In 2006, Clemyjontri Park became Virginia’s first accessible park, where children of all abilities can have a parallel playground experience. Look for the lowered monkey bars, swings with high backs, and rubber ground surfaces so wheelchairs can roll easily.

Founded in 1891, this historic park offers a beautiful vintage carousel and an arts and cultural center with classes, workshops, and performances. Don’t miss the annual Family Day, a kid-centric day of magic shows, storytelling, and face painting.

The Georgetown Waterfront Park provides a gorgeous view at dusk when the lights from the Kennedy Center are glowing across the Potomac River. During the day, kiddos will love the play areas and open space.

Perfect for biking, this 18-mile paved trail stretches from George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate to Theodore Roosevelt Island. Head over to this map for helpful parking locations, and don’t forget the water.

With 1,674 acres, Rock Creek Park is one of America's largest and oldest city parks, so it’s worth a visit. Start at the Nature Center for ranger-led educational programs, and don’t miss the easy half-mile Woodland Trail for aspiring hikers.

This kid-friendly oasis provides a little bit of everything, like a train ride perfect for tots, a carousel, ice rink, dog park, and picnic tables. Sure, it’s a bit farther out of the city than most options on this list, but it’s worth the trek.

A stunning museum with nearly 400,000 square feet dedicated to exploring the African-American story, this museum is a must-see stop for school-aged children to learn about inclusion, injustice, and tolerance.

Sports-addicted kiddos will like the “Leveling the Playing Field” exhibit to learn how sports players fought for equality, while other exhibits teach similar stories through music or fashion. Don’t miss Explore More!, an interactive exhibit where kids can drive an antique car and search for a sunken slave ship. Pro tip: While the museum is free, its popularity means that you’ll likely need timed entry tickets.

Kids eight or older can learn a lot at the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Head to Daniel’s Story, a permanent exhibit that explains the Holocaust from a child’s point of view and don’t miss the end of the exhibit where children can write messages to other visitors about their experience.

For families that enjoy a bit of intrigue, head to the International Spy Museum. Best suited for kids seven years and older, the interactive KidSpy Zone lets you explore fun games and learn to talk like a spy. The museum opened in a newly constructed building in L’Enfant Plaza in 2019.

Located in the Ripley Center on the National Mall, the Discovery Theater is an interactive experience for school-aged children. You can expect weekday puppet shows, music, storytelling, and even mimes.

Head to this Smithsonian museum to see giant dinosaur skeletons and fossils, the world’s largest faceted aquamarine gem, and live butterflies and insects. And while older kids will get the most out of the educational exhibits, younger kids shouldn’t miss the hands-on Discovery Room.

Hains Point, at the southern tip of East Potomac Park, is a waterfront park between the main branch of the Potomac River and the Washington Channel. Enjoy views of the river and plenty of green space and trails for picnics or biking. You can also watch planes taking off and landing at Reagan National Airport.

If your kiddo loves to search the sky, this is a don’t miss. The Air & Space Museum boasts the world’s largest collection of airplanes and spacecraft distributed between 23 galleries. Kids can explore what it’s like to be an astronaut, experience flight simulators, marvel at iconic aviators, and enjoy planetarium shows.

The National Building Museum always has something to offer. Every summer in the Great Hall there is a larger-than-life, interactive installation designed by famous architecture firms. At other times, families can enjoy exhibits like the Building Zone, a hands-on introduction to the building arts for those under six. (Note: The museum will temporarily be closed for renovations from December 2, 2019 until next spring.)

There are plenty of hands-on activities at this top-notch museum; start by diving into ancient cultures at the ImagiNations Activity Center. Kids will have a ball playing drums, listening to a story, and earning badges by playing an interactive quiz show.

Kids love getting mail of their own, so it’s no wonder the National Postal Museum is a hit. Check out this kid-friendly itinerary and don’t miss the chance to make your own stamp design or meet Owney the Dog, the mascot of the Railway Post Office.

While offering one of the best ice skating rinks in the D.C. area, Canal Park also comes with three acres of seasonal markets, dancing fountains (in the summer), and family events. The Northern Block of the park is perfect for picnics and lawn games, while the Middle Block comes with benches with A/C power for laptops and mobile devices. The Southern Block is also worth a visit if hungry as there are a variety of places for eating.

This recently constructed riverfront park offers loads of retail and restaurant options, but the highlight is the riverfront views of the Anacostia. You can also have a picnic on the grass.

Adults will love seeing the columns that originally supported the old East Portico of the Capitol building and a 390-year-old bonsai tree that survived an atomic bomb. But kids should visit the U.S. National Arboretum for the Washington Youth Garden, a one-acre demonstration garden—complete with a stage and sand boxes—where they can learn about, dig, and even water the plants.

Located on the Anacostia River, this waterfront park is perfect for the younger set who want to get active. Families can canoe, kayak, bike, take an interpretive river boat tour, fish off the pier, and explore the many hiking trails. Even in the winter it’s a good spot to stretch your legs and do some bird-watching on a sunnier day.

Enjoy some natural beauty with your family at this gorgeous national park within the city limits. Budding artists can try drawing or painting the waterlilies and lotuses that fill the place. Watch out for various species of birds and other critters, too.

When it snows in D.C., there are few more iconic D.C. activities than sledding on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol building. But it wasn’t always this way: Sledding there was only legalized in 2016. Make memories with the little ones in the shadow of Congress.

This gem in D.C.’s Southwest quadrant is a tranquil place where your kids can watch dozens of ducks waddle and wade. There’s also plenty of seating where adults can relax and read. Afterward, you can walk a few blocks over to the Wharf development and enjoy the waterfront.