Playground: Alcova Heights

Alcova Heights Park
901 S. George Mason Drive
Arlington, Virginia 22204

This newly renovated playground reminds me of Lacey Woods, which is a very good thing. We always have a great time at Lacey Woods. The equipment here is very similar as is the shaded playground space. I doubt LG will want to stop at Doctor's Run again now that she knows this playground exists just a few blocks away.

Equipment:

• Swings ~ bucket, regular, and tire!
• Slides ~ small, tall, covered, and even two metal slides (watch out in hot weather)
• Playhouse, well actually it is a train but it has a table with benches.
• Multiple window openings below climbing equipment
• Zip line (that is best description I can come up with)

Facilities:

• Street Parking
• Restrooms
• Water Fountains

Bonus Features:

• Creek with wooden bridge
• Large field
• Picnic Pavillion

As I mentioned, this park is very close to Doctor's Run park so I want to highlight a few of the differences between the parks in case you are trying to choose. Doctor's Run has a sandbox and is overall smaller than Alcova. Alcova is more removed from the street and has much larger equipment. Alcova also has a large field for children who like to play ball. Doctor's Run is equipped with a handicap accessible swing. Though LG prefers Alcova, your child may not so check them both out.

Playground: Doctors Run Park

Doctors Run Park
1301 S. George Mason Dr.
Arlington, Virginia 22204

This small neighborhood park is on our way to gymnastics so we gave it a try. We had a fun time and we will definitely stop by again when it is convenient for us (but wouldn't make a special trip for it). LG enjoyed the swings, ignored the sandbox, and wanted to go down the big slides (we stuck to the smaller ones).

Equipment:

• Swings: bucket and handicap accessible
• Sandbox
• Slides: large and small
• Chimes
• Climbing structure

Additional information:

• Street parking
• Shade
• Drinking fountains
• Not fenced in
  

Playground: Chesnut Hills Park

Chestnut Hills Park
N. Harrison St. & 27th St. N.
Arlington, Virginia 22213

This is a large and fun space to play. It is great for toddlers, preschoolers, and school aged children. There is lots of equipment and places to climb (both high and low), 4 bucket swings, regular swings (2 are with the bucket swings), and more.

Another great aspect of this playground is the 'car lot' as I call it. There are a bunch plastic Little Tykes cars and push toys that are for communal use. The asphalt path that encircles the large jungle gym guarantees plenty of driving room.

LG is, of course, in love with the little houses in the sand area. There are play kitchens and small booths set up that are perfect for playing house or restaurant. Lately, I have been recreated these small houses indoors with couch cushions (no big deal since I don't sit down much when she is awake anyway). She delights in the simple act of someone ordering some food from her. Sometimes she will bring it to you and sometimes she eats it.


The sand area is huge but it is that dirt sand that we aren't really fond of (you know the kind that turns to mud when it rains). I would prefer a smaller sandbox with the nice play sand like they have at Hayes. The kids don't seem to care, but then again, they don't need to clean the car, house, shoes, and clothes that suffer.

The park is a mix of shade and sun so it is good during any type of weather (though after rain, it is prone to mud puddles). Parking is limited to street parking. There are restrooms and water fountains on site.

Playground: Quincy Park

Quincy Park
1021 N. Quincy St.
Arlington, Virginia 22201

My daughter really wanted to go to the library today but it was so gorgeous outside that I had to make sure we had some outside time as well so after our visit to the Central Library we walked over to the playground area of Quincy Park.

We don't usually go to this park because there aren't any swings but I am glad that we went over today. Now that LG is old enough to climb stairs and crawl through tunnels, this park is a nice outing in combination with the library (not really a destination in and of itself though). There is a sandbox that was in the shade of some nice large trees but the remainder of the park is hit or miss with the sun depending on the time of day. The too larger slides were both already too hot for sensitive toddler skin at 10:45 this morning. Luckily the two smaller slides had not heated up yet and were perfect for LG.

Quincy Park is really a sporting park so in addition to the playground there are tennis courts, a sand volleyball court, a baseball diamond, basketball court, and soccer field. There is plenty of run around space and people watching opportunities (LG likes to watch older kids/adults play sports). There are multiple picnic spots available as well.

Next time we will bring a ball and let her down on the soccer fields!

Playground: Clarenford Station

Clarenford Station Park
13th St. & N. Vermont St.
Arlington, Virginia 22201

Clarenford Station Park is one of our regular stomping grounds. It is small and over looks Route 66 (yes, you can hear the traffic) but we like it anyway.

Why do we love it?

• It is hardly ever crowded. Most days we have the place to ourselves so it feels more like our backyard than a playground.
• The small size and fence allow freedom of movement without a helicopter for a mother (bonus for child and mother).
• Bucket swings! (2)
• Slides: 1 small set with easy stair access, 1 small twist slide with stair access, and 1 tall twisting set with multiple access points but none that easy enough for a child to get up (unassisted) if s/he is not ready to go down the big slide.
• Climbing mountain (a big plastic mountain to climb up, one of the access points to the larger slides)
• Merry-go-round (the old fashion metal kind that can make you sick but are great fun to ride or run around)
• Sand box with TOYS! (lots of different toys that provide many opportunities for pretend play)
  

What would we like to change?

• Proximity to Route 66 (and on some days its road kill)

There are 2 picnic tables and a bench for parents who have the luxury of sitting down at playgrounds and street parking is available.

Overall, it is a nice place to go when you just want to play!

