Let’s Go Out And Play!

Let’s Go Out And Play!

111
T

his resource of ideas was put together by Boyer’s team of Occupational Therapists (OT) to help families identify safe and free activities and places to go during the pandemic. Figuring out safe ways to get out of the home (virtually or in real life) and engage in activities together is important for many reasons: it supports the emotional well-being of the whole family, provides exposure to sensory input to help with self-regulation, and offers new opportunities for you to interact and play!

Scroll down find four sections of ideas: Public Gardens & P-Patches, Parks & Playgrounds, Virtual Activities & Adventures, Arts & Crafts, and Other Fun & Free Adventure Ideas. Also, on the bottom of this page is information on how to get to your destination (bus, car, walking and biking.)

Not sure what to do once you’ve arrived? Talk to your OT or other members of your care team about fun activities to try at these spots to support your child’s development! Make sure you to keep yourself and the community safe through social distancing, washing your hands, and wearing a mask whenever possible.

Note: You can still go outside and play even if it’s rainy and cold – with the right clothing and the right attitude! Talk to your Family Resource Coordinator (FRC) if you need help finding winter clothes.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Public Gardens & P-Patches:

Directory of all p-patches (community gardens) in Seattle:
Map: https://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/programs-and-services/p-patch-community-gardening/p-patch-map
List: https://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/programs-and-services/p-patch-community-gardening/p-patch-list

Kubota Garden: https://kubotagarden.org/index.html
Description: This 20-acre garden in Rainier Beach is free and is full of ponds, bridges, and lots of peaceful paths. Some parts of the garden are wheelchair-accessible.

Washington Park Arboretum: https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/washington-park-arboretum/
Description: All parts of the Washington Park Arboretum, with the exception of the Japanese Garden, are open to the public and are free of charge. It’s a 230-acre wonderland of plants and trails on the shores of Lake Washington.

Interbay P-patch: https://www.seattle.gov/neighborhoods/programs-and-services/p-patch-community-gardening/p-patch-list/interbay
Description: This p-patch is a hidden oasis off a busy street; lovely paths wind through beautiful gardens and past bee hives. If you have a train lover in your family, listen & watch for trains at the back of the garden. The area is mostly fenced off.

Seattle Children’s PlayGarden/Colman Playground: https://childrensplaygarden.org/october-at-the-playgarden/
Description: The Seattle Children’s PlayGarden is a 1 acre fully fenced garden & playground in the heart of Seattle that also houses an inclusive preschool. Their mission is to provide children with all abilities a safe, accessible and adventurous place to play.

Beacon Food Forest: https://beaconfoodforest.org/
Description: This urban farm was started in 2009 and combines permaculture with community gardening. Help yourself to edible fruit, nuts, and herbs! They offer ADA accessible raised beds.

Streissguth Gardens: http://streissguthgardens.com/
Description: Located on a steep hillside, this capitol hill garden has great views & flowers year round, as well as free wifi.

 

Beacon Food Forest  *  Interbay P-Patch  *  Seattle Children’s PlayGarden

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Parks & Playgrounds (re-opened as of October 6, 2020):

COVID guidelines: https://parkways.seattle.gov/2020/10/05/play-areas-reopen-starting-oct-6/

Seward Park: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/seward-park

Green Lake: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/green-lake-park

Jefferson Park: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/jefferson-park

Gas Works Park: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/gas-works-park

Lincoln Park: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/lincoln-park

Magnuson Park: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/magnuson-park

Discovery Park: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/discovery-park

Carkeek Park: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/carkeek-park

Coe Play Park: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/coe-play-park

Martha Washington Park: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/martha-washington-park

Pritchard Island Beach: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/pritchard-island-beach

Rainier Beach Playfield: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/rainier-beach-playfield

Rainer Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands: http://www.tilthalliance.org/about/rainier-beach-urban-farm-wetlands

Othello Playground: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/othello-playground

Lakeridge Playfield: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/lakeridge-playfield

Lakeridge Park: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/lakeridge-park

Seattle Children’s PlayGarden/Colman Playground: https://childrensplaygarden.org/october-at-the-playgarden/

To see this list and others in map format, follow this link: https://goo.gl/maps/HKR4zHmd2KpJoHgi6 Look for parks closest to you by searching “Park” on a map. Maybe you will discover a new favorite spot!

   
Carkeek Park  *  Magnuson Park  * Pritchard Island Beach

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Virtual Activities & Adventures:

Families of Color Seattle (FOCS): This organization runs parent groups (currently virtual) and community events for families of color, including regular mindfulness and a zoom happy hour. They just started a parent group for queer & trans parents of color! https://www.focseattle.org/events/

Space Needle: Check out the view through their webcam! https://www.spaceneedle.com/webcam/

Woodland Park Zoo: Staff shared lots of fun activities for young kids while they were closed earlier this year. Check it out here: https://blog.zoo.org/search/label/zoomazium
Note: The zoo has re-opened for in-person visits. Learn more here: https://www.zoo.org/visit

Pacific Science Center: They have tons of virtual activities, including virtual planetarium and science shows, crafts, songs, and more! https://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/events-programs/curiosity-at-home/early-childhood/

Seattle Aquarium: See how the otters and seals are doing through live webcams, or check out their archived videos to see staff feed the octopus! https://www.seattleaquarium.org/live-cams

PJ Story Time: Island Books (located on Mercer Island) hosts virtual story times with Nancy Stewart. Check out their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/nancymusic1000/featured

Seattle Public Libraries (SPL): Some locations are offering curbside pick-up to check out and return books. You can also access audiobooks, movies, TV, and music online. Anyone who is 13 or older, lives in Seattle, and has a mobile phone can sign up for a library card!

King County Library System (KCLS): These libraries are located around the Eastside (Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond) and most offer curbside pick-up to check out and return books. You can also access audiobooks, movies, TV, and music online. Get a library card here: https://w3.kcls.org/get-a-library-card

Explore Google Earth: https://www.google.com/intl/en_us/earth/education/explore-earth/

   
Disneyland  *  Seattle Public Library Storytime  *  Woodland Park Zoo

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Arts & Crafts:

Craft projects for toddlers: https://handsonaswegrow.com/30-creative-toddler-craft-art-projects/

Coyote Central (many of these are more appropriate for elementary age children): https://coyotecentral.org/interactive

Burke Museum: Check out their printable coloring pages, nature scavenger hunt, and virtual events & exhibits. https://www.burkemuseum.org/education/families-and-youth/burkefromhome

Seattle ReCreative: Learn how to make crafts with reused materials. Many of their events are for older kids 5+. You can also go to their store to find affordable reused creative materials! https://www.facebook.com/seattlerecreative/

Seattle’s Child offers some art activity ideas in a blog entry here: https://www.seattleschild.com/stay-home-and-make-art-screen-free-art-activities-and-local-online-arts-programs-for-families/

Teacher Raven from Roaring Mouse Creative Arts Studio guides you through art activities and hosts story times: https://www.facebook.com/RoaringMouseArt/ You can also purchase monthly craft kits.

   
Roaring Mouse Creative Art Studio  *  Burke Museum  *  Coyote Central

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Other Fun & Free Adventure Ideas:

  • Is there a construction site in your neighborhood? Visit it and watch the machines and construction workers do their work!
  • Look for little free libraries.
  • Instead of driving to a nearby destination to run errands, bundle up and walk to make it into a family adventure.
  • Scavenger hunt in your neighborhood or at a park. (e.g. find 10 buses, trucks, trees, squirrels)
  • Take a walk! Try to collect something from every color of the rainbow.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

How Do I Get To My Destination?