Last week I wrote a post about indoor options for rainy days and wanted to follow it up with our list of outside options.
For the most part my kiddos are thrilled to play outside in the rain any time of day all year long. Jumping in puddles, exploring what the rain brings—little mushrooms, falling leaves and slimy worms—and post-dinner flashlight walks with with a warm bath afterwards are some of our favorites.
Parks
All these spots have good tree coverage so you won’t get totally soaked unless it's really raining. However, I don't recommend doing these during windy or extra wet days for safety reasons. For details, maps, and parking you can read my Take A Hike post.
All these spots have good tree coverage so you won’t get totally soaked unless it's really raining. However, I don't recommend doing these during windy or extra wet days for safety reasons. For details, maps, and parking you can read my Take A Hike post.
- Camp Long
5200 35th Ave SW
Several loop trails with most having good tree coverage. There are also a couple of shelters you can pop under for a rain/snack break. - Fauntleroy Park
3951 SW Barton Street
Several trails, all with good tree coverage. Some trails will get quite muddy in spots after several days of rain and some sections have boardwalks. You can also check out this Following the Salmon post I did a while ago that starts here. - Lincoln Park
8011 Fauntleroy Way SW
Upper trails have best coverage. There are shelters by the north play area and along the beach that you can pop under for a rain/snack break. - Schmitz Preserve Park
5551 SW Admiral Way
Several trails, all with good tree coverage. Like Fauntleroy Park, some trails will get quite muddy in spots after several days of rain and some sections have boardwalks.
Except for the climbers that get a bit too slippery when wet, most play areas have options that work for wet days—spinners, swings, ziplines and rockers. You can check out my post that lists all the playgrounds in West Seattle and what features they have.
Moonlight Beach Walks (Updated 12/2/21)
- West Seattle—Hosted by the Seattle Aquarium
Charles Richey Sr Viewpoint (corner of 63 Ave & Beach Drive) - Friday, December 3 / 8-10pm
- Saturday, January 29 / 7-9pm
- For more information, visit their website. Free, no registration required.
- Seahurst Park/ Burien—Hosted by Environmental Science Center
A bit outside West Seattle but close enough to include. - Friday, December 3 / 8-9:30pm
- Friday, January 28 / 7:30-9pm
- Saturday, January 29 / 8-9:30pm
- For more information visit their website. Free, registration required.
Outdoor Preschools
I don’t remember knowing about these when my kiddos were little but I now see different groups in Lincoln Park. I asked one of the parents picking up the other day about it which led me to wonder how many options are out there. I haven’t connected with any of the folks below but here’s what I found by doing a quick search.
I don’t remember knowing about these when my kiddos were little but I now see different groups in Lincoln Park. I asked one of the parents picking up the other day about it which led me to wonder how many options are out there. I haven’t connected with any of the folks below but here’s what I found by doing a quick search.
- Out In The Wild
- Tindergarden
- Tiny Trees
- Urban Nature Preschools (Mix of outdoor and indoor)
- WEEKDAYS
- Westside Wonderspace (Mix of outdoor and indoor)
Tree Walks
I first discovered this Seattle Parks and Rec program when we were participating in a city-wide scavenger hunt looking for different native trees last year. There are a series of different walks all over West Seattle—and the rest of the city—with maps, pictures and descriptions of all the different trees in a neighborhood. For West Seattle, look for the headers "Duwamish Valley", "Southwest Seattle" and "West Seattle". Here's a link to the main page for more information. We usually print out a PDF but there's also an app for your phone.
I first discovered this Seattle Parks and Rec program when we were participating in a city-wide scavenger hunt looking for different native trees last year. There are a series of different walks all over West Seattle—and the rest of the city—with maps, pictures and descriptions of all the different trees in a neighborhood. For West Seattle, look for the headers "Duwamish Valley", "Southwest Seattle" and "West Seattle". Here's a link to the main page for more information. We usually print out a PDF but there's also an app for your phone.
Volunteer Opportunities
Having participated in one of the Seattle Forest Week work party events last weekend I wanted to share a couple relevant rainy day options. For a full list of ideas, indoor and outdoor, you can check out my Giving Back post.
- Adopt-A-Drain
With the rain bringing leaves down it's important to keep storm drains clear. This is a good on-your-own-time option for all ages and you can check to see if there's a drain near you to adopt. - CleanSEA
A new organization that is working to collect a list of WS community cleanup events. They are hosting a couple of events on Saturday, November 13th. To sign up go here.
Other ideas?
Have an idea not listed here? Let me know via my contact page.
