Some of our favorite DC Area Playgrounds for Little Ones.

Friendship “Turtle” Park

The nickname “Turtle Park” derives from the concrete turtles found at the playground, but is also aptly named because this outdoor space draws even the shyest little ones out of their shell to play!

Two features that shout “Tot Park” to us are playhouses and sandboxes. Turtle Park maintains a sandbox, as well as playhouses. There is a climbing web, slides, AND swings.

Warmer months set the splash park in motion, and baseball fields, basketball courts, and tennis courts get a lot more action. There is equipment to keep your older children happy, but also features designed for very small children. The neighboring recreation center furnishes water fountains and bathrooms with changing tables for all park visitors.

 

Jones Point Park

Located on the outskirts of Old Town flanking the majestic Woodrow Wilson Drawbridge, this is an ideal destination for an afternoon of fresh air, exercise, and playtime. Your family can also learn about Jones Point, and the grounds of the 1800's era lighthouse. There are educational placards scattered, and even the etched footfalls of a variety of animals to further connect your kids with the natural world.

The nautical-themed playground encourages big imaginations to run free and brings an immediate social element to play. The equipment is safe and suitable for little ones, but there are also a string of swings safely tucked to the side so big kids can reach for the skies. There are adjacent infant swings. The play area is fenced in, and a soft rubber surface lies beneath. There is even a smaller climbing structure with a playhouse for toddlers.

Adjacent to the playground lies an open field, the bridge shelters a few basketball courts, and a second climbing playground on the opposite side of the bridge - appealing to the older set. On the south side, you'll find another massive open space that's a hotspot for dog owners, where you can check out the Jones Point Lighthouse. Adults will be happy with the well-kept bathrooms and the availability of benches.

 

Quincy Park Playground

Quincy Park is a "universally designed playground" for children of all ages to enjoy and features unique, fun equipment that will keep kids entertained for a long time. Creative activities include a seated merry-go-round, swings, and climbing walls and other structures on astroturf.

The playground is lovely and boasts a huge personality. Fun literary quotes move throughout the space, displayed in mosaic tiles.  Pleasant musical elements found a way into the design as well.

There are covered picnic tables, and Adirondack chairs ideal for nursing mothers. The comfortable chairs aren't the only evidence that Quincy’s designer considered caregivers. One of the featured toys can seat an older child on a swing and a younger child in a bucket seat at the same time - what a treat for a parent with more than one child!

Quincy is both kid-friendly and caregiver-friendly. It is safe, fully-enclosed, comfortable, and spread out. It considers the needs of waddling ones, while still meeting the more adventurous requirements of their older siblings.

Palisades Park Playground

During DC's hot summer months, this playground is an oasis for kids, and a splash park with excellent dumping buckets, fountains, water jets, and a small water slide is ideal for little children. There is also a bit of shade, positioned close enough to sit at a comfortable distance and watch your kids at play.

Palisades offers fun, creative play and climbing structures, including a fake rock mountain. Native American culture and the Potomac River inspire the design of the renovated playground, and elements carved from concrete with nature in mind appear throughout the large play area. There are balance beam log climbers, and a soft surface shaped and colored to look like the river runs through the colorful space. A small cabin furnished with a mailbox encourages imaginative play, and a rolling hill provides a safe place for toddlers to run and play.

Bathrooms, located in the recreation center, are accessible when the center is open during the week and from 10 am-4 pm on the weekends. The fully fenced playground is a hot-spot, and the surrounding grounds and center contribute a lot of recreational activities for the entire community, so if the lot reaches capacity, ample street parking is also available.

 

Cabin John Regional Park Playground

Nature plays a huge role in the personality of this fresh air adventure at Cabin John Regional Park. Cabin John perfects the merger of constructed fun with nature’s backdrop.

As you approach the brightly colored equipment, its home is what catches your eye. The rustic landscape takes your breath away, as tall trees weave in and out of the loosely arranged play structures. The arcadian setting creates a rare mingling of sunlight and shade. Children immediately run free and enthusiastically explore the wooded area as much as they play on the equipment itself. Their delighted sounds echo in the deep woods.

The play areas are numerous, varied, and provide hours of entertainment on their own. Additionally, there is a miniature train a short walk from the playground that takes families on a 20-minute tour through the woods. Picnic tables are available along six miles of paved and natural trails running through the park.

 

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