Fun day out at Small World Park, Pittsburg

Small World Park in Pittsburg is like a mini spin on Children's Fairyland in Oakland. Not as charming, but definitely cheaper and less crowded. One entrance fee gives you access to small carnival rides – a spinning whale, carousel, a train that runs around the park, a zip line and a ferris wheel. Plus find various playground structures, lots of green grass for picnics and a pond where you can fish for crawdads – bring your own hot dogs and polls if you are serious about fishing!

Small World Park is best for the under 8 crowd. There are a few height restrictions, for example, you can't be taller than 38 inches to ride Humphrey the Whale. We barely made the cutoff and it was definitely my boys' favorite. No line, so we rode it for a solid 10minutes straight. Parents are allowed on the carousel, ferris wheel and train – woo hoo!

I was worried the park would be hot, it was a whopping 90 degrees in Pittsburg the day we went, but honestly, there were so many trees I didn't even notice the heat. The park is very shaded, which was a huge plus. On the downside, there is no where to purchase food or water, so be sure to bring your own. Another funny thing – the employees are given two breaks throughout the day, which means no rides are open from 12:30 – 1:00pm and 2:45 – 3:00pm. So plan your lunch and snacks accordingly.