Clemyjontri Park

Clemyjontri Park

 

Location: 6317 Georgetown Pike McLean, VA 22101 


Park Website

Metro: no convenient Metro access

My Opinion:

Features:

This park is huge!  In some ways it's actually a little too big.  We always feel the need to move on to the next area in order to fit it all in.   Also, keeping an eye on multiple kids is tricky.  Everything is very spread out, so even moving two or three activities away from each other is enough to put too much distance between parent and child..  Clemyjontri pretty much has everything you'd expect a playground to have, and lots of stuff you don't see in most parks.  There's also a carousel, but we don't usually ride it - I'd rather spend my money on the one at Glenn Echo.

What's Unique:

From the park's website: "CLEMYJONTRI PARK features a unique playground where children of all abilities can play side-by-side. It is a playground where every child is welcome.  This park is a place where children who use wheelchairs, walkers or braces, or who have sensory or developmental disabilities, can have a parallel playground experience of fun and exploration."


So that's pretty cool.

All the balancing activities have bars on either side.  Nice for kids that are still working on balance and need a little help.

I also thought this was pretty cool for little ones working on balance.  It starts at about a foot wide and tapers to about six inches.

We thought this was fun.  The bars spin like pedals on a bike so you can keep "climbing" up up up while staying safely near the ground.  A little tricky to coordinate hands and feet though... maybe kids are btter at it than adults.

 A lot of the monkey bars and rings are shorter what you see on most playgrounds.  Even my four year old could jump up to grab on and felt comfortable without me right there to catch him.

 The big kid area is almost like a maze there are so many bridges, platforms at different levels, and slides.  This big kid had fun running around on it too!

 Both my kids shouted "It's an airplane!" when they saw this.  Actually, I think it's a helicopter, but the ramps on either side look like wings.  Regardless, they had fun pretending to fly it and climbing all over it.  Notice the different colored landing pad as well.  The whole playground is covered in colored rubber surfacing, and a lot of these designs add to the fun.

 Like this!  We had some fun races on this multi-colored race track with checkerboard finish line.  There are lots of car themed things to climb on in this area, but nothing that actually moves.  Skateboards, scooters, and bikes, are not allowed in the park, so it will have to be foot races on this track.  A little disappointing since the rubber surface also includes a road complete with traffic circle and road signs - seems like this would make a good place to safely ride or skate, but again you'll just have to walk the road.  My kids weren't interested.

This was probably our favorite spot on the playground.  After wandering through the first time and finding our way out, I stood at the exit and timed the kids to see how quickly they could get through.

Another nice feature of the maze is that some of the panels have something for kids to learn from (like a US map) or some sort of activity (like gears to turn or a tic-tac-toe board).

This rainbow seems like a gateway to the sing area.  There are a variety of swings, some with backs and harnesses, one with two benches that just sways back and forth, and the typical big kid and baby swings.

The rainbow is fun to play on too, but my kids weren't able to climb up very far.  Maybe bigger kids would be able to get to the top.

Restrooms:Yes - nice restrooms and drinking fountain on the parking lot side of the playground.

Sun/Shade: Sunny!  As my daughter said on the ride home form our last visit, "Daddy, there is no shade at that park."  There are some small trees that will eventually grow into some nice shade tress...  for your children's children. There are also some umbrella type structures around the playground, but they don't cover anything that the kids want to play on - good for parents seeking refuge from the sun, but no good if you actually want to get out on the playground to play with your kids.  Go early in the morning. 

Surface:
Springy rubber surface on the whole playground helps avoid hard falls and skinned knees.  

Enclosure: the playground is not fully enclosed

Nearby:

A right on Georgetown Pike and then another right onto Dolley Madison Blvd (Rt. 123) will take you into the heart of McLean where you'll find a Safeway, Papa Johns, McDonald's, and more. 

