Piedmont Park

With moderate temperatures and an abundance of long, sunny afternoons beckoning you to head outdoors, spring in Atlanta is one of the best times of year to get outside and explore your new community.

Below, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite metro area parks and playgrounds to spend an afternoon with the kids. The best part? Essentially every Atlanta neighborhood, both inside the perimeter (ITP) and outside the perimeter (OTP) is just a hop, skip and a jump away from a great place for little ones to play and meet new friends. Plus, check out the kid-approved highlights and top features for each playground.

Outside the Perimeter

Brook Run Park

4770 N Peachtree Road

Dunwoody, GA 30338

Open daily 7 a.m.-9 p.m.

With more than 100 acres of wooded area, including a dog run, 2-mile trail loop, a skate park, a community garden, Treetop Quest ropes course and an awning-covered playground, Brook Run Park is one of the largest in the metro area.

Playground at Caney Creek Preserve

Caney Creek Preserve

2755 Caney Road

Cumming, GA 30041

March-October: 6 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

November-February: 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

A spider web-like climbing structure, a dinosaur dig area and a water play feature highlight this shady Forsyth County playground. Nearby are 1.2 miles of forest-covered walking trails and rentable pavillions. The playground, dog park and amphitheater are most easily accessible of the northern entrance (there are two on Caney Road).

Gary Pirkle Park

5030 West Broad St.

Sugar Hill, 30518

Covered by a 90-foot solar-powered shelter pavilion, this gigantic playground is surrounded by 67 acres of woods with Richland Creek running through, as well as 1.7 miles of paved, lighted walking trails, restrooms, a community garden and activity barn.

East Cobb Park

3322 Roswell Road

Marietta, GA 30068

Open daily 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

This 20-plus acre public park offers playgrounds, walking paths, picnic areas, fields and creek overlooks. Nonprofit Friends for the East Cobb Park coordinates seasonal events, including Sunday Funday, a weekly spring through fall event featuring free musical entertainment and activities.

Stone Mountain Playground

1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd.

Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Located inside Stone Mountain Park approximately 3/4 of a mile past the West Gate, you can pay $15 for a day visit or $40 for the year to not only access the play area, but to also enjoy the natural wonders of Stone Mountain all year long. The playground is a climbing-loving kid’s dream, and is surrounded by picnic tables, covered pavilions and expansive greenspace perfect for an afternoon picnic.

PlayTown Suwanee

PlayTown Suwanee

425 Main St.

Suwanee, 30024

More than 1,200 volunteers built this 10,000-square-foot playground over five days in June 2004. It has everything, from a magical bus and a climbing wall to slides and swings. There is a rentable pavilion nearby as well as picnic tables, public art installations and restrooms.

Sandy Springs Playable Art Park

70 Abernathy Road NW

Sandy Springs, GA 30328

Open daily 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Inside the Abernathy Greenway Linear Park, kids can jump on, swing from and slide down six art installations, designed specifically for play by artists from around the world.

Kidzstock Park in Woodstock

Kidzstock

11905 Georgia Highway 92

Woodstock, GA 30188

Open daily 8 a.m. until dark

Built next to Woodstock First Baptist Church and open to the community, the playground offers lots of play areas, including a toddler area for ages 2-5. Even after a rainy day, the playground stays safe and dry with the recycled rubber tire ground covering. The play structures, featuring several slides and climbing apparatuses, are made from materials that don’t get as hot on sunny days.

Kennesaw Skatepark at Swift-Cantrell Park

Swift-Cantrell Park

3140 Old 41 Highway NW

Kennesaw, GA 30144

Open daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

At 42 acres, this is the City of Kennesaw’s largest park, featuring two age-appropriate playgrounds, three picnic pavilions, 1.5 miles of asphalt trails, a dog park and a lighted, 40,000-square-foot skate park in a 130-acre recreation area. For the last three years, the park has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for consistently receiving great reviews on the travel site.

Webb Bridge Park

4780 Webb Bridge Road

Alpharetta, GA 30005

Open daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

This shaded, wooden playground has bridges, towers, slides, a covered sandbox, monkey bars and an artificial creek that kids can wade in. Located in a multi-use park, families can also enjoy soccer and baseball fields, trails, tennis courts and picnic areas.

Inside the Perimeter

DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Playground

2000 Park Drive NE

Atlanta, GA 30306

You might be surprised to find such a fun, kid-friendly spot near Atlanta’s second-busiest airport. But The DeKalb Peachtree Airport is unique in that it offers a spectacular view of the runway perfect for a day full of fun with your miniature aviators in tow. You and your kiddos can spend an afternoon watching small engine and private airplanes take off from and land on the runway from the play area, which offers lots of climbing and swinging options and a picnic and pavilion area with a view of all the airport action.

All Children’s at Centennial Olympic Park

265 Park Ave. W NW

Atlanta, GA 30313

Open daily 7 a.m.-11 p.m.

This Downtown Atlanta public playground was built for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and features multi-sensory playscapes with bongo drums, slides and swings. The park also offers free concerts, a dancing water fountain for the kids and a memorial quilt in remembrance of the victims of the 1996 Olympic bombing. With its close proximity to the Georgia Aquarium and Children’s Museum, you could make this playground pit stop after a visit to one of the city’s major tourist attractions.

Historic Fourth Ward Park

Historic Fourth Ward Playground

680 Dallas St. NE

Atlanta, GA 30308

Open daily 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Settled along the Atlanta BeltLine in 17 acres of greenspace, this park has been transformed in the last few years, with two new playgrounds, a splashpad, an outdoor theater, athletic fields and a 2-acre lake. The playgrounds feature climbing structures, slides, swings, rock walls, and there are several dedicated areas for toddlers, pre-schoolers, grade-schoolers and up.

Piedmont Park - Mayor’s Grove and Noguchi Playscape

400 Park Drive

Atlanta, GA 30306

Open daily 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

The city’s iconic Piedmont Park has not one, but two awesome playground offerings. Mayor’s Grove Playground is designated a Boundless Playground, which means it’s specifically designed to allow children with and without disabilities to play together. Located near the 12th Street Gate, the Noguchi Playscape was designed by world-renowned artist and sculptor Isamu Noguchi to familiarize children with shapes, colors and textures. n

Grant Park

840 Cherokee Ave. SE

Atlanta, GA 30315

Surprisingly serene for a playground inside the city, Grant Park’s playground is kept pristine by the city and Grant Park Conservancy and surrounded by trails and park space. Swings and slides keep the older kids happy while a separate toddler area features baby swings and bouncers.

Mason Mill Park

1340 McConnell Drive

Decatur, GA 30033

Open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Two playgrounds, one for older children and one for toddlers, are highlighted by a giant pirate ship and three-story treehouse. With restrooms located between the two fenced-in play areas, this is a great option for families with children of varying ages. Families can also enjoy a picnic area with grills, a recreation center and off-leash dog park.