While some local kids have already returned to the classroom, students in Seattle Public Schools still have a couple of weeks before they have to hit the books. Time to clear out the summer bucket list. Below are 10 quintessential warm-weather, no-school activities to add to the calendar before Sept. 2 (back-to-school day for SPS):
1. Hit up a mini golf course
Nothing sings summer like a round or ten of mini golf. It’s low-stress, full of laughs, and fun for all ages. And to enjoy putt-putting around Seattle, you don’t need any experience at all. Just put a club in each kid’s hand and let them take their swings.
Check out “The ultimate Seattle area mini golf guide for families”
2. Dance (just do it!) at an outdoor concert
It’s not too late! Summertime family-friendly outdoor concerts will be running right into September, so pack up a picnic basket, blankets, and maybe a few toys (consider leaving the devices at home!) and head toward the music. Make it a real concert experience: Get up and dance with your kids. They may not remember the songs they hear, but they will remember the fun they had as you jittered and swayed with them to great covers of songs by The Beatles or ABBA.
Check out: “The best kid-friendly concerts in Seattle this summer (2026)”
3. Take ‘em to a drive-in theatre
They still exist, these bastions of summer that harken all the way back to the 1950s. All you have to do is pack some popcorn, hop into pajamas (you too, Mom and Dad!), head back to a spot at the drive-in, and open the hatch so the kids can watch from the car. It’s classic summer fun.
Where do you go? Check out “Drive-In Movie Theaters Near Seattle: 4 nostalgic summer nights out.”
4. Make a splash at Wild Waves
No, we are not part of the Wild Waves marketing team. It’s just that this massive water park has been a hands-down favorite among water-loving kids and teens, and let’s be honest, a whole lot of parents, for nearly 50 years. I mean, some of us parents went there with our grandparents — I call that summer tradition! It’s a pricey day, to be sure: $64.99 for adults for the day, $41.99 for kids. But look at the bright side: kids age 3 and under are free.
Be sure to review “A parent’s guide to Wild Waves Theme & Water Park.”
5. Settle in for a parade
Speaking of summertime traditions, pull up a chair or viewing spot for a parade before summer ends. I fondly remember taking my then-3-year-old daughter to her first parade. She was so amazed by a troup of dancing crayons, she ran up to hug a yellow one and go knocked over. It took years to get her back to a parade, but when we did it became an annual summer must. Many of the Seafair parades across Seattle have come and gone, but the American-as-apple-pie high school marching bands, floats, dance groups, and classic cars still have a few rolls to go. Here are two classic American city parades to choose from:
- The Grande Parade in Snoqualmie has been running since 1939. That’s a lot of history. Catch it August 22 starting at 11 a.m. on the dot. It starts in Historic Downtown Snoqualmie at the intersection of Newton Street and Railroad Ave., then proceeds down Railroad Ave. to the end of the route at King Street. It’s a big part of the fun at the popular Snoqualmie Days festival.
- The Monroe Fair Days Parade rolls down West Main Street in Monroe on August 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Get there early to claim a spot.
6. Pitch a tent
When there are kids in tow, the definition of “camping” can get a little loose. For children, the payoff is not a pristine lake at the end of a 6-mile slog, but drifting off to sleep zipped up in a sleeping bag with a belly full of s’mores. Before summer ends, make that payoff happen, either at one of the region’s local camping spots, in your own backyard, or in the living room. Here are some useful articles to help you figure out where to go and what to plan. Did you know you can get same-day camping spot reservations?
- “First-time family camping? Your guide to kid-friendly campgrounds:” This article offers all sorts of useful tips to make your last-minute, summer bucket list camping trip a thrill for kids.
- “Camping Across Washington: A family guide to 4 scenic spots”
- “A Parent’s Guide to the National Park Junior Ranger Program:” Don’t miss the opportunity to make your campout educational (and educationally fun) by signing your kids up to be Junior Rangers. Not available at all campgrounds in Washington, but worth asking about at your closest ranger station.
Remember you don’t need to go anywhere to have a great camp-out. Pitch a tent in your yard and roast s’mores right there. No yard? Pitch that tent or make a blanket tent wherever you live. You can even make those s’mores in the oven. Go on a hike around your neighborhood and search for wildlife!
7. See a baseball game
Oh, baseball. Even if you don’t love the game, you have to love the incredible enthusiasm that arises in stadiums big or small when a local team plays. The game is, after all, synonymous with summer, right up there with ice cream and swimming. Our region has several baseball teams to cheer on before this summer ends, including the Seattle Mariners and two of their minor league teams (the Everett AquaSox and the Tacoma Rainiers). Hint: tickets to minor league team games are WAY more cost-effective for families. The season is over for the popular DubSea Fishsticks (team members are college players) in Highline, but definitely add the Fishsticks to next year’s summer bucket list for July and August.
- Here’s the schedule for the Seattle Mariners
- Here’s the schedule for the Tacoma Rainiers
- Here’s the schedule for the Everett Aquasox
8. Row (ferry) out to an island
On the short list of what makes this region wonderful in the summer is the fact that we have plenty of islands. And I don’t just mean the San Juan Islands, which you kind of have to plan way in advance and wait in long ferry lines in summer to visit. If Orcas, Lopez, and San Juan Islands are calling you, by all means, head on up before school starts. But don’t miss out on the wonderful summer island vibes offered at other Puget Sound islands: A day trip to Vashon Island will make you feel like you’ve traveled longer and farther than a short ferry ride from West Seattle (not to mention Snapdragon Cafe in the town of Vashon is to die for). And Whidbey Island is doable in a day if you stick to the island’s south end. The town of Langley is your best bet for lunch, and Double Bluff Beach has miles of sandy shoreline to roam and build sand castles. And just a short drive from Seattle: Why not take a stroll around Camano Island with kids? Rocky beaches and so much more.
Make your visit to Whidbey Island a story-reading adventure! Check out “Whidbey Island: A bring-your-books adventure with kids.”
9. Go to the ocean. The REAL ocean.
Ok, so going to the ocean usually entails a multi-day trip from Seattle, but it definitely doesn’t have to. With so little time left this summer and accommodations likely booked, by not make it a day trip. Yes, you have to get up early. And, yes, at this point in August, you’ll likely be driving back in the dark. But the kids will be happily sleeping all the way in the back seats after a day at the beach. My pick? Be on the road at 6 a.m. headed to Ocean Shores. You’ll get there by 8:30 a.m. just in time for your coffee and donuts (or milk for the kids) at Kookamungas!
Check out “Parent Review: A kid-friendly trip to Ocean Shores.”
10. Go stargazing
Watching the stars on a warm or, now that we are barreling toward September, slightly cool night is not only a summer must for a child; it’s a must for a human. If for no other reason than to acknowledge for a minute how small we are and how vast the universe and even our single solar system are. Seattle Astronomical Society (SAS) star parties should be on the family bucket list every summer. Volunteers bring their huge scopes and not only allow youngsters to gaze at the stars, but they’ll explain to kids what they are seeing. There are still two stargazing parties on the SAS calendar before school starts. But have no fear; if you miss those, they offer them year-round. If heading out to Duvall or other darker sky areas isn’t doable. Consider getting Volunteer Park stargazing updates. Same idea: volunteers bring the scopes; you bring the curiosity and kids. Email [email protected] to be added to the watch list.
Check out “An open invite: See the wonders of the night sky at Volunteer Park”
