Forestdale Tot Lot

Neighborhood park with separate playgrounds for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12, plus a sand play area.

San Jose's pho institution: huge steaming bowls kids slurp happily, quick table turns, and the price point that makes it the default family noodle night.

Six acres of koi ponds, bridges, and waterfalls inside Kelley Park, patterned after Okayama's Korakuen Garden. Free to enter, next to Happy Hollow.

A small zoo with capybaras, meerkats and a petting corral, plus kid-sized rides and play areas. Right-sized for ages 2 to 10.

Park with a water play feature and a playground.

Neighborhood park with a water play feature and a playground for ages 2 to 5.