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A quiet, spread-out corner of northeastern Queens, Oakland Gardens sits between two of the borough's biggest green spaces: Cunningham Park to the west and Alley Pond Park to the east. That's a lot of grass and open air for a toddler to burn through. Oakland Gardens Playground on Springfield Boulevard has four sets of play equipment and is the neighborhood's go-to outdoor spot. Alley Pond Park, the second-largest park in Queens, has playgrounds with sprinklers that are genuinely popular on warm days, plus wide paths that are easy to navigate with a stroller. The streets are low-key and residential, mostly brick homes and low-rise co-ops with courtyards and trees. Weekend mornings feel calm here, which is either a selling point or a heads-up depending on what you want. There's no subway access, so most families drive or use local buses like the Q27 and Q88. It's worth knowing that going in. NYC Parks runs programs in this neighborhood, and The Art Studio has events here too, so there are a handful of organized things to do with little ones beyond just park time.