Working Parents Created This Free Kid-Friendly Places Guide

As parents, one of our weekend rituals is thinking of fun things to do as a family. We often go back and forth between malls, the cinema, and indoor playgrounds. It’s our way of taking a break while spending quality time together.

But finding the right place isn’t always easy. What if it’s raining? What if it’s too expensive? What if younger kids or infants aren’t allowed?

The pressure to plan the perfect family outing can sometimes take the fun out of weekends.

Jeron and Cams Clemente, first-time parents to their daughter Likha, found themselves facing the same dilemma every weekend.

The couple told Smart Parenting how the idea for NearMe Kids PH came about:

“Every weekend started with the same question: where do we take Likha today? Somewhere she would love, somewhere nearby, somewhere that would not drain the weekend budget. Answering it meant scrolling through Facebook groups, watching travel content creators’ reviews, digging through old blog posts, and calling ahead just to ask if kids were welcome. Planning the outing took longer than the outing itself. So we built the thing we wished existed, first for ourselves, then for anyone in the same spot.”

That’s when they realized there wasn’t a single online platform dedicated to listing kid-friendly places. Parents often rely on reels and reviews from content creators, and separate online searches just to gather the information they need.

What is NearMe Kids PH? NearMe Kids PH is a mobile-friendly web app that helps families discover kid-friendly places based on location, price, and other practical details.

Jeron and Cams described it this way:

“NearMe Kids PH is a free, parent-curated directory of kid-friendly places in Metro Manila, built by us for our daughter Likha and for every parent tired of guessing where to take their kids. Real places, suggested by real parents, with the details that actually decide a trip: prices in pesos, stroller access, how long families usually stay, and whether it's worth the drive.”

Parents can create an account, search for destinations, and even contribute places they’ve visited. Think of it as an online parenting village where families can share honest reviews, practical tips, and the reasons their children enjoyed places they’ve been to.

Jeron and Cams knew it would be impossible for them to visit and cover all kid-friendly places. They will need help from parents’ reviews, too. So they designed NearMe Kids PH to grow with contributions from fellow parents.

“The information gets better over time because parents contribute from their real visits.”

As more parents share recommendations, the directory continues to grow.

You don’t need an account to explore the website and find the right spot for your family. The NearMe Kids PH website welcomes virtual viewers and visitors. You can do your initial research even if you don’t have an account yet.

One of the easiest ways to search is by city. As of writing, NearMe Kids PH covers 14 cities across Metro Manila. Simply select a city to view recommendations from Jeron, Cams, and other parents.

For more detailed searches, head to the Explore page. You can filter destinations by:

• Budget 

• Area 

• Indoor or outdoor 

• Age range 

• Weather 

• Air conditioning 

• Restrooms 

• Parking

The site also shows a “Typical Stay” estimate, helping parents plan trips around naps, feeding schedules, or busy workdays. Less anxiety for parents!

Another useful feature you can easily tap is “Find Near Me,” which recommends nearby kid-friendly places whether you’re close to home or exploring a new, unfamiliar area.

You can also choose places depending on the weather, as some locations are perfect for rainy days and sunny days. Looking for somewhere indoors on a rainy day? Or an outdoor park when it’s sunny? The filters make it easy to narrow down your options.

Smart Parenting tested NearMe Kids PH’s filters by selecting: Outdoor, Park, Free Access, and With Parking. The search returned several destinations across Metro Manila, including UP Diliman Sunken Garden, Rizal Park, Marikina River Park, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Greenbelt Park Play Area, and Legazpi Active Park.

NearMe Kids PH also has a voice search feature. Click the voice search for a simple command like, “free outdoor places in QC for toddlers."

Or if you’re out of wits and don’t really have an idea where to go, tap “Surprise Me,” and the web app will suggest various locations. 

Parents who create an account in NearMe Kids PH can also save their favorite places and keep track of locations they’ve already visited.

As they built NearMe Kids PH, Jeron and Cams kept asking themselves important questions:

• Are slides and ball pits enough to call a place kid-friendly? 

• Do complete amenities automatically make a venue or kid-friendly place worth the money? 

• Why should parents review kid-friendly places with the same care they use when researching products for their children? 

• How can parents tell if a venue values families rather than simply collecting admission fees? 

• What if kid-friendly places had their own trusted rating system, similar to Michelin stars for restaurants or hotel star ratings? 

• How can NearMe Kids PH help deserving family destinations become more visible in Google and AI search results?

They also shared the legacy they hope to leave behind:

“If NearMe Kids PH stopped existing tomorrow, our legacy should be to make parents start being more intentional in reviewing and choosing where to take their kids, and kid-friendly places start being more genuine in caring for families.

“Most directories are scraped automatically online without verifying if the information is updated and safe. And most 'kid-friendly' lists we read online are written from a desk. Ours is built on verified logistics, the practical things that decide whether a trip works: real entrance fees in pesos, stroller access, diaper changing station, safe flooring, first aid kits, feeding spots, typical stay time, and an honest all-in cost once you add food and parking,” they added.

The couple also emphasized transparency:

“We have not sold a single listing or placement. Nothing you see on the platform was paid for. We curated the initial 33 places ourselves, including places we have been to, then ran a launch campaign that invited parents to submit their favorite spots in Metro Manila.”

Jeron and Cams were surprised by the buzz NearMe Kids PH created. In just less than two months after its launch, NearMe Kids PH had already welcomed more than 10,900 parent visits, 232 sign-ups, and 100 kid-friendly destinations across 14 Metro Manila cities.

Jeron and Cams continue to build NearMe Kids PH while balancing full-time jobs, driven by their love for helping fellow parents. If you’d like to discover more kid-friendly places through honest, parent-generated reviews, you can support their work by visiting NearMe Kids PH.

Visit NearMe Kids PH or start with its curated guide to the best parks and playgrounds.