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Jewish Community Center Best Day Care

1. The Littlest Birds 647 Haywood Road, Asheville, 253-4747 An emphasis on local families and all-natural products makes The Littlest Birds a popular West Asheville spot, according to co-owner Sonja Hernandez. She and Allison Walker opened the business 2 1/2 years ago, offering new-and-used, baby-and-kid stuff, from cloth diapers to clothing to accessories and toys.
2. Just Ducky Originals 10 All Souls Crescent, Biltmore Village, Asheville, 277-7084
3. Children's Trading Post 633 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-5432

1. Asheville Jewish Community Center 236 Charlotte St., Asheville, 253-0701 Also known as the Shalom Children's Center, the JCC has long been a haven for quality child care in the area. "It's definitely the people who work here that make it special," says early childhood director Caroline Martin. "Some of our teachers have been here for 23 or 24 years. They love kids."
2. YWCA of Asheville 185 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, 254-7206
2. Mountain Area Child and Family Center 2586 Riceville Road, Asheville, 298-0808; 3 Town Square Blvd., Asheville, 687-1882; and 69 Pisgah Highway, Candler, 670-7300
3. Casa dei Bambini 818 Haywood Road, Asheville, 254-2272

1. Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company 675 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-1281 and 77 Coxe Ave., Asheville, 255-4077 "It's a local place where parents can come socialize after work, have a beer, and feed and entertain their kids," says co-owner Leigh Lewis. Tuesday nights are designated family nights and include The Balloon Guy and free ice-cream sundaes.
2. Mellow Mushroom 50 Broadway, Asheville, 236-9800
2. Chuck E. Cheese 104 River Hills Road, Asheville, 299-3750
3. Fuddruckers 130 Charlotte St., Asheville, 254-2161
3. Papa's & Beer 1000 Brevard Road, Asheville, 665-9070; 17 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 255-2204; and 1821 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville, 692-9915

1. Asheville's Fun Depot 7 Roberts Road, Asheville, 277-2386 This "family playground" contains 64,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor games, including laser tag, go-carts, batting cages and more. Just don't get lost.
2. The Health Adventure 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville, 254-6373
3. WNC Nature Center 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville, 298-5600

1. WNC Nature Center 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville, 298-5600 Year-round programs for kids, plus summer camps (which always sell out quickly), a Junior Naturalist program and more, make the WNC Nature Center a great place to learn about WNC's wild life.
2. The Health Adventure 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville, 254-6373
3. N.C. Arboretum 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, 665-2492

1. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo www.secretagent23skidoo.com Kid-hop artist 23 Skidoo describes his music as, "a fun-house mirror of the Asheville scene." He adds that his album, Easy, remixed and re-released in July, keeps selling, and he's touring up and down the East coast. See him perform at White Horse Black Mountain on Saturday, Oct. 31.
2. Billy Jonas www.billyjonas.com
3. Jolly Balloon Smiths Balloon line: 680-1066

1. Dancing Bear 144 Tunnel Road, Asheville, 255-8697 and 418 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 693-4500 Family business Dancing Bear offers toys for all ages, not just for kids. "Also, people can come in and play. They're not pressured to buy," says Sarah Evers, who owns the two locations with sister Erika Evers and their parents Mary and Dave Evers.
2. Toy Box of Asheville 793 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, 254-8697
3. Enviro Depot Gone, but not forgotten