Petite Street Playtown

If you’ve got a two or three-year-old who’s obsessed with pretending to be a vet or run a shop, this Durham spot is genuinely one of the better options in the area. The themed spaces — supermarket, vet clinic, café — are well thought out for little ones, not just token props shoved in a corner. It’s consistently clean, which honestly makes a difference when you’re there for a couple of hours, and the staff actually seem to like being there. Grab a spot at one of the picnic tables while the kids do their thing. Best suited to the under-fives crowd; older siblings might find it a bit slow.