The sun is out, the kids are restless and the last thing you want to do is watch another episode of Dora the Explorer. What to do? Go outside!

Tacoma and surrounding cities and towns have so many fabulous green spaces to offer. Chances are there's a park with a great playground within a mile or two of your home, but if you're willing to drive a bit farther, there are some truly exceptional ways to enjoy the great outdoors and Tacoma's stellar parks.

Point Defiance Park and Zoo
The mack daddy of all green spaces in the area is Point Defiance Park, which has 700+ acres of trails, fields, beaches and gardens to let the kiddies run free. Highlights at the park include Owen Beach, a sandy beach with kayak rentals and plenty of picnic tables. On warmer days, kids splash in the water or take a nature hike on the nearby trails. Also within Point Defiance Park is Tacoma's zoo, which is incredibly kid-friendly. Enjoy animal shows at outdoor theaters, feed the goats at the petting zoo or let the kids run off some energy at the revamped playground.

Beaches
With so much water around, warm days are ideal for a trip to a beach. Fortunately, local beaches are situated on the Puget Sound or on lakes so the surf is calm (or non-existent) - perfect for even small children to splash in the water. Aside from Owen Beach, you can also take the kids to one of the small yet sandy stretches along the Ruston Way Waterfront. If you live on base, American Lake and Spanaway Lake both have small beaches that make great sunny day destinations!

Spraygrounds
If the weather is still a little too chilly in May to let the kids splash in a body of water, Tacoma's spraygrounds are the place to be. Spraygrounds are exactly what they sound like - a playground with lots of water! Water jets, fountains and all kinds of interactive water toys make these places insanely popular with kids. Tacoma's parks have several spraygrounds, including at Titlow Park, Wright Park, Star Center and Wapato Hills Park. But the king of all spraygrounds is at North Tacoma's Kandle Park, which also has the area's only wave pool!

Games at Cheney Stadium
Where Seattle has the Mariners, Tacoma has the Rainiers, a minor league baseball team that plays at Cheney Stadium. If your kids are sports-inclined, Cheney Stadium aims to make baseball games a fun experience for kids. After Sunday games, all kids are welcomed down onto the field to run the bases. Kids also get to run with Rhubarb during games.

Enjoy Nature
While a drive to Mt. Rainier or walking Five Mile Drive at Point Defiance might be a bit much for smaller children, Tacoma Nature Center will be just about right. While there is an indoor component - a fabulous nature center that proves popular with most kids from older toddlers to elementary schoolers - it's not large. After checking out the Nature Center, hit the trails where kids can hunt for local wildlife and spots ducks and turtles on a small lake.