Playground at 9th & Penn

If you’re in the Penn Quarter area with little ones, this spot is genuinely one of the better urban playgrounds in the city. The splash pad gets heavy use in summer — bring a change of clothes, because kids won’t leave dry. There’s a merry-go-round that older toddlers obsess over, plus climbing structures that give the 5-to-9 crowd something worth their time. Picnic tables make it easy to post up while the kids run it out, and you’re steps from the metro and plenty of places to grab food after.