Playgrounds and things to do with kids in Scottsdale

Two shaded play structures and paths around the park for scooters and bikes, so older kids can ride loops while smaller ones climb.

An inclusive playground with a sensory climbing wave, a face-to-face swing and buttons that play sounds, all on smooth rubber a wheelchair can roll across.

Playsets sit right next to the splash pad, so kids go back and forth between wet and dry without you moving.

A spray pad and a playground beside a short desert nature trail, so there's some cactus spotting between runs through the water.

Two play areas split by skill level and a water and sand play area, so toddlers have their own space to dig.

A splash pad with shaded seating right beside it, plus a playground, so whoever's watching gets to sit out of the sun.

A splash pad with water jets right next to the playground and a climbing feature, so kids can switch between the two all afternoon.

A kids' garden and a water and fog plaza among the downtown lawns, so a walk through Old Town has a cool-off stop.

A water play area with shaded seating, a couple of playgrounds and lakes to walk around, so there's enough for a whole morning.

A narrow-gauge train, a 1950 carousel, a Western-town playground and a big splash pad, and you pay ride by ride, so it can be a long, easy morning.

Stingray touch pools, penguins and a theater that rotates between tanks, so even a short attention span gets a lot of animals.

A glass conservatory with thousands of butterflies flying around you, plus a room where you can watch them come out of the chrysalis.

Rooms where you seem to grow, shrink or walk on walls, and a puzzle bar, best for kids about six and up.

More than 50 life-size moving dinosaurs, a dig pit and fossil panning, so dinosaur kids have plenty to do beyond looking.