A 12-acre Dimond District park with three play structures from tot-lot to big-kid, Sausal Creek to stomp in, paved paths for scooters, and trails toward Joaquin Miller.
An Oakland neighborhood park with a fenced playground, big trees for shade, and restrooms on site.
Redwoods in the Oakland hills with a heated outdoor pool in summer, a playground and picnic areas under the trees.
A volunteer-built Temescal classic: a sprawling wooden fortress structure, a big sand pit, and a shallow creek kids wade in on warm days. The Temescal strip's coffee and food are a block away for the grown-ups.
Mexican restaurant with a wide-open patio.
America's first storybook theme park, open since 1950, with talking Magic Key storybook boxes and the country's oldest continuously running puppet theater.
Farmers-market stand turned Temescal favorite: Peruvian rotisserie chicken, fish tacos, and aguas frescas in a colorful space.
Robot servers roll bowls of pho across a colorful dining room. Fast, casual, and the noodle soup is toddler-compatible by design.
A converted auto dealership turned sprawling open-air beer garden in Uptown: wood-fired pizza, communal tables, and plenty of space.
Wide open paths for bikes and scooters, with the container cranes right there across the water. Kids who like big machines will stand and watch.
Glenview's neighborhood burger joint with standout onion rings, a kids menu, and a patio, where everyone from grandma to the toddler finds something.
Planetarium shows under a 241-seat dome, hands-on exhibits, and research telescopes open on clear evenings, up in the Oakland hills, with free covered parking.
The 130-year-old Piedmont Avenue institution where every meal ends in a sundae the size of a toddler's head. Standard diner food and booths that fit a family.
A whole restaurant built on the one food nearly every kid eats: fancy mac and cheese in a dozen varieties, plus a kids menu, on 40th Street.
California art, history and natural sciences under one roof, with touch-friendly areas for small kids and a garden that's free to enjoy.
