Best Baby and Toddler Outings Around Seattle, the Eastside and South Sound

Many of our region's terrific children’s museums have gated spaces for children under 3. KidsQuest Children's Museum in Bellevue is loads of fun, as is Hands On Children's Museum in Olympia. The Children's Museum of Tacoma is sweet — and affordable, offering pay-as-you-will admission every day. Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo has a separate gated area for younger kids inside the Zoomazium, though it can get crowded with older preschoolers.

The Seattle Aquarium and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium are fabulous in every way once your baby can sit up and focus. Whereas outdoor zoo exhibits require a lot of searching for the animals, aquariums provide up-close and stimulating views of beautiful sea creatures. They also have sensory stations that are compelling for babies and toddlers.

Tip: For a birthday or holiday, you could ask the grandparents for a gift of a membership to one of these attractions. The beauty of a membership is you just pop in for a bit whenever you like and never have to feel like you must see every animal or play with every exhibit to get your money's worth.