Downtown Davis's park, where the Saturday farmers market sets up, with play areas and Natalie's Corner, a free splash pad for summer.
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, with a pool open in summer.
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 good for a scooter.
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.
A downtown Davis crepe café with a 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, with free family open house days.
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.
Thai noodle and rice dishes that suit kids, like pad thai, pad see ew and fried rice.
A whole afternoon 