Outside Adventure: Clemyjontri Park

Clemyjontri Park
6317 Georgetown Pike
McLean, Virginia 22101
703-388-2807

WOW! This playground is unbelievable. Located in McLean it is under 30 minutes from most anywhere in Arlington and well worth the trip. Clemyjontri (named for the 4 children of the family who funded the creation of the park) is accessible to children of all abilities (think ramps, special swings, wide spaces for wheelchairs) and is a toddler's delight.

The playground has 4 main sections that surround a carousel. To fully explore each section you would probably need to stay at the park for 3 hours, however, since most toddlers cannot handle three continuous hours of running, you should not plan on doing everything in one visit. There are picnic pavilions available for use and they can also be rented for parties. The entire playground has a special track like surface that makes falls fairly painless.

We started our visit with a ride on the carousel. During the week the carousel is free and on weekends tokens are required. Each token is $1.50. Children under 42 inches must be accompanied by an adult and this adult does not need a token to ride. The carousel is beautiful. Children have the option of riding on a horse that goes up and down or one that stays stationary. There is also a teacup that spins and a chariot to sit in. The chariot is a nice option if you have a child who can not yet sit on his or her own since you can hold the child on your lap. The staff was really sweet with the kids and boarding and unloading was very efficient. My daughter had never been on a carousel and was absolutely delighted with just sitting on the horse. When the carousel started to move she was thrilled. The carousel is fully covered but stops operation on October 26th. As of September 1st the carousel will only be operational on the weekends.

We then had to go find the swings (of course) which are located in the Rainbow Room section of the playground. There were regular swings, bucket swings, chair swings, tire swings, and adapted bucket swings. We opted for a chair swing followed by a bucket swing.

From the swings we sprinted to a ramp accessible jungle gym. There were numerous steering wheels and other fun things to touch along the way to the slides. There are numerous jungle gyms of varying sizes throughout the playground. This one happened to be in the Schoolhouse and Maze section of the playground. Later in our visit we did go to the maze but our daughter didn't particularly enjoy it. She was confused and a little frightened by the walls. According to another parent, 26 months is the magic age where that starts to be fun.

In the Movin and Groovin Transportation section kids are able to play on every type of vehicle I could imagine. There were cars, planes, school buses, fire trucks, and trains for kids to climb on, 'drive', and just explore. We liked the school bus and the fire truck (which has a slide). There is also a track for foot races and many different bouncers. The frog was our daughter's favorite.

It was then that the playhouse was spotted. The playhouse is very similar to any playhouse at any playground but it caught our daughter's eye. We played restaurant (Mommy orders food, LG brings it to her, Mommy pays) until it was time to go on the carousel again.

The final section Fitness and Fun is geared towards older children but the balance beams (3 different types all with bars to hold on to) and seesaw were a big hit. The huge jungle gym has a lot to explore but for now was just fun to run on.

One more time around the carousel and then it was time to go. We were tired but happy.



Additional information:
Parking ~ there is a parking lot at the site of the playground but it fills up quickly. The overflow lot is a good walk so you might want to have a stroller on hand in case you cannot get close parking. There is a drop off area at the front of the park.

Bikes ~ though there is a very cool 'road' and tricycle parking spots located throughout the park, tricycles and bicycles are not allowed (safety issues I imagine). Wheelchairs and strollers are permitted.

Weather Warning ~ this park is new and the trees are young so there is very little shade. My daughter melts easily in the heat so we cannot go if it is over 80 degrees outside. The park surface and equipment absorb a lot of heat so be careful of burns on fragile toddler feet and hands.

Hayes Park

Hayes Park
1516 N. Lincoln St.
Arlington, Virginia 22201

Equipment:

• Contained Sandbox with digging tool and play structure
• Bucket swings (4)
• Swings (4) - separate structure from bucket swings
• Preschool jungle gym (large slide, small double slide, small climbing wall, cargo net)
• Boat structure
• Spinning seat
• Bouncy seats (3 attached together)
• Tunnel
• Open grass space
• Paved paths
• Sprayground (open Memorial Day to Labor Day)
• Tennis Courts
• Basketball Court
• Restrooms
• Picnic Pavilion

Pros:

• Large park with lots of options
• Large sandbox
• Partial shade (depends on time of day and area of park - swings are always shaded)
• Parking lot and street parking available

Cons:

• Frequently is very crowded (especially in the summer due to the sprayground)
• Not many options of for older children (which can cause conflicts with the younger children)
  

Lacey Woods Park

Lacey Woods Park
1200 N. George Mason Dr.
Arlington, Virginia 22205

Equipment:

• Bucket Swings (2)
• Sand box
• Preschool jungle gym (2 slides, tunnel)
• School-age jungle gym (covered slide, small double slides, bridge)
• Climbing structures
• Basketball hoops (multiple level)
• Open fields
• Picnic pavilion
• Mulch ground covering

Pros:

• Shady
• Combination playground for both preschoolers and school aged children
• Restrooms
• Contained sandbox with play sand

Cons:

• No parking lot (street parking is available on both sides of the park)
• Playground drops off into wooded area (there is a defined playground area but children can easily leave the playground area)
• Street in the park grounds (this street is not a through street but we did see cars on it)

Bon Air Park

Bon Air Park
850 N. Lexington St.
Arlington, Virginia 22205

This refers to the preschool playground that is located by the gardens.

Equipment:

• Covered slide
• Open slide
• Boat structure
• Multiple steering wheels

Pros:

• Large parking lot
• Beautiful gardens with paths
• Large open grass fields (extra bonus for toddlers is that no ball play is permitted on the fields so you do not have to worry about stray balls coming onto the playground)
• Shaded
• Restrooms
  

Cons:

• No swings
• Gritty dirt sand covers entire area

Other information:

• The playground structure is small
• Separate school age playground is not visible from preschool playground