Summer is all about getting outdoors and letting your child enjoy the break from school. If you live in the Seattle area, there is a wonderful new playground that gives new meaning to outdoor adventure.
Artists at Play, located next to EMP and in the shadow of the Space Needle, is an imaginative outdoor playground designed for kids of all ages. My son’s eyes lit up when he saw the 35-foot high climbing tower and in no time flat he was scampering up the ropes, across the bridges, and down the slides. And then he went right back up the climbing tower to do it all over again.
The Seattle playground took nearly two years of planning and development before becoming a reality. It is located in a space that once held the World’s Fair, which is fitting considering that the playground is designed around imaginative play. There are child-inspired musical instruments, listening stations, sound swings, turf play mounds, an ADA accessible carousel, a painted maze, and an alphabet tree.
If your child doesn’t like heights, the playground has several unique play sculptures.On the alphabet tree, your child can move the bronze handles to raise and lower the Do Re Mi scale. Bronze word and picture mysteries can be solved in the painted labyrinth. There is also a song fence (the yellow poles behind the merry-go-round, that works like a vertical xylophone when your child plays it.
It is really neat to have a playground in an area where Seattle residents and those just visiting the area can play. There is a ton to see and do in the Seattle Center and this new playground is the perfect addition for families.
Every parent I know has been impressed with the new playground at the Seattle Center. We live in an age where most play areas are tame and bubble wrapped for safety. The Seattle playground is safe, of course, but the 35-foot climbing tower gives children a challenge they likely won’t find elsewhere. The two slides – a 52-foot long, straight slide and a 38-foot curly slide – are perfect for daredevils. And with the EMP and Space Needle in the background, it is the perfect setting for a few photos. Be sure to check it out the next time that you are downtown.
