My 4-year-old loves the Early Girl Eatery on Wall St. downtown. They have buckets of toys and paper on the tables for coloring (grown-ups, too
). The food is also great - farm-to-table Southern fare. Other places he's enjoyed are Salsa's (Mexican/Caribbean), Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company (pizza and movies), Tupelo Honey (more farm-to-table southern, with giant biscuits as appetizers), Papas & Beer (Mexican, with a salsa bar that includes kid-friendly salsa).
For activities, on Sunday there's a festival celebrating local independent businesses going on at the park downtown.
Big Love Fest » About
If it's warm enough, check out Splashville down by City Hall. It's a series of fountains that go off at irregular intervals. Kids love running through them.
Have fun!