The topic of a children’s play area in my development came up last autumn. Although Fairlington Towne lacks a dedicated play area, there are many options nearby. I thought it might be a timely to mention a few of them that I’d discovered in the five years since my twins came on the scene.
Starting from the closest available place, there is a play area behind the Fairlington Presbyterian Church where Van Dorn ends at King Street. Although small, our guys spent many hours playing there. We also met a few parents from the nearby apartments, one of whom became our future sitter. One advantage is that it’s entirely fenced in, a useful feature when you’re watching more than one at a time.
Fort Ward recently refurbished the children’s play area. You see a good cross-section of the local community there. The only down side to this play area is that it’s at the bottom of a fairly steep hill. I’ve managed it with a double stroller, though prefer to leave the wheels at the top of the hill. This play area is shaded, a bonus for the dog days of summer.
The main play area in Fairlington is located on the grounds of the recreation center between Stafford and Utah. This recently underwent a complete refurbishment. There is a small stage that my kids loved to play on as well as a soccer field. We’ve also visited a smaller play area on the other side of I-395 near Abingdon Elementary School.
Despite being a resident of Alexandria, I haven’t spent as much time in the play areas of our fair city’s parks. The play area near Mount Vernon School in Del Rey is well worth a visit. It’s within a block of a variety of shops and restaurants. Cameron Station has a couple of children’s play areas—the better of these in my opinion is located at Armistead Boothe Park near Samuel Tucker Elementary School. Our favorite Alexandria play area is located within Marina Park off Union Street. It has a nice fenced in play area that takes full advantage of the hill on which it lies. You also have a great view of the new Wilson Bridge.
Arlington has too many children’s parks to list. I’ll list a few of my favorites. Lacey Woods Park off the intersection of Washington & N. George Mason has a play area with an enclosed slide, handy if you don’t want to worry about a fall. True to its name, there are several paths through the woods. There’s a larger park nearby on Harrison, just north of Lee Highway. Catch it in early summer and there’s mulberries aplenty!
As long as I’m mentioning summer time, I have to note the spray parks in Arlington. They’ve been a wonderful resource when dealing with stir crazy kids in July and August. My favorite of these is located within Lyon Village Park. It’s fenced, there’s plenty of room to run, and the spray area is well done. It’s also walking distance from the Italian Store for subs. Another great little park with a spray area is located off of Lincoln, just south of I-66.
The big dog in the area is Clemyjontri Park in McClean. I can’t praise this place highly enough. It was built on donated land with the mission of providing play for children of all abilities. The park is fully handicapped accessible and has a number of elements for kids with mobility impairments. The variety of structures must be seen to be believed. It also features a carousel that operates spring through fall. There is parking right there and a satellite lot that is a 5 – 10 minute walk.
If you like farmers markets, consider Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church on Saturday mornings. Finding parking can be difficult, but the park is large and there’s plenty of shopping to do. The park at Mount Vernon School is also a block away from a Saturday farmers market. The play area near Henry Elementary School on Walter Reed is a couple of blocks away from the Columbia Pike market on Sundays.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a few of my favorite places to take the kids, even though they don’t have a play area per se. The Carillon in Arlington is a great area for the kids to run around and the view of the National Mall is spectacular. I have spent many hours on Roosevelt Island with my twins. The paths make it easy to keep track of them. The central monument is also a good area to run around. No bicycles are allowed on the island, removing one potential hazard.
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