Up in the hills above Berkeley with kids
5 places in the hills above Berkeley: cows, goats and chickens at Tilden’s Little Farm, a restored carousel and a scaled-down steam train along the ridge, a hands-on science museum with one of the best views of the bay, and a botanical garden where the draw for the youngest is lizards and spiders.
Cows, goats and chickens at the end of a short walk from the Canon Drive car park, and it costs nothing. Bring celery or lettuce - the farm asks people not to feed the animals anything else.
A restored Herschell-Spillman carousel with hand-carved animals, $4 a ride or $22 for a book of seven. There is a snack stand, a restroom and parking right there, which makes it an easy stop rather than an expedition.
A scaled-down steam train that loops along the ridge in Tilden, $4 a ride or five for $16. Weekends and holidays year round, 11 to 6, closing at nightfall in winter.
Design Quest for building and testing things, an Animal Discovery Room, and one of the best views of the bay from the terrace. Open Wednesday to Sunday; $20 covers everyone from three upwards.
Under-6s get in free, and the draw for that age is not the plants so much as the lizards and spiders they will find along the paths. Lots of climbing up and down.
Rainy day
Easy meals
Toddler playgrounds