We’ve only just begun to experience the cold winter weather in Seattle and we’re already huddled around our coffee mugs wishing for warmer temps. But there’s still a way we can imagine its summertime without having to buy a plane ticket–indoor swimming pools. There’s no shortage of them in Seattle (and beyond), your kids love any chance to be in the water, you can leave the sunscreen at home, and for those pools with lifeguards, you may even get to enjoy a few moments to yourself. We’ve picked a few choice pools that offer everything from movie nights to rope swings to indoor rivers. Your kiddos will be having so much fun they might even forget it’s winter out there!

There’s a reason that the Mountlake Terrace Pool is a favorite birthday party spot. Where else can you float along a “lazy river” or splash in a shallow end filled with geysers, “toddler island,” and built-in spray toys? No need to wait for a birthday party though – just go during one of their recreation or leisure pool swim times. During recreation swim, the leisure pool, lazy river and main pool are all open. The lazy river is great fun, with a gentle current to push you along, and plenty of inner tubes and noodles are available for your ride. During leisure pool swim, only the leisure pool is open. With a depth range from 6 inches to 3 feet, a beach-like entry, and padded floor, the leisure pool is perfect for tots 6 and under.

Safe N Sound, with locations in Westlake and Bothell, offers up Family Swim Times for just $7 (after a $30 annual registration). They also offer an awesome parent/infant swim lesson program that gets your little ones and toddlers comfortable in the water.

All Seattle Pools have public swim times, where at least a portion of the pool is open for all-ages recreational swimming, and family swim times, which are more focused on family play, and often include flotation devices and pool toys. Some pools also have special features and events, like dive-in movie night at Medgar Evers Pool and Helene Madison Pool, where you can swim with the lights out and watch a family appropriate movie.

The Southwest Pool has family swim Friday nights from 7:00pm – 8:00pm.

At Meadowbrook Pool, the pool is open for Saturday fun nights from 4:30pm – 5:30pm with water toys, slides and noodles. The highlight of course is the rope swing, which will send your kiddos soaring over the water before they come splashing down.

The Queen Anne Pool has diving boards and a rope swing, and the Ballard Pool has a rope swing and slide. The Ballard Pool, though filled with all kinds of floaty toys and rafts to play on, can get crowded if there are too many people, so it might be best to save this pool for the slower weekday mornings, when the littler set won’t be competing for pool space.

A shallow swim and play area is open during public swim at both the Redmond and Juanita Aquatics Centers, and for a big splash, both diving boards are available as well.

The Mercer Island Mary Wayte Pool has family and public swims and a monthly movie night.

Other public pools that have public swim times are the Bellevue Aquatic Center and the Julius Boehm Pool in Issaquah.

The Federal Way Community Center Pool boasts an impressive two story water slide, complete with 3 twists and turns (must be at least 48 inches to ride, and they do have someone at the top to check), 2 smaller slides for the littles, and plenty of inner-tubes and noodles to ride along in the lazy river. For those who want a real workout, jump into their whirlpool and try and run against the current–this is fun even for parents. Plus at $4.00 admission, your kids can get hours of fun without breaking the bank.

Where does your family like to go for a dip when the winter weather’s got you down? If we missed your pool on this list, leave us a comment and let us know.

– Heidi Unruh

All photos courtesy of the respective pools’ websites