Libraries with great kids' areas around Seattle

KCLS, the King County Library System, is one of the busiest in the country, and every Eastside branch has a children's area built for toddlers to actually play in, with plenty of picture books in Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Hindi. Spending a rainy morning there for free is Seattle-parent consensus.

Bellevue has the biggest children's area, the whole ground floor; Redmond has train and block tables; Sammamish opens onto a spray park; Kirkland has a playground at the door and the lake two blocks away; Issaquah's is in the old town, perfect for sheltering after the salmon. Seattle's Central Library, Rem Koolhaas's glass building, is a destination in itself.

• 7 places
• 7 free
• 7 stroller-friendly
• closest is 5 min away