Niko Niko Park

The apple pie is the reward, but pasta and other familiar dishes make this a straightforward meal with cautious eaters.

Free and compact enough for a casual afternoon, with animals tucked into a hilltop park rather than a massive zoo complex.

Kids can ride ponies on select days, then move on to the playground and pond without needing another destination.

The obstacle course is the reason to come, with rope climbs and balance challenges that feel like a mini adventure race.

A playground, aquarium and summer pool all sit in the same long park, so it is easy to make this as big a day as you want.

Dense trees, little bridges and a summer splash area make this feel more like a mini forest than a city playground.