Free Play at the PlayGarden

Kids of ALL abilities deserve to PLAY! We host Free Play hours to increase access to nature-rich free play opportunities for children, youth and adults with disabilities and their friends and family.

Free Play is also a time to connect with community partners and members who share in our mission to end the stigma and exclusion of people with disabilities in our community. 

NO fees. NO registration. Just come PLAY!

Free Play Days & Hours

Spring Free Play April-June: 
During the spring,  the garden is open to play and visit dawn-dusk.  We do not have Playgarden Free Play staff on site during these months. Please keep in mind that our preschool is in session M-F from 9am-1pm. We ask that you check in with a teacher upon arrival, be extra careful opening and closing the gate, and keep space from our preschoolers, art/play areas, supplies and toys.  

Summer Free Play June 30th- August 26th 
Every Friday, 9:30-1:30
Every Saturday, 9:30-1:30 

+ Select Teen and Young Adult Nights (Dates and Times TBD)

Wheelchair Basketball
Every Saturday 10am-12pm, at the PlayGarden Court May 20th- August 12th 
*No programming on June 24th. 

What Happens at Free Play?

You will be greeted by friendly staff that will welcome you, give you a tour, answer your questions, provide information on PlayGarden programs and most importantly, will engage kids of all ages and abilities in inclusive play experiences. Each session offers seasonal and culturally relevant activities such as gardening, cooking classes, music classes, dance, movement activities, art, construction and more!

Free Wheelchair Basketball 

We are so excited to offer the community a second year of free wheelchair basketball! This 12 week  program on Saturday mornings from 10am-12pm is in partnership with Seattle Adaptive Sports and coached by PlayGarden Board Member and Wheelchair Basketball Athlete, Nick Weiss 

  • Wheelchair Basketball is free to attend.
  • Extra chairs are provided.
  • Anyone is welcome to come and try out the game!

    Special Thanks to our other community partner, Kiwanis Camp Casey for helping to support our young athlete with snacks and drinks for their practices! 

For questions about the wheelchair basketball program please contact Lead organizer and coach, Nick Weiss at nick@seattleplaygarden.org 

Wheelchair Basketball promotion for 2023

Employment Opportunities:

Free Play Program Staff

Before Applying: We encourage interested applicants to review the job descriptions,  explore photos of our programs on our social media channels (Facebook & Instagram) and watch videos of camp on our youtube channel to get a true sense of what working at the PlayGarden is like.

To Apply:  Send a cover letter email expressing your interest and experience to our Inclusive Programs Director, Hannah Gallagher at Hannah@seattleplaygarden.org

Applications accepted until positions are filled. Preference given to applications received by April 30th. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Seattle PlayGarden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applicants from all cultural, racial, economic and linguistic backgrounds to apply.  Having a staff that authentically reflects the communities we serve is a critical step in creating the inclusive world we envision.

Community Partnerships

The PlayGarden has partners with Seattle Adaptive Sports, The EEU, Outdoors for All, Kids Carpentry, Seattle Happy Feet, Art with Arni, Young Women Empowered (Y-We), Shirin’s Kitchen, Open Doors for Multicultural Families, Syed Taqi from Seattle Capoeira Center, Amara, The Downs Syndrome Community of Puget Sound and many more local organizations to provide a range of diverse programming and activities for families. Interested in building a community partnership with the PlayGarden? Please contact our Inclusive Programs Director, Hannah Gallagher for more information. Hannah@seattleplaygarden.org