A desert-oasis spray ground with playgrounds for little and big kids and shaded picnic spots, built in 2020. The spray ground runs in summer only.
A fire-engine playground next to a real fire station, rebuilt so kids of all abilities can play, with ramps, sand and water play and a wheelchair swing.
A big Laguna West park with an under-the-sea spray ground (fish cannons and a tipping bucket), sand play and two playgrounds. The splash pad is one of the roomiest.
One-bedroom suites with full kitchens, so there's a door between you and a sleeping toddler. Off Highway 99 in south Elk Grove.
Elk Grove's big old park, with two playgrounds (little kids and big kids), a fishing lake, a bike park and a summer swim center.
A simple, reliable stop off Highway 99 in Elk Grove, with an indoor saltwater pool for the kids.
A straightforward Hampton off I-5 in Elk Grove, and a handy base for Elk Grove's parks and splash pads.
The Elk Grove Leatherby's: burgers and grilled cheese at the table, then enormous sundaes (and a clown sundae for the kids' meal).
Flat, paved loops around the wetlands, short enough for little legs, with a small nature playscape at the start, and sandhill cranes in winter.
A forest-themed indoor play gym for kids up to six, with story time and a toddler art class included in the entry.
An indoor playground and art studio in Old Town Elk Grove with a costume stage, messy play and a soft corner for babies.
A family-run Mexican-Italian bistro, so one kid gets a mini pizza and the other gets chicken tacos. The kids' menu is one of the biggest around.
Soup dumplings made to order and plenty of noodles, a local parent favorite for kids who like to eat with their hands. It closes between lunch and dinner.
The Elk Grove branch of the Midtown Italian favorite, pizza and pasta a kid will actually eat, and a ball of dough kids sometimes get to play with.
An indoor trampoline park with weekday-morning Little Leapers sessions just for kids six and under.
An Old Town Elk Grove coffeehouse for breakfast and paninis, liked for the two patios and the PB&J panini.
