Activities for Kids

The South Sound’s Top 15 Playgrounds

From medieval castles, to nautical play structures and seaside swings, click through the gallery to discover the best playgrounds the South Sound has to offer.

By Rachael Brandon August 22, 2017

Thanks to our record dry streak and long summer days, Seattle kids are loving the extra play time at their favorite parks. But if you’ve done the local playground circuit enough your smartphone thinks you work at the neighborhood tot lot, maybe it’s time to branch out into new territory. From medieval castles, to nautical play structures, to seaside swings and lakefront lunch spots, click through the gallery to see the best playgrounds the South Sound has to offer.

Norpoint Park

Psst...have you heard about the playground behind the Norpoint Community Center? If not, were letting you in on one of Tacoma's best kept secretes. To start, you’ll want to give that zip line a few tries - you know, to make sure it's sturdy enough (wink, wink), because there’s no telling how long your tiny Tarzan will be on it for. When it's warm, the teetering splash buckets at the sprayground will draw your kiddos in for a cooldown and after that they’ll hit the webbed jungle gym, toddler area or swings. There's also a large grass area, perfect for kicking a ball or playing Frisbee with a view of Mount Rainier in the background. Psst! With only a few parking spaces near the playground, be sure to grab a spot in front of the community center and take the opportunity to check out that skate park you saw when you drove in.

Bonus: Just a few miles away is the Browns Point Lighthouse Park that offers some amazing views of the Sound and Olympics and a perfect spot for a seaside photo opp. or picnic if you brought one.

4818 Nassau Ave. N.E.
Tacoma, Wa 98422
Online: metroparkstacoma.org/norpoint-park/

photo: Rachael Brandon