Free things to do with kids in Walnut Creek

A big Walnut Creek park with two playgrounds, a duck pond, wide lawns and restrooms. Easy parking, and shade in the right spots.

Two playgrounds (tot and big-kid) plus Walnut Creek's gated spray ground with a small water slide and lifeguard - wet and dry play in one stop. Lindsay Wildlife Experience and the model railroad are on the same grounds, so a playground morning easily becomes a full day.

Downtown Walnut Creek's playground: a train play structure, roller slide, climbing 'rocks', four baby swings, and a sand-and-water play area, steps from the library, Creek Walk, and Iron Horse Trail. The natural pairing with a downtown errands-and-lunch day.

26 quiet Northgate acres with dual playgrounds: a truck-shaped structure and twisty slide for littles, a roller slide and multilevel climber for big kids, plus an orchard 'jungle' trail behind it all that older kids turn into a fort-building adventure.

The fenced-in Walnut Creek playground for runners and toddlers: the whole play area is enclosed, mostly shaded, with a tot-safe structure, a two-story slide for bigger kids, a multi-seat teeter totter, and a 'secret caves' rock hill next door for young explorers.

The toddler-and-preschool playground of Walnut Creek: small, modest structures close together so one parent can see everything, shaded benches under three big oaks, and paved loops where little kids lap on trikes and scooters.