Jazz in the Sculpture Garden

Jazz in the Sculpture Garden

 

Location: 700 Constitution Ave NW

Metro: 
Archives/Navy Memorial - .2 miles (Green/Yellow)
Federal Triangle - .6 miles (Orange/Blue)
Judiciary Square - .5 miles (Red)

Park Website

My Opinion:

Features:

OK, so technically this is not a playground.  But when it comes to getting outside for some fun with your kids, Jazz in the Sculpture Garden is not to be missed.  My kids love this, so I think it's worth including here.  They love the music, dipping their feet in the fountain, having a picnic, dancing...  what's not to love? 

Every Friday night during the summer, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden hosts a variety of jazz artists.  The music starts at 5:00, and the area fills up pretty quickly.   People sit on the edge of the fountain, spread blankets under the trees, and dance around the band.  The band is always facing the pavilion rather than the fountain, but if you try to stand on the stairway to watch, you'll get shooed away by a guard.  Your best best is to find a comfortable place for a picnic and just enjoy the music even if you can't see the show.  Then walk over closer to the band when the kids are ready to dance.

Check their website to find out who is playing and what style of jazz will be featured.

Restrooms:Yes

Restrooms are located behind the pavilion.  Be ready for a long line.

Sun/Shade:
If you're on the opposite side of the fountain from the stage you'll be in full sun until later in the evening.   There's lots of space under the trees, but plan on getting there early.

Nearby:

There are beverages for sale in the pavilion and at a couple little stands around the fountain.  Signs discourage you from bringing your own, but most picnickers don't seem discouraged at all.  Honestly, I never bothered with any restaurants in the area - better to stay in the sculpture garden and enjoy the music.  Just bring your own food.

Guy Mason Recreation Center

Guy Mason Recreation Center

 

Location: 3600 Calvert St., NW Washington, DC 20007

Metro: 

Tenley Town - 1.9 miles
Dupont Circle - 2 miles
Rosslyn - 2 miles 

I'd go with Rosslyn since it's a nicer walk across Key Bridge and through Georgetown

Park Website

My Opinion:

 Features:

The playground has everything you'd expect, slides, stuff to climb on, swings, a teeter-totter, and a nice sandbox.  It was upgraded about a year ago.  The original equipment is still there, but they've added some nice new things to play with.
 

What's Unique:

One of the most popular features is the tube the connects two sections of the playground.  It's only about eight feet long, but kids seem to love it.  For little ones, it's a bridge between the smaller play area and a higher section - a place little kids wouldn't be able to get to if not for this cool blue connector.  The tube has port holes every couple feet, so parents can peek in on kids, or reach in a try to surprise them as they crawl through.

There's also a track-like set of monkey bars.  Rather than a series of bars that kids need to swing between, there are just two parallel bars that kids can slide their hands along.  Nice for little arms that aren't long enough to reach form one bar to the next.

This playground was nice before it was expanded - now it's great.  The area that was once just a pile of sand is now a great sandbox boarded by a bridge and a wooden house that seems to double as a lemonade stand for some kids.  Like most playgrounds, the sandbox if full of toys, some a little worse for wear after being outside all the time.

My favorite part of the playground is a circle of stepping stones.  They're made out of a material similar to the rubbery surface some playgrounds have covering the ground, and are spaced just far enough apart of be challenging for kids of all sizes.  

There's also a music area with a xylophone and drums.  

There  used to be a very cool spinning cup that kids could sit in.  It was at a slight angle so by rocking back and forth, kids could really get it spinning.  Unfortunately, the last time I there, the cup had been replace by an orange cone.  Hopefully it will return soon - it was a big hit and on busy days a line would form.


Restrooms:Yes

There are restrooms in the recreation center, but because the center is not always open when we're at the park, we usually just walk to the nearby Whole Foods if there's an emergency.

Sun/Shade: There are large trees around the outside of the playground and another large tree in the center, so part of the playground is shady no matter what time of day.

Surface: Wood chips

Enclosure: The playground is not fully enclosed.  There's a fence the two sides that border a street.  The other two sides have fences for a basketball court and a baseball diamond, but there are wide stretches between with not fence, and there are stairs leading to Wisconsin Ave with not gate.  That said, there's a lot of green space around the playground and I always feel like I'm able to keep an eye on my kids. 

