What	Where	Link	Other notes
Pacific Science Centre	Seattle Centre	http://www.pacsci.org/default.html
Space Needle	Seattle Centre	http://www.seattlecenter.com/	Ride up / view from deck and ride down; go on a nice day…
Children’s museum	Seattle Centre	http://www.seattlecenter.com/	Good indoor rainy day activity
Roller-coaster etc	Seattle Centre	http://www.seattlecenter.com/	Small rides, go on a warm day
Aquarium	Seattle waterfront	http://www.seattleaquarium.org/	Indoor; can combine with Pike Place
IMAX	Pacific Science Centre	http://www.pacsci.org/default.html	Check whats playing
IMAX	Aquarium	http://www.seattleaquarium.org/	Check whats playing
Museum of Flight
Zoo		http://www.zoo.org/
Pike Place market		http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/
EMP		http://www.emplive.org/	Music museum
Seattle art Museum		http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/
Fry Art		http://www.fryeart.org/
Ride the ducks	Seattle	http://www.ridetheducksofseattle.com	Tour of Seattle on land & water
Undergroud tour	Seattle	http://www.undergroundtour.com	Tour – funny, interesting about Seattle
Seattle Public Library	Seattle	http://www.spl.lib.wa.us
Bellevue Library	Bellevue
Golden Gardens			Beach
Alki			View, beach
Geen Lake			Walk around lake, park
Wild Waves	Federal Way		Theme park – water slides & non-water rides
Trek NW		http://www.nwtrek.org/
Ballard Locks	Seattle	http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=lwsc&pagename=mainpage
Whale watching	One of the islands		Ferry ride to island, boat ride to whale habitat; full day, go on a warm day
Olympics/ Hurricane Ridge/Beach			Ferry ride, drive around? Ridge may have snow
Leavenworth			Walk by the river; walk through the town
Deception pass	North
Snoqualmie Pass	East of Bellevue
St Helens
Rainier
Smith Observatory Tour	?
Chinese Room	?

There are several places in east and North Cascades. Leavenworth on I-90 is a nice getaway town.

I really like the Rattlesnake Ridge recreation area by North Bend.  http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/Activities/Hiking/rattlesnakeridge.htm.  The hike featured in this site is a bit much for little ones, but there’s also a lake there, some very mellow trails for hiking, some wildlife, some old stumps for climbing, and it’s just a really nice, clean alternative to the beach.

 

If you want to go a bit further, Smallwood Farms, just outside of Leavenworth is a fun place http://www.smallwoodsharvest.com/, plus it’s close enough to Leavenworth for you to have some fun too.

 

Have fun!

We went to Newcastle Beach Park in Bellevue (or Newcastle, depends where city limits are J, exit 9 on 405) on Sunday with our 9 months and 5 years old and it was cool – essentially, there is a meadow with some trees around, so getting good shade spot would be easy… We put big blanket on the grass and baby was playing for a while, then took a nap in stroller ride around the park…

Alki Beach in West Seattle. 30 mins from Redmond.

Leavensworth 2-3 hrs from Redmond

Bainbridge Island

Marysville Seattle Shopping Center – 45 mins from Redmond

La Conner – 1-1/2 hrs

Deception Pass up on Whidbey Island. You can either drive up to Mukilteo and take the ferry to southern end of the Island and drive up or drive straight up I-5 and cut through Anacortes. There are two beautiful state parks up on the Deception Pass side of the Island.

 

Any of the lakes and parks in the Cascades. Kelsey Creek park is nice, Luther Burbank on Mercer Island, Golden Gardens in Ballard. Leavenworth is nice for a daytrip as is Hood Canal. There is Birch Bay etc. Port Townsend is nice as is a ferry ride a picnic to Vashon Island.

 

Enjoy the Pacific NW

 

Try a dry run weekend that is positive and uplifting.

A three day weekend that is nice out so you can spend lots of time without pants!

 

Dress for the day in the bathroom and sit your child on the potty as part of the “getting ready” process.

 

Should only sit on the potty for 3 minutes. That is long enough. If they want to sit longer OK but NO FORCING.

 

Use incentives, especially for boys. Find a Potty toy that they can play with ONLY when on the potty.

 

Use lots of positive reinforcement. NO NEGATIVES.

 

Try Gummy Bears.

 

On your dry run weekend put them on the potty every 15 to 30 minutes.

 

Build a reliable routine. Every time before you go out put them on the potty. Before dinner, before bed and when they wake up. Be consistent.

 

Use Cherrios for boys to aim at. Make it fun.

 

Make sure that they see the parent going potty.

 

If they are older make them take the poop out of their diaper and put it in the potty when they go. No scolding just matter of factly.

 

Throw them a party (Spiderman!) when they are successful for a week.

 

Reduce liquids at night.

 

Switch to training pants so they can feel when they are wet.

 

Check out clean up Kadoo for wiping up. Boys have a hard time with this.

 

The book “Potty trained in 24 hours (or it might be a day)” is a good book.

 

Ask “DO you have to go?”

 

Or tell them. Do you have to go now or in a minute?

 

Get cool potty seats that they pick out.

 

Get a folding potty chair for when you are away from home.

 

Let them pick out their potty seat.

 

Make a weekly potty chart with lots of stickers.

 

Provide LOTS OF CHANCES for them to succeed.