When the sun is blazing, nothing beats a sprayground or waterpark to keep children feeling cool and refreshed. This summer, tear the little ones (and the tweens!) away from the tablets and the television, and shuttle them off to these great spots for water play.
Spraygrounds
Drew Park — Operates Monday and Thursday from 2-8 p.m., Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon-8 p.m. The sprayground is closed Tuesdays. Limited street parking and community center parking are available. Click here to read the Arlington County sprayground rules. // 3514 22nd St. S., Arlington
Hayes Park — Open Monday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday and Friday from 2-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon-8 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. Parking is available on site, as well as at Arlington Science Focus Elementary. // 1516 N. Lincoln St., Arlington
Lyon Village Park — Hours are Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Wednesday and Friday from 2-8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon-8 p.m. Closed Thursday. Limited two-hour street parking. // 1800 N. Highland St., Arlington
Mosaic Park — Closed until further notice for maintenance. Click here for the latest information. // 544 N. Pollard St., Arlington
Penrose Square — Open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. six days a week. Closed Wednesdays. Limited parking available. // 2597 Columbia Pike, Arlington
Potomac Yard Park — Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily Memorial Day through Labor Day, and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Labor Day through mid-October. Click here for fountain rules. // 2501 Potomac Ave., Alexandria
Virginia Highlands Park — Open daily from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Street parking is available and park is Metro-accessible. // 1600 S. Hayes St., Arlington
Water Parks
Atlantis Waterpark — Embrace the dark with a 170-foot enclosed slide or opt for an even lengthier open slide at Atlantis, one of five waterparks operated by NOVA Parks. There’s also a large pool, play island, dumping bucket, water cannons, baby pool and a sand area. Visit site for hours and admission. // 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville
Great Waves Waterpark — Shimmy down five water slides, float along in a large wave pool, and get soaked on the splash pad at this Alexandria family-fun destination. Click here for hours and ticket prices. // 4001 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria
Ocean Dunes Waterpark — Ocean Dunes’ big selling points are many, including a giant pool, a 500-gallon dumping bucket and two water slides. While you’re there, try your hand (and foot) at scaling Climb UPton, an impressive ropes course just off the parking lot. Click here for hours and admission to the waterpark. // 6060 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Pirate’s Cove Waterpark — Make your inner pirate happy at this entertainment-filled waterpark, where you’ll find a large dumping bucket, waterslides, water-spraying palm trees and a sandy refuge known as Buccaneer Beach. Admission and hours info appears on their site. // 6501 Pohick Bay Drive, Lorton
The St. James — Score a waterpark experience even on a rainy day at this indoor park. The fun includes several slides, water-dumping buckets and multidirectional sprayers. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $20 for non-members, free for members. // 6805 Industrial Road, Springfield
Volcano Island Waterpark — For the littlest Volcano Island visitors, find fountains, squirters and a tiny slide. For the older ones, take advantage of large slides, a splash pad and a large-scale version of 1980s phenomenon Simon. Oh, and stick around to play a few holes at the nearby golf course. Click here for ticket and hours info. // 20015 Volcano Island Drive, Sterlin