Adventure Playground at Wheaton Regional Park

This playground shows up on every list of the area's best parks -- and deservedly so. Jam-packed with cool, challenging climbing equipment, along with super-long slides, sprawling ramps, and a giant blue dome, this is the nirvana of playgrounds. It is designed with older kids in mind, and kids of all ages can have fun here -- as can adults (I tested this out personally, being the dedicated blogger that I am). The slides, dome, and blue web-climbers are the eye-catchers, but even the smaller climbing structures in the playground are surprisingly well-designed and challenging.

It even has bathrooms! And on summer weekends, the Wheaton miniature train and carousel are right down the hill. (They also share a parking lot, which you get to by going down Shorefield Road off Georgia Avenue.)

There are a few drawbacks. The layout and size of the playground make it challenging to keep track of children, which means that despite a very cool younger kids' area with an interesting sandbox, this playground is best for older kids who don't need constant supervision. With younger children, I would want a one-to-one adult-to-child ratio (and even then, it is a challenge to keep a kid in sight, especially if they're doing the slides). There is also not a lot of shade.

But overall, this is a justifiably popular playground, well worth a visit or ten.

Sligo-Bennington Neighborhood Park

I came across this playground while I biking along Sligo Creek, and decided to include it because the blog is short on toddler playgrounds. Every single structure here is appropriate for toddlers, plus there is space to run around and more swings than I've ever seen in a single playground. There is even a low-to-the-ground tire swing! (Only the fourth tire swing I've seen in Montgomery County so far.) 

It's definitely not for older kids -- even a 4-year-olds would probably get bored fast -- but for 2-year-olds, it would be heaven.

 

General Getty Neighborhood Park

Did you know that they still make playgrounds out of wood (or at least, they did back in 1998, when General Getty Playground was built?) And I wasn't the only one who appreciated the novelty; my four-year-old was enamored with this playground's three climbing structures and abundant grassy space. The structures were mostly familiar, but the tiniest bit not to the usual code -- a bit more loosely-constructed, slopes a bit steeper, bars set a bit farther apart -- and that seemed enough to make it really interesting to him.

I suspect the structures would be a bit too basic to hold older kids' attention for long, but if you bring some balls or jump ropes, the huge expanses of grass should provide a great play area.

Bonus: There is a porta-potty stationed in the small parking lot.

Evans Parkway Playground (Silver Spring)

This new playground,  at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Evans Parkway, has several unique structures, including a ladder bridge, a small maze, and a modern-merry-go-round-like thing whose name I don't know (but the kids certainly like it). There's also a long path for biking/scootering, three small hills, and a round colorful space whose purpose I have yet to determine (edit: I'm told it's an echo center -- see the comments for more detail). Very little shade and no bathrooms, but well-worth a visit -- there's enough there to keep kids busy for a long stay, and a shaded picnic area from which you can easily see the whole playground.

Update: There is also a skateboard track, which seems to appear and disappear on a mysterious schedule. I haven't seen skateboarders all that often, but kids on bikes, scooters, and their own two legs also seem to enjoy it.
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Norwood Park (Chevy Chase)

4700 Norwood Dr, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

This tree-lined playground in Chevy Chase has pretty much everything: an extensive set of climbing equipment, including old-fashioned rarities like see-saws, a whirligig, and a tire swing; two tennis courts; long grassy areas; and picnic tables.

There's enough here to keep kids of most ages entertained for a while; the see-saws alone kept my kids busy for a solid half hour. 

Parts of the playground will usually be in shade, thanks to the surrounding trees, and while there is no real bathroom, there are two porta-potties, which make possible the long visit this playground deserves.

Martin Luther King Jr. Playground (White Oak)

1120 Jackson Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904

This playground has an extensive climbing structure that preschoolers will love, a scattering of smaller structures, extensive basketball courts, and a large grassy area. There is also a shaded picnic area and well-maintained bathrooms.

The epicenter of the playground, without question, is its old-fashioned whirligig, which usually has more than a dozen kids on it at once (it took a while to get a picture of it empty!) On most afternoons, there tends to be a good mix of younger kids who want to sit on the whirligig, and older ones who want to push it, which is crucial if you are a parent who values your ability to stand up straight without falling.

Although it is located right next to a school, this is not a school playground - you can go any time.

Sligo Creek/Forest Glenn Playground (Silver Spring)

As far as the internet can tell me, this playground -- set right off the Sligo Creek Trail, near the intersection of Sligo Creek Parkway and Forest Glenn Avenue [click for map] -- doesn't have an official name. It seems fairly new, with a great mix of structures appropriate for various ages -- both toddlers and older elementary school kids will find things to do here.

There's also a basketball court, a stretch of empty field, and plenty of wooded area to play in. A short walk up Sligo Creek trail (over the bridge) will get you to an area of the creek with stepping stones, which is also a favorite.The playground tends to be pretty well-shaded, too, especially in the afternoon.

Glenallen Elementary School Playground (Wheaton-Glenmont)

Located behind Glenallen Elementary School, 12520 Heurich Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20902.

This is a school playground, and so only accessible during non-school hours (we went on a Sunday afternoon). But both my toddler and my 8-year-old were enraptured by its bright, unusual, and challenging climbing structures. There are also large stretches of asphalt chalked with numbers and symbols for various esoteric games that my older kids had no trouble figuring out (or making up).

The playground's main drawback is a complete lack of shade, so if it's hot, aim for early morning or late afternoon.

We parked (legally, I hope) on the near-empty parking lot off Heurich Road, and just walked around the school building to access the playground. I also saw plenty of older kids getting there by foot, mostly to make use of the six-hoop basketball courts.

Hadley's Playground (Potomac)

Located in Falls Road Local Park, 12600 Falls Rd., Potomac MD.

For younger kids, this playground has everything: four entirely separate play structures, a long circular path for scooters, a spread-out grassy area, and even a tire swing (for some reason, a rarity in Montgomery County Playgrounds).

Most of the equipment is geared toward younger children (toddler through 6 years old), but one of the structures has a variety of monkey bars that are challenging for older kids, too. The ground is entirely covered by rubber tile, and although there are no real bathrooms, there is a porta-potty in the parking lot. The only thing lacking is shade, but there is a covered picnic area -- and, when I was there on a Sunday, an ice cream truck parked semi-permanently in the parking lot.

Ellsworth Playground (downtown Silver Spring)

Ellsworth Park [click for map] is a pretty playground in downtown Silver Spring with several play areas and great climbing structures. It also has swings, tennis courts, and some stretches of grass. The structures span all ages, including some fairly difficult blocky climbing structures that attracted the interest of the younger teens who were there doing homework.

 There used to be a library next door, but it has now been closed (hopefully the building will be turned into something else for kids); there's also a clay-painting studio called Color Me Mine down the block.