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.

Tot and big-kid playgrounds plus a gated spray ground with a small water slide and a lifeguard. Lindsay Wildlife Experience and the model railroad share the grounds.

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 toddler-and-preschool playground of Walnut Creek: small structures close together, shaded benches under three big oaks, and paved loops for trikes and scooters.

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.