Great Atlanta Playgrounds for Kids

1. Morgan Falls Overlook Park—Sandy Springs

This 30-acre riverside park feels like a bit of Switzerland in Atlanta. The playground is loaded with play structures including rocking animals, swings, a spider climbing tower, and a separate area for toddlers. It also features synthetic grass that stays cool year-round as well as sunshades to keep metal bars cool in the hottest months. The surrounding park features wooden porch swings overlooking the river, covered picnic pavilions with provisions for grilling, a massive fire pit, and a boat dock. A seasonal outfitter shop also offers stand-up paddleboard, kayak, and canoe rentals.

2. Chastain Memorial Park and Playground—Buckhead  

This longtime favorite's playground shoulders a slope of the park, which features a walking trail that winds around the golf course and baseball field. Within walking distance from the playground, there's a horse farm, tennis courts, an outdoor amphitheater (that hosts big, touring acts), as well as more walking trails, and an arts center. The playground includes a climbing structure, observation tower, sensory tunnel, musical equipment, long slides, toddler playhouses, and shade structures.

RELATED: 16 Great Splash Pads and Spraygrounds in Atlanta for Kids

Cool down in the splash pad at Historic Fourth Ward Park and Playground. Photo courtesy of the park

3. Historic Fourth Ward Park and Playground—Historic Fourth Ward   

This Atlanta playground is one of several situated along the Atlanta Beltline—the sprawling paved pedestrian walkway, bicycle, and rollerblade trail that loops around Atlanta's urban hub. This playground features an adjacent sprayground for hotter months. Playground equipment includes swings shaped like large bowls, a ropes course connected to a trampoline, a reverse slide, and a rock-climbing rope. There's also a skate park where older kids and thrill seekers can catch some serious air.

4. East Cobb Park and Playground—Marietta   

The playground is considered one of the best in East Cobb (and is dog friendly). There are two distinct play areas—one with a ramp to accommodate wheelchairs as well as several play structures and equipment for toddlers and preschool-age children, including swings, slides, monkey bars, and climbing structures. The park is known for its spacious layout and numerous surrounding walking trails. There's also an adjacent creek and open grassy area to enjoy.

RELATED: 15 Pumpkin Patches Near Atlanta for Fall Family Fun

Kids can engage in imaginative play at Wills Park Playground. Photo courtesy of Wills Park

5. Wills Park Playground—Alpharetta 

This playground set in vast Wills Park is one of the biggest and most well maintained in Alpharetta. There are three distinct areas at this playground near Atlanta—Wacky World, featuring a mock wooden fairytale kingdom that inspires imaginative play; the Yellow Playground for younger children; and the Purple Playground, which offers more shade during hotter summer months. In the summer, families visiting the park can cool off with a dip at nearby Wills Park Pool, a spacious, clean, and family-friendly public pool with splash pads, slides, and dedicated swim lanes. Bonus? Your four-legged babies can play in Waggy World Paw Park inside Wills Park.

6. Brook Run Playground—Dunwoody  

This is one of the largest playgrounds in Dunwoody, featuring play areas separated for older and younger children, with several sets of monkey bars, slides, and swings. There are shaded picnic areas perfect for scheduled food truck nights. The park hosts frequent festivals and outdoor movie nights and is also home to aerial adventure park TreeTop Quest, which features a self-guided obstacle course with 12 ziplines. Reservations for TreeTop Quest must be made in advance. Brook Run also features a skate park and a dog park.

7. Kidscape Village at Cobb Park—Smyrna

This park is located just west of downtown Smyrna and features play structures for kids of all ages. It has been outfitted with new plastic and metal play equipment to inspire creativity and exploration among children. There are climbing walls for going up and over, boulders to climb, and a large spider web structure. The toddler play area has smaller swings and slides. Kids delight over the telescope and train structures, and most of the playground is shaded with giant umbrellas. The colorful playscapes allow for climbing, swinging, or sliding.

8. Logan Farm Park Playground—Acworth

This park is set among 120 acres of greenspace in the heart of downtown Acworth. The playground features a 25-foot tower, climbing structures, and a spider climbing net. Much of the playground is shaded, and the area around the swings features rubber flooring for a smooth landing. Visitors to Acworth can tour the historic downtown area and admire restored buildings that date from the early 1800s. Also worth the trip to Acworth—Lake Allatoona is a clean, well-kept lake that's becoming a top destination for kayakers and boaters.

Westside Park will eventually be 280 acres, the largest park in Atlanta, with enough outdoor space for all families of shapes and sizes. Photo by Bill Leffler

9. Westside Park—Atlanta

Westside Park, with about 250 acres, is one of the largest parks in metro Atlanta. And what kid wouldn't want to play at the site of a former quarry, now filled with the city's emergency water supply?! Westside Park's playground includes a climbing structure with two slides as well as a slide built directly into the natural surrounding of rock. There's also suspended wooden beams, saucer swings, a rotating disc attraction, and percussion instruments.

10. Mason Mill Playground — Decatur  

This intown park features two separate playgrounds suitable for older and younger kids. A pirate-ship play area and treehouse encourage kids to climb and slide. There's a community garden adjacent to the park where families can adopt a plot of land to grow plants. There is also a basketball court and a large green area with benches and covered picnic pavilions. The surrounding area of Mason Mill Park features a 120-acre forest known to have some of the best hiking and biking trails in DeKalb County. 

Abernathy Greenway's playground combines art and play equipment into a super cool outdoor space. Photo by Melanie Preis

11. Abernathy Greenway Park - Sandy Springs

Drive down Johnson Ferry Road, through Sandy Springs, and you'll catch a glimpse of the colorful Abernathy Greenway Park playground. Any time my family is in the area, my kids beg to pull the car over so they can play on the "giant spider!" This yellow, spiderlike, playable art sculpture is one of six located in the green space, in addition to swings and more. The huge slides and colorful metal sculptures are a cool way to bridge art and play for kids of all ages. FYI: Bring sunscreen as there isn't too much available shade on the playground.

12. Roswell Area Park - Roswell

Roswell Area Park's playground is the ultimate in fun for all ages! This sprawling playground features countless swings, climbing structures, slides, dizzying spinners, and a mini zipline (just to name a few). Families have access to bathrooms, picnic tables, shaded area, and an area reserved just for younger kids. Since the playground sits next to the various sports fields, the City of Roswell's gymnastics and dance building, arts building, swimming pool, multipupose gymnasium, tennis courts, and even more recreational facilities, it's a great spot to play before any nearby classes start.