INDOOR & OUTDOOR PLAY: MARYLAND FAMILY GUIDE

I hope this list helps inspire family fun! Some ideas are outdoors; while others are indoors. There is activities for every age, interest and comfort level. This article will be updated frequently, as things are always changing in Southern Maryland area. Be sure to visit each attractions website first before visiting to get most up to date information.

BEACHES

  • Breezy Point Beach & Campground- Enjoy the riches of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. Onsite parking and beach access no hiking required. ($)
  • Calvert Cliffs State Park– Enjoy a walk along a lovely nature trail leading to a beautiful beach. ($5 per vehicle)
  • Colonial Beach– Enjoy the beach and boardwalk just a short drive over the bridge into King George, VA. (Paid Public Parking)
  • Chapel Point State Park – Chapel Point is an undeveloped multi-use park on the beautiful Port Tobacco River. Parking is close to access point of the beach so not a long hike. (Free)
  • Elms Beach– Elm’s Beach is a peaceful beach to bring your family and friends for a day of fun in the water. With over 500 ft. of shoreline, this wide and long beach along the Chesapeake Bay will make your summer vacation memories worthwhile. ($7 per vehicle)
  • Flags Pond Nature Park – Take a nature walk down to the beach. ($5 per vehicle)
  • Greenwell State Park–  Beautiful beach with a short beautiful short hike. Sand is soft.
  • Newtown Neck State Park– This is a fun beach with rocky sand. ($)
  • North Beach– This is the perfect spot if you are looking for a tradition beach with a boardwalk.
  • Point Look Out State Park– This peaceful park is on a peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River in St. Mary’s County.
  • Purse State Park – This beach is know for being the perfect spot to collect sharks teeth and find fossils. (Limited Street Parking/Free)
  • Snow Hill Park– Enjoy sandy toes at this easy to access beach in St. Mary’s county.
  • Wicomico Shores– In the back of Wicomico shores neighborhood is a quaint little beach available during low tide, fishing pier and boat access water front area. Picnic tables, play ground and bathroom facilities available. (Free)

FAMILY FUN

  • Action Jaxx-  Action Jaxx center offers 5,000 square foot of fun featuring a giant indoor jungle gym, huge inflatable slides and obstacle course and video games. Action Jaxx Playful Parent Guide Link.
  • Escape From the Past– Escape from the Past is a locally owned and operated escape room located in Southern Maryland. We offer a fun, challenging, and original escape room experience you won’t find anywhere else. Our unique escape rooms are designed and built by the owners and employees here at EFTP. It is full of fun and adventure, and is a great team building activity. We currently have two rooms to escape from! In Cell Block 99 you find yourself in prison and must try to escape before the guard catches you. If you want something a little more mysterious, our Moll Dyer room takes you back to Leonardtown in the 1600s where you will find out if our local witch legend was true or not. Do you think you can Escape From the Past?
  • Imaginarium– You won’t want to miss registering for an open play session or special event at the Imaginarium; featuring amazing indoor wooden play grounds and imaginative play stations. Imaginarium Playful Parent Guide Link
  • Imagining With Me– Imaginging With Me encourages imaginative play, offers opportunities for social interactions and promotes child parent bonding. The play space features eight tiny town type rooms with toys and activities to learn and grow in. These rooms include make believe: grocery store, restaurant, construction site, science lab, doctor’s office, doll house, and toddler room. Many Children’s Museum and Tiny Towns such as the Children’s Museum in Bethesda inspired the creation of Imagining With Me. In addition, there is a party room, making this new spot the perfect location for parties and fundraisers. Playful Parent Guide Link
  • Joyland– Joyland is a cosmic play center featuring an outer space-themed indoor play structure, in which little ones can rocket down slides, play galactic games, and engage in imaginative play. The layout provides a place for parents to let gravity sink in, so you sit back and relax while you watch your shooting star zoom around the system. Playful Parent Guid Link
  • My Gym– This is our favorite place to take the kids. From weekly classes to parents night out they offer great programs for littles. My Gym has two locations Waldorf and St. Mary’s.
  • Play-N-Stuff– Located in Callaway is a indoor play center designed for children and young adults. This entertainment hub features an indoor playground, arcade games, a laser tag arena, and virtual reality experiences, providing something for everyone—reservation is recommended for indoor play. The arcade, laser tag, and virtual reality are walk-ins. Non-slip socks are required when using the kid’s indoor playground.
  • RH Escape Room– RH Escape room center offers adventures in which players find clues, crack codes and use their sleuth prowess to solve a series of puzzles within a certain time frame to escape a themed room. With the clock counting down, you may make it, you may not.  But one thing is for sure. You’re going to have fun!
  • Scary Strokes– Located in the heart of Waldorf is a fun indoor miniature golf course and arcade.
  • Sky Zone– Enjoy a glow jump, open jump or toddler time!
  • The STEAM Room– Growth, development and learning opportunities through play are available at the STEAM room. You will find; loose parts play, hands-on games, pretend play, activity nooks and more. Every activity is an opportunity to build socialization skills and exercise those creativity muscles! Rent the space for moms clubs, daycares and parties.

FISHING SPOTS

  • Tilghman Lake– This quaint park has a lovely lake for fishing, walking trail and pavilion.
  • Gilbert Run– This park has it all…play ground, paddle boats, zip line, walking trails and more.
  • Smallwood State Park– This is great spot for fishing on a pier and a ramp for docking boats.

GARDENS & FARMS

  • Annmarie Sculpture Garden– You will love this garden that has tones for children to do. Don’t miss seeing the Fairy and Gnome homes this spring/summer!
  • Clark’s Elioak Farm– Let your imagination run wild at Clark’s Elioak Farm, where fairy tales and nursery rhymes are brought to life. With over 25 figures and play sets based on nursery rhymes and fairytales, a interactive petting farm, enchanted forest, hayrides and cow train ride, learning has never been more fun! 
  • Fall Festivals & Farms– Be sure to check local farms that offer fall festivals and pick your own pumpkins in September-October.
  • Gold Petal Farms– This whimsical sunflower maze is like exploring a living labyrinth.
  • Strawberry Farms– Be prepared for strawberry season this May 2024 – June 2024. Pick your own strawberries. Here’s a local guide to find a farm near you.
  • Tettimer’s Rolling Acres Farm– This farm has evolved over the years, but there was always one constant… It was always a farm for the family and now they share it with yours! This farm has events and oppurtunities to visit the farm year round. Play areas, bounce pillow and petting zoo make this spot fun all year round.

IMAGINATIVE PLAY GROUNDS WORTH TRAVELING TO

  • Calvert County Parks– Out of all the Southern Maryland Counties, Calvert County has done the best with building new playgrounds and renovating their older parks. The imaginary playground structures are comparative to those in PG county and are worth traveling to. I love
  • Charles County Parks– Here is a full list of parks in Charles County. I find that many of the parks are safe and fun; however, CCPR hasn’t majorly renovated or had a new playground in over 25 years. That being said, Pisgah Park is a secret gem in Charles County perfect for families. You will enjoy this unique park that has a paved walking path and imaginary playgrounds stationed around the park. Bring a bike or scooter for added awesomeness. If you are looking for shade during the summer consider White Plains Park.
  • St. Mary’s County Parks– The link will take you to a full list of parks avaible in the area. I recommend Miedzinski Park located in downtown Leonardtown. What makes this park awesome is that it’s a fully gated play ground recently renovated with unique structures, and some shade. The town of Leonardtown is lovely, we also enjoy local restