Has it all — kinda the Balboa Park of LA. Playgrounds, pony rides, picnic spots, hiking, trains (see Travel Town), room to roam. Great playground called Shane's Inspiration.

Shady quarter-mile walk through lush ferns, turtles, crawdads, little bridges. Right next to a playground and The Trails Cafe (coffee, pie, sandwiches — outdoor seating in the trees). All in the same little pocket of Griffith Park.

Her friends go here. Playground, picnic tables, easy hiking. Nearby: Bronson Caves — the actual Batcave from the '60s Batman show, used in hundreds of movies. Short walk in from the lot.

Free train museum within Griffith Park; has a little train ride (~$3).

Free admission (paid parking), lawns, incredible views, space stuff!

Free, has a parking lot and the most beautiful views. S-tier picnic spot. Many families.

Ducks, geese, paddle boats, playground, walk around the lake.

Nice grassy patch for a picnic or kicking around a ball.

Silver Lake (Saturdays) and Los Feliz (Sundays) close by. Take the bus for added fun and reduced driving. Link has the full LA schedule.

Free storytimes, songs, and playtime at branches all over the neighborhood. Link has the full calendar by branch.

Griffith Park — I have tickets.

Griffith Park. Cowboys.

Often have family-friendly matinees on Saturdays and Sundays, especially Vidiots. Check the showtimes with these links.

Located in Exposition Park. Big lawns and gardens around the museums.

Walking around is free, tho the rides aren't. Could be good to combine with the beach/Annenberg (see below).

Pasadena. Sounds like one thing cuz the name but it isn't. All outdoors with a stream to play in, honestly cool science stuff. She loves it.

You know the one.

Another garden, but more kid-friendly than the Huntington. Model trains, a train ride, lakes, ponds, an "ancient forest", etc etc.

Santa Monica. Beach + splash/play setup. Very family oriented. Check the website for public programming/events.

Is the metro sketchy? Sure kinda. Does she care? Hell no. And she loves counting down the stops. Take the Red Line in (15 min walk to Hollywood/Vine stop) to any of these: Angel's Flight (it puts the "fun" in "funicular" — world's shortest railway, $1.50), eat right at the bottom at Grand Central Market. There's The Last Bookstore, admission to The Broad is free (just book ahead — she'd love the giant balloon animals and furniture). Metro also goes to Little Tokyo / Japanese Village Plaza — sushi conveyor belt at Kura, gashapon machines, mochi, she loves it. Culture!

Multiple stops close to us, take one to Los Feliz or Echo Park or wherever. Un-sketchy in my experience.

• Modelos w/ friends after bedtime
• Movie night after bedtime — we have pretty much all the streaming services
• Front yard breakfast / coffee morning

• Sidewalk chalk + music outside
• Walk around Beachwood Canyon (+ the wagon for a workout)
• Walk to Beachwood Café or The Oaks for breakfast/a snack
• Bake cookies
• Dot movie night + blanket fort
• Pancake breakfast; picnic on lawn
• Cook dinner together