Aurora Hills Water Playground

If you’ve got little ones and need to survive a DC-area summer, this spot in Arlington gets the job done. The water features are a genuine hit with the under-10 crowd — nothing fancy, but the kids absolutely do not care. Fair warning: show up on a hot weekend and you’ll be sharing the fountains with half the neighborhood. The open grass field next to it gives parents somewhere to breathe while toddlers burn off energy between sprinkler runs. Best for ages 2-10, and honestly most useful June through August.