Nearby:

There's a Whole Foods right next to the park.  They have a great food bar and  brick pizza oven if you need something quick for lunch or a snack.  A little farther down Wisconsin on the opposite side there's a CVS and a Starbucks.  Rocklands BBQ is right across Wisconsin from the park - yep, that's where that amazing smell is coming from.  There are a few other restaurants right in that area, and father north on Wisconsin you'll find Cafe Deluxe and Cactus Cantina, both pretty kid friendly. 

Glen Echo

Glen Echo

 

Location: 7300 MacArthur Blvd Glen Echo, MD 20812
The parking lot is actually at 5801 Oxford Road.

National Park Service Website

and Glen Echo Park Website 
 

My Opinion:

Features:

 No one goes to Glen Echo for the playground, but if you're there for the carousel or a puppet theater performance, having a playground nearby is a nice bonus.  The playground is fairly small with just a couple things to climb on, a short slide, and three swings.  On a nice weekend, the swings are a hot item since there's only three.  The playground was recently redone, with some new equipment and a new spongy rubber surface.

What's Unique:

The real attraction is the carousel.   If you live in the DC area and have never ridden it, make plans to go.  It is a treat for kids and adults.  The 1921 Dentzel Carousel is open Saturdays & Sundays, noon - 6 pm; Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 am - 2 pm. Cost is $1.25 per ride.  We never tire or riding it, at the Wurlitzer band organ that accompanies the ride can be heard all over the park.

The Puppet Co. Playhouse, Adventure Theater, and a whole catalog of classes and activities make the park a great place for kids.  Check their website for more details.

On the playground itself, this new addition seems to be a big hit.  Lots of ways to climb around on it.

This older part of the playground is still a lot of fun.

This tipsy balance beam is also a fun challenge.

Restrooms:Yes

Nicely maintained and clean restrooms.

Sun/Shade:There's not much shade on the playground, but there's a nice group of trees nearby with lots of picnic tables.

Nearby:

Other than the snack bar in the park, The Irish Inn at Glenn Echo is the closest restaurant.  You can actually walk there by going beyond the Cuddle Up and Hall of Mirrors building.  There's a small set of stairs that lead to the restaurant's parking lot.  For other options, a right onto MacArthur will point you toward the Safeway at 4701 Sangamore Rd and some other stores in the same plaza.

Palisades Playground

Palisades Playground

 

Location: 5200 Sherier Place, NW Washington, DC 20016
Finding the park can be a little tricky.  Look for Listrani's Italian Restaurant on MacArthur as a landmark then turn onto Dana.  Check the map.

Park Website

My Opinion:

Features:

This is a cool old park, full of lots of wooden things to climb on and through.  There are two sections, one for older kids and one for younger kids.  Slides, swings, and a sandbox, but the best part is really the wooden walkways, bridges, and little houses.  For some reason the big kid swings outside the fence beside the rec center - I didn't notice them at first.

What's Unique:

This place is full of stuff that you don't see at other playgrounds.  Not sure when it was built, but they don't make them like they used to.  No plastic gear with smooth surfaces and rounded corners here.  Except for the slides, it's mostly wood, metal, and tires. That's right tires!

All the tires look fairly new and seem pretty clean.  My kids were climbing all over them and went home with clean clothes.  There is one ramp covered with half tires that seems unsafe where the tires are coming apart.  They've been duct taped to cover the splits and cracks, but there's wires sticking through.  I told my kids to steer clear of the ramp - they were fine with it - there's enough other stuff to climb on.

Most playgrounds have a climbing wall these day, but Palisades has one made out of wood and it's pretty challenging.  There are two walls, one at a slight angle and a second one that's straight up and down.

This is a good spot for kids learning how to do the monkey bars.  These bars have a slight decline to them if you start on the platform.  It's just a little bit easier to grab for the next bar when it is lower.  Plus one side has bars on short chains so there's enough of a swing to help get you to the next bar.  They're also pretty low to the ground.

Someone was really thinking when they put this car together.  Four steering wheels so there's no fighting over who gets to drive.

Restrooms:Yes

Restrooms are located in the recreation center right next to the playground.  Although there are outside doors to the restrooms, they are only unlocked when the recreation center is open.

