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Eastside Activities

We hear from PEPS families about their favorite Eastside fun spots – and the Eastside, with all its cities, communities and neighborhoods there is a lot of fun! Here are some activities for parents and babies on the Eastside. Let us know your favorite place for babies and tots at peps@peps.org.

Animals

  • Cougar Mountain Zoo - lemurs and cougars and reindeer and more
  • Farrel-McWhirter Riding School – Redmond Parks & Recreation operate year-found horseback riding instruction (or tots over age 2 and half and camps for older kids. Many other facilities on the Eastside offer riding classes and camps.
  • Fox Hollow Farm - has events and activities with animals
  • Kelsey Creek Farm - owned by the City of Bellevue and operated by the Parks and Community Services Department, this park is open to the public and also offers camps and events
  • Issaquah Salmon Hatchery - see exhibits and salmon at the hatchery
  • Meadowbrook Farm

Beaches

Biking

Classes

Many of the activities listed on this page also offer classes for kids – such as all the city recreation guides (in the Parks section below), which offer many reasonably priced classes for all ages.

Classes are a great way to connect with other parents and kids, do something fun with your child, pursue a passion of yours or your child, develop specific skills or to learn something new!

Consignment

Farmer’s Markets

Babies and toddlers can learn so much at a farmers market, including colors and all their fruits and veggies.


Headed out of town? Find more markets in Washington at the State Farmers Market Association.

Gardens

See also Parks and the Walks sections for more nature.

Hiking & Walks

Where is your favorite walk on the Eastside? Let us know at peps@peps.org. (See also the Parks section below.)

Indoor Play

 

Most drop-in play spaces have a fee. Check age limits and other details.

Museums

Museums can be a time to wander in a beautiful space or to learn something new or both. Check out free days at museums, too. When possible, links are to family or kid-related programs and info.

Want more museums? Wikipedia has a list of museums in Washington State.

 

Parks & Playgrounds

The Eastside has parks and nature in abundance, drawing visitors from all over the region to enjoy the outdoors. There are so many great parks – what’s your favorite? Tell us at peps@peps.org.

Recreation Guides

Many cities on the Eastside have great classes for babies, tots, kids and parents! Most will allow non-residents to take classes as well – so look around and find a birding walk, rock hunts for kids, pottery classes and camps of all kinds. These pages often link to pdf versions of the guides.

Story Times

The King County Library System serves all of the Eastside, with the exception of Yarrow Point and Hunts Point. Story times at libraries are open to all, whether you have a library card or live in the neighborhood or not. Story time is a great free outing with babies. They will often include a short arts & crafts activity. Try different libraries for fun, or seek out story time in a second language you speak at home.

Other story time opportunities:

Swimming

Summer or winter, babies love water! Check for parent/baby classes or swim/play schedules.

Public Pools

Private Pools

Private pools are often non-profit membership clubs that provide lessons and recreational swimming, as well as youth swim teams. They may be indoor, outdoor, or both, and may offer wading pools for tots and lake swimming as well.

On the Eastside, some of these neighborhood private pools include Aqua Club, Bellevue Club, Cascade Swim Edgebrook Swim and Tennis, Fairwood Gold and Country Club, Gold Creek, High Woodlands, Juantica aqauticsKingsgate, Klahanie, Mercer Island Beach Club, Mercer Island Country Club, Mercerwood Shore Club, Newport Hills Swim and Tennis, Newport Yacht Club, Norwood Swim Club, Overlakte Golf and Contry Club, Phantom Lake Bath and Tennis, Sammamish Club, Samena Swim, Somerset Rec Club, Strattonwood, Tam o’Shanter Gold and Country Club, TCP Snoqualmie Ridge, Triangle Pool, Woodridge Swim Club.

Athletic clubs such as Gold’s Gym, Columbia Athletic Club and Pro Club also often have pools for members. Stroum Jewish Community Center also has an aquatics program and a location on Mercer Island.

Water Play

Other Fun Outings

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