Rent bikes - At Boathouse Row, Wheelfun has single, double and triple seat surreys, bikes and kids bikes for rent. Bike up the Schuylkill River Trail. Open daily, March to November.

Smith Memorial Playground - With a tip from a local Philadelphia family, we headed up to Smith Memorial Playground on a sunny spring afternoon. What fun for kids to slide down a giant wooden slide with burlap bags, plus brightly painted mini-houses, trains and pirate ship to climb all over, and those bouncy things. Playground is open daily April to September, October to December on weekends only, closed January to March.

Please Touch Museum - Ride an old-fashioned carousel from 100 years ago, play in a kids-size city with supermarket, restaurant, construction zone, climb into a car, bus or trolley, learn about the Schuylkill River in water play, roll around Imagination Playground with foam toys. Perfect for toddlers and younger kids.

Shofuso Japanese House and Gardens - Explore Japanese gardens, with waterfalls and ponds, lovely to visit in spring cherry blossom season or in bright fall foliage. Feed the bright red, yellow, and white koi fish, and step into a replica of a traditional Japanese guest house.