Sun/Shade: Partial sun
The area south of the park is wooded and there are some trees on the north side of the playgrounds as well.  The playground area seems to be shaded in the morning and sunny mid-day, although this may vary depending on the season.

Nearby:

A left back onto MacArthur will take you to a few restaurants...  Listrani's, Bambu, and DC Boathouse farther down.  I haven't been to anyone of them, but from the street they look like they're a little too fancy for bringing kids after a good run around a playground.  There's also a Starbucks in that direction.  A right on MacArthur will get you to a Safeway, CVS, and a Marvelous Market.  Good spot to grab a quick sandwich, coffee, pastry, juice, etc. and definitely kid friendly.  There's also a DC public library right across the street.

Cabin John Regional Park

Cabin John Regional Park

 

Location:
7400 Tuckerman Ln, Rockville, MD 20852

Park Website

My Opinion:

Features:

This playground has it all.  Slides, swings, and lots of things to climb on.  The closest area to the parking lot has a nice toddler play area with train cars to climb through.  Moving around in a circle, the play areas get progressively bigger, so there is really something here for any age child.  Both of my kids where excited about the big slides and enjoyed climbing up to a balcony on the big kid playground and then navigating their way through tubes and over bridges.  The entire playground is big enough that it got a little tricky keeping track of where they were.  Both of them agreeing to stick to one area at a time helped.

What's Unique:

The most popular aspect of the park is probably the miniature train ride.  The train leaves the station every half hour and takes a relaxing fifteen minute ride through the wooded areas of the park.  On nice weekends, every seat fills up, so it's worth waiting in line to board.  If you show up right before the train is scheduled to leave, chances are you won't get a seat and end up waiting a half hour for the next ride.  I'd suggest choosing a car near the back of the train.  Even though it looks like an old time steam engine, there's a gasoline engine under the hood.  If you're tempted to sit up front thinking you have a better view, the fumes will have you wondering the the engineer is really just mowing the lawn.

The park also includes indoor tennis, an indoor ice skating rink, lots of trails, a nature center an amphitheater, and campground. Check their website for details.

Standouts on the playground include this little contraption.  The blue part on top spins, and it's at a slight angle so a rider's weight helps keep it spinning.  The label says ages 5-12, but I'm convinced they put this in for the parents.  Kids will get a kick out of hanging on to the ring as you give it a spin, but don't let them have all the fun.  Get a running start and grab on.  You'll feel like Peter Pan as the centrifugal force pulls your feet outward, and you'll be surprised at how long you can keep yourself spinning.

One of the smaller play areas has the maze-like structure.  I'm always surprised at how long kids can entertain themselves in one of those plastic playhouses, going in and out of the doors and peeking out the windows.  These little cubes with all their doors and windows multiplies the fun.

This one brought my four year old running from the other side of the playground.  He's totally into construction equipment, so he had a blast climbing all over this and pretending to make it go.

Kids also thought these little climbing blocks were fun and had a good time dropping down into the "trap door."  It seems like kids are savvy enough to recognize the same old same old, so even something as simple as blocks to climb on stands out when it's something they don't see every day.

I thought this climbing bridge was pretty cool to.  These days, most playgrounds seem to have some sort of climbing wall, but being able to climb along the length of this made climbing more fun, and pretending there was actually water under the bridge (with alligators!) made things more interesting too.

Restrooms:Yes

Several single stall restrooms are very close to the playground.  Each has a Vacant/Occupied slide lock on the door.  This makes it a little easier for a family trip to the restrooms.  But these facilities out in mother nature... when we stopped by they were less than perfectly clean and a couple bugs had found their way inside.

Sun/Shade: Partial sun.  There are many large trees surrounding the playground, and it covers enough area that at any time during the day there should be some part of the playground that is shaded.

Nearby:

Take a left out of the park onto Tuckerman and there's a small shopping plaza with a CVS and restaurants just a minute down the road.  From there a right on Seven Locks Road will get you to a McDonald's. 
A right out of the park, and then another right onto Westlake Drive will take you to Montgomery Mall as well as other plazas with restaurants.