Things to do with kids in Arlington: two nature centers with live animals, playgrounds at Banneker Park, seven spraygrounds, library story times and indoor pools.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Facts come from Arlington County’s park finder, nature centers and spraygrounds pages, Arlington Public Library, APS Aquatics, NOVA Parks and the National Park Service.

Arlington’s best free days out for kids are its parks and its two nature centers, where naturalists keep live animals and run weekly family programs. Seven spraygrounds cover the summer, and libraries and indoor pools cover the rain. For park questions, call park maintenance at 703-228-6525; for weather closures of fields, the inclement weather line, 703-228-4715.

What this means for you

  • Free and outdoors: playgrounds and parks, open sunrise to sunset unless posted.
  • Animals: Long Branch and Gulf Branch nature centers.
  • Rainy day: library story times, nature center exhibits, indoor pools.
  • Summer: spraygrounds from Memorial Day weekend. See our summer camps and pools guide.

Nature centers

Nature center Address What kids see
Long Branch 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, in Glencarlyn Park Exhibits, a children’s Discovery Room, live animals, gardens, a viewing pond and a Nature Discovery Area
Gulf Branch 3608 N. Military Road Natural and cultural history exhibits, live animals, pollinator gardens, a vernal pond and a restored 19th-century log cabin

Naturalists lead walks and family programs at both most weeks, booked through the county’s registration site. Each sits on a trail: Glencarlyn Park’s 1.2 miles of paths connect to Four Mile Run, and Gulf Branch’s 1.4-mile trail runs down to the Potomac Heritage Trail.

Playgrounds

The county’s park finder lists 159 parks and lets you filter for playgrounds and accessible features. A few big ones:

  • Benjamin Banneker Park, 1680 N. Sycamore St.: 12.5 acres with two playgrounds, one for preschoolers and one for school-age children, with a balance course, rock climbing and slides.
  • Alcova Heights Park, 901 S. George Mason Drive: a playground, picnic shelter, restrooms and courts.
  • Arlington Hall West Park, 290 S. Taylor St.: a playground and a picnic area with a grill.
  • Upton Hill Regional Park, 6060 Wilson Blvd. (NOVA Parks): a playground open dawn to dusk, plus mini golf, batting cages, the Climb UPton ropes course and, in summer, Ocean Dunes Waterpark.

Spraygrounds

Seven county spraygrounds run Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend: Virginia Highlands Park, Long Bridge Park, Mosaic Park, Penrose Square, Drew Park, Hayes Park and Lyon Village Park. Hours vary by park; the full table is on our summer camps and pools guide.

Libraries and story times

Arlington Public Library lists story times for babies and preschoolers on its events calendar, by branch. You can also borrow story time kits.

Branch Address Phone
Central Library 1015 N. Quincy St. Youth services 703-228-5946
Aurora Hills 735 S. 18th St. 703-228-5715
Cherrydale 2190 Military Road 703-228-6330
Columbia Pike 816 S. Walter Reed Drive 703-228-5710
Courthouse 2100 Clarendon Blvd., first floor lobby 703-228-3352
Glencarlyn 300 S. Kensington St. 703-228-6548

Central Library is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday, and its garage gives library patrons two hours of free parking (entrance on North Quincy Street). Other branch hours are on the library’s locations page.

Rainy-day and indoor picks

  • Swim: Arlington Public Schools’ Wakefield, Washington-Liberty and Yorktown aquatics centers have public swim times, and Washington-Liberty and Yorktown have 0- to 4-foot instructional pools. The county’s Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center is at 333 Long Bridge Drive.
  • Nature centers: both have indoor exhibits and live animals.
  • Libraries: story times, books and the Library of Things.

Bigger outings

  • Theodore Roosevelt Island, open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., has miles of woodland and swamp trails on an island in the Potomac.
  • Gravelly Point, by Reagan National Airport, is a National Park Service site popular for watching planes take off and land.
  • Arlington National Cemetery’s Changing of the Guard runs hourly in winter and every half hour from April to September. See our cemetery guide.

Related guides: free things to do, parks and trails and walking and biking trails.

Frequently asked questions

What can kids do in Arlington on a rainy day?

Visit Long Branch Nature Center’s Discovery Room and live animals, go to a library story time, or swim at one of the three Arlington Public Schools indoor aquatics centers or Long Bridge Aquatics & Fitness Center.

What is the best playground in Arlington, Virginia?

Benjamin Banneker Park, 1680 N. Sycamore St., has two playgrounds, one for preschoolers and one for school-age children, with a balance course, rock climbing and slides. We do not rank parks; the county’s park finder lists every playground.

Where are the splash pads in Arlington?

The county runs seven spraygrounds, open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, including Virginia Highlands Park, Long Bridge Park, Mosaic Park and Drew Park.

Does Arlington Public Library have story times?

Yes. Story times for babies and preschoolers are listed on the library’s events calendar by branch. Central Library’s youth services desk is 703-228-5946.