I suggested Haigeng park too. I plan to take my kids there this weekend. I am a local mother, Call me if you also go there. Cell phone: 13987126286, My name is Yan

Take the kids to Xi You Dong - image.baidu.com/[...]

They will really like the slides and can take many pictures of them both inside and outside the caves.

This is a place for kids or for young people. Take a bus from Mian Shan Bus Terminal.

A nice hike (another time/no kids) is going out the back gate of Xi You Dong which takes you to a very nice organic farm that grows mostly different types of lettuce and then to Sha Lang (Bai) Village

Does anyone know the name of the bus stop to get off to go to Xi You Dong? Looks like a fun place. Thanks Hugo.

In the very north, the botanical garden and the nearby Black Dragon Lake park are nice options to enjoy some nature, with entry price fairly low.
Not quite so far north, the New Moon Lake park is also nice for a walk around, with some kids activities like jumping castle and paddle boats. I think park entry is free but of course you'd pay for those acitivities inside.

So where did you finally end up going with the 3 kids? How was it?

Looking forward to going to Xi You Dong, just haven't had time yet. We went to the zoology museum. The kids loved it, still talking about it. We were the only ones there.

Nervous upon arrival at the final bus stop because after asking 5 people which way the museum was, none of them knew what we were talking about and kept pointing us to the zoo. Finally found someone who knew and arrived after a 5 minute walk.

The bus stop for Xi You Dong is called Xi You Dong zhan on Bus C10.
I couldn't believe that Baidu gave the English name for Xi You Dong as "West Hole Park"!