There's plenty for the whole family to do in Willow Glen. There are parks for people of all ages, programs that can accommodate youngsters while parents are busy, restaurants with menus just for kids, coaches and athletic activities that support Willow Glen's youth, and stores such as Hicklebee's, which children and grown-ups can enjoy equally.

BEST
Place to take kids

HICKLEBEE'S

How can a child not have fun in a store named Hicklebee's? It's fun to say and if you say it 10 times really fast you could wind up saying: "Tickle me."

That's just what the store does to children. It tickles their senses. From dragon shoulder puppets to books to fairy princess hats, there is lots for the young mind to explore at this perennial favorite.

Books galore stack the shelves just waiting to entertain, educate and engage the mind.

A selection of Chicken Socks activity books for ages 4 and up are fun and inviting. For example "Shadow Games" includes a flashlight and instructions on how to make hand shapes to create a shadow dog or rabbit on the wall. The book also includes cut out pages that create cityscape shapes on the wall when the flashlight is beamed against it.

Innovative, educational toys entertain the brain.

Teachers and parents alike rave about the quality of books, and children are too engrossed in exploring the merchandise to notice that it's all good for them.

Hicklebee's, www.hicklebees.com, 1378 Lincoln Ave., 408.292.8880.

BEST
Playground

(tie)

LINCOLN GLEN PARK/
WILLOW STREET FRANK BRAMHALL PARK

The squishy surface under the play structures at Lincoln Glen Park are not only a safety feature, they're a fun feature too. Walking around on the soft but solid material can make an adult feel like a kid again.

Lincoln Glen Park is also known by neighbors as the "water park" because it's possible to get wet every 20 seconds if you stand between two bigger-than-a-bread-box-sized green frogs. Facing each other, the frogs spit water at each other into a sand pit.

On the other side of the park, children can control a cascading river with just a push of a button. When the splashing is over there is lots of room on the adjacent grassy area to dry off.

When lounging time is over there are slides, pulleys, swings and tunnels to burn off some energy.

The park also has well-maintained bathrooms and is wheelchair accessible.

Tucked away on Willow Street and Camino Ramon, Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park offers 18 acres of whatever you are looking for in a city park. If you want to stretch out and relax there is grass galore to lie back on and read a newspaper or flop the newspaper over your eyes and take a snooze.

If action is what you are looking for there is a softball field, two basketball courts and six tennis courts.

There are two playgrounds with things to climb on, swing on or slide down. One playground has a perimeter fence to keep tykes from dashing away.

Mature trees provide lots of shade for picnics and barbecues.

It's hard not to find something to like at Bramhall Park, as it is more commonly known, and it's in Willow Glen so it's just down the road from wherever you live.

Lincoln Glen Park is located at the corner of Curtner and Radio avenues.

Willow Street Frank Bramhall Park is located at the corners of Willow Street and Camino Ramon, near Meridian and Minnesota.

BEST
Daycare/preschool

SAN JOSE PARENT PARTICIPATING NURSERY SCHOOL

Established in 1951 by a group of moms and dads, San Jose Parent Participating Nursery School has a long-standing tradition of being dependable, fun and educational. The school teaches ages ranging from 18 months until a student enters kindergarten. The classes are offered in one to four-day increments, depending on the age of the student and need of parents.

What sets this school apart is its emphasis on parents. They contribute to their children's first learning experience by participating in committees, fundraising, and working in the classroom one day a week in their child's class. This, organizers think, strengthens the bond parents have with their children.

Tuition fees range from $41 a month (one day a week) to $143 a month (four days a week), along with some first time fees.

San Jose Parent Participating Nursery School, 2180 Radio Ave., 408.265.3202.

BEST
Youth coach

RICK GUPTILL

To some, winning isn't everything. To others, there is only winning. Soccer coach and dad Rick Guptill tries to find a balance between both, which may be one reason why he was selected as best youth coach. Guptill coaches the under-12 girl's soccer team, the Swarms, for the Central Coast Youth Soccer League. In his fourth year of coaching, Guptill, 46, has played soccer since he was 18. On the field as a coach, Guptill, whose daughter plays on the team, could be identified as the one shouting "pass" or "support."

He emphasizes the importance of teamwork, something that can apply to those on and off the field. In youth soccer, Guptill says some girls play to win, some to play, and some because it's a social event. In any case, Guptill says, "If they want coaching, and they want to get better, I can help them with that."