Go West! Two New Places to Play in West Seattle

West Seattle already has tons of activities for families, but now there’s two more reasons to go west—an awesome new play area at Lincoln Park and a new bike playground your little pedalhead is going to love. Sound like fun? Read on to find out why you need to give ’em both a spin this winter.

photo: King County Parks

Hit the Road

Test Your Skills
They may not be ready for the busy streets just yet, but there’s a great place in West Seattle for little cyclists to test drive their road skills and bigger cyclists to brush up on them. The White Center Bike Playground (the first one in our state) has stop signs, intersections, a one-way street and even a roundabout for kids to navigate—all in a safe car-free environment.

photo: Aaron Moy

A Community Project
Based on Denmark’s Trafiklegepladsen (traffic playgrounds) – a big hit with European families – this bike playground was very much a community project. Cascade Bicycle Club, the YES! Foundation of White Center and White Center Community Development Association all worked together with King County Parks to bring it to life. The park was designed, pro bono, by Alta Planning and Design and funded by a King County Parks grant and donations. It’s a great example of how a community can work together to build something that families can enjoy for years to come.

photo: King County Parks

Give it a Spin
Rain or shine, dust off those training wheels and two-wheelers and learn the rules of the road. Cascade Bicycle Club says the bike park is designed for all ages and abilities (grownups included). In an effort to make this a new community hangout, the Club hopes to have its members there on weekends to loan bikes and helmets for anyone who wants to try it out. Psst! The goal is to have summer camps here too, so keep an eye on the Cascade Bicycle Club website for more info.

photo: Cascade Bicycle Club Facebook page 

Good to Know
If all that cycling makes you peckish, check out some great neighborhood eats and activities in White Center. Psst! You can even catch a game of disc golf right next door to the bike playground.

White Center Bike Playground
Dick Thurnau Memorial Park (formerly Lakewood Park)
11050 10th Ave. S.W.
Seattle Wa 98146
Online: kingcountyparks.org/2016/10/03/bike-playground-dick-thurnau-memorial-park or map it

Into the Woods

Slides and Ladders and Ropes. Oh My!
Like any good hideaway in the woods, Lincoln Park’s brand new north play area is full of exciting things for your crew to explore. Which route will you take down from the tree house? The slide-winder, curvy slide, ladder or ropes? Kids of all ages will love traversing between the three awesome play structures linked together by rope bridges. And little ones will especially love the pint-sized Lincoln Park Club House!

photo: Kristina Moy

Other fun activities include a group saucer swing (jump in with buddies), big and little kid swings, a sand pit and a super-fun, speedy zip line!

photo: Kristina Moy

Designed for All Abilities 
Explorer West Middle School students helped the designers make sure the playground was accessible for all kids. Some of the design elements include a raised platform on the zip line so tykes of all sizes can easily hop on, as well as an all-access sand table and a small alcove for sensory sensitive kids.

photo: Richard Green

Extra Perks 
To make this playground even more appealing to all ages, the park designers included interactive information on all the birds you can spot in Lincoln Park, with photos by West Seattle photographers Trileigh Tucker and Mark Ahlness. Psst… be on the lookout for fun character artwork hidden in the play area as well. Can you spot a friendly raccoon and an owl?

Lincoln Park North Play Area (next to the wading pool)
8011 Fauntleroy Way S.W.
Seattle, Wa 98136
Online: seattle.gov/parks/find/parks/lincoln-park or map it

Have you visited these two new West Seattle playgrounds? Tell us about your adventures in the Comments below!

— Helen Walker Green