find. 
  • Beecher's Cheese- Watch the artisan cheesemakers practice their craft.
  • Sample produce at one of the many produce stands throughout the market
  • Make a deposit at the Gum Wall- Gross and beautiful, check out the 2nd Germiest Attraction in the World (According to Trip Advisor)
  • Make your own Pig Scavenger Hunt. Rachel the Pig is the unofficial mascot of the market.  This can be a fun game with reluctant young market explorers. The market is teeming with pigs, large and small...and edible. 
  • Enjoy some music, magic tricks or animal act by local street performers AKA buskers (Free, but tips appreciated!)
  • Tiny ones can play with a little wooden train set at Boston Street Children's Store in upper Post Alley.
  • Wander the ramps and the Down Under in the market. Escape the crowds and keep working your way downstairs. Less tourists and more treasures!
  • Run Around Victor Steinbruek Park-Enjoy the beautiful view of the sound while kids can run around in the grass.
  • Locate the Seattle Urban Garden You can relax in the eclectic seating area and revel in the breathtaking view while the kids do some artwork on the chalkboard pig.  "The Secret Garden" can be a little tricky to find, with an entrance hidden between Market Spice and Don and Joe's Meats.  It is well worth the detective work! 
  • See how many famous names you can locate on the donor tiles and hooves throughout the market. The kids may not be all that impressed to find Ronald Reagan or Willard Scott on a tile but finding Bill Nye on a hoof print is kinda fun.
  • The market is always changing and hosting all sorts of events. Check here for a current calendar of activities.
Pioneer Square
  • Tour the Klondike Gold Rush Museum. This is more fun than it sounds, trust me.  There are lot of interactive activities for many age groups, you can pretend to operate the provisions store, hang out in a log cabin, spin the wheel of luck and explore like the explorers did.
  • Children's activities at Occidental Park-A great courtyard/Open air space with basketball hoops, corn hole, a giant connect 4 and other activities for all ages.
  • Visit the Waterfall Garden Park-My favorite hidden treasure in this bustling neighborhood. You'll hear when you are close.
  • Look for Totem Poles and Public Art. Pioneer Square is jam packed with native and contemporary art!
  • Give yourself lots of time at Magic Mouse Toys. This is the only toy store in Walkable Seattle! Hidden downstairs, you'll find the game concierge.  They can teach you a new game or you can play and old favorite.
  • Historic Seattle-Free Walking Tour (Pay What you Can) 
  • If you happen to be in town on the first Thursday of the month. Check out the First Thursday Gallery Walk. Pioneer Square is home to a lively art scene. The art walk is a lot of fun for older kids, there is often live music and you can partake in refreshments along the way
  • Check out the ever changing calendar of events in the heart of Pioneer Square.
Seattle Center/Lower Queen Anne
  • Splash your way around the International Fountain. This is a local favorite. Sit and watch a water show or pop in and cool off.
  • Artists at Play Playground Seattle Center-The only proper playground in Walkable Seattle
  • Du Pen Fountain-Find the hidden wading pool and sculpture on the side of Key Arena.
  • Gates Discovery Center Tour-A hands on-interactive tour of the places that the Gates Foundation has supported around the world.
  • Walk through the flat foot fountain outside McCaw Hall.
  • Climb and slide down the whale sculptures near the International Fountain.
  • Watch and Listen to a live KEXP Broadcast at La Marzocco.  This is one of our favorites. you might want to grab a cup of coffee, too while your at it.
  • Follow your ears to Sonic Bloom, a giant, interactive, flower art installation.  Walk on up and listen to what the flowers have to say.
  • Grab some skates, a skateboard, or a scooter or just sit back and watch some young daredevils do their thing at the Skate Park. They also offer a number of free drop-in clinics.
  • Wander through the Neototems Children's Garden, between  Seattle Children's Theatre and the Science Center.
  • Find more things to do with Seattle Center Calendar of Events
Waterfront
  • Sort through the eclectic mix of treasures at Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. Meet Sylvester, our local mummy and sample some of our locally made fudge.
  • Look for Jellyfish along the waterfront
  • Climb on the Giant Squid outside the Aquarium
  • Find the Fish Fountain and unofficial wading pond at Bell St. and Pier 66. (You'll find it behind Anthony's Bell St. Diner)
  • Run around the Bell Street overlook. Climb the stairs near the fish fountain and you'll find one of the most spectacular views in Seattle. 
  • Watch the seagulls swarm diners at Ivar's Outdoor Seating Area. (look for the tiny hidden "clam guy" under the statue of Ivar and the Seagulls
  • Stroll down the waterfront and check out the artists, vendors and permanent public art.
  • Walk out to the end of public piers and watch the boats come in and out of Elliott Bay.
  • Looking for more seasonal adventure?  Check out the Waterfront Events and the Friends of the Waterfront calendar of events, (Some free, some not free)
Belltown
  • The Belltown Pea Patch is a lovely community garden. Enjoy this little bit of hidden nature in the heart of Belltown. You'll see the last little wooden houses in Walkable Seattle that are now used as artist residences.
  • Check out the impressive Graffiti Wall in the alley! You'll find it between 2nd and 3rd avenue, between Lenora and Blanchard. 
  • Pocket Beaches at Myrtle Edwards Beach-A must-visit on a sunny day.  There are three small beaches to explore on the north end of Belltown and below the Olympic Sculpture Park.  For extra fun and education, visit on one of the low tide days.  The Seattle Aquarium Sponsors "ask a Naturalist Program" where volunteer experts help you find all sorts of sea life.
  • Part of the Seattle Art Museum, Olympic Sculpture Park offers a number of children's activities, concerts and fitness classes. You can wander and explore this beautiful park for free!  
Throughout Seattle

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