Kid-friendly places in Davis

Downtown Davis's park, where the Saturday farmers market sets up, with play areas and Natalie's Corner, a free splash pad for summer. Market plus splash pad is a pretty perfect Saturday.

Apartment-style suites with a real kitchen and a bedroom door, so the kids can sleep while you stay up. There are grills in the courtyard for an easy dinner.

West Davis's big park, with a climbing structure rebuilt in 2019, a tot area and greenbelt bike paths, plus a pool with water slides in summer.

On campus next to the Mondavi Center, and the pool is summer only. There are no rollaways, so a bigger crew needs two rooms.

Davis's community-built wooden play world: castles, turrets, bridges, a pirate ship and a huge sandbox. It's the playground every Davis parent names first, and the park around it makes a half day.

A Wildhorse park with a separate little-kid playground under shade sails, next to a bigger structure for older siblings. A good toddler pick.

An East Davis park named for its big grassy hill, which kids slide down. There's a playground and a summer city pool too.

A long ribbon of gardens along a creek on the edge of campus, flat and free and perfect for a scooter. Parking is free on weekends.

A free self-guided walk past hawks, owls, falcons and eagles that can't go back to the wild, each with its own story on a sign. Weekend visits end at noon.

A downtown Davis crepe café with a genuinely long kids' list: cheese crepes, sugar crepes, little pancakes, French toast, grilled cheese.

A Davis brewery with a patio (misters in summer, fire pits in winter), a kids' menu and an all-ages trivia night.

A university insect collection with a live petting zoo of walking sticks and hissing cockroaches your kid can actually hold. Public hours are limited, so the free family open house days are the easy way in.

Small-batch ice cream made in the shop, with flavors like cupcake, a block from Central Park's splash pad.

Downtown Davis pizza and pasta that every Davis family guide names. It's quick, and kids sometimes get a ball of dough to play with at the table.

A little Davis dessert shop for Italian ice made in house and frozen custard, or both layered in a cup. There are games to play while you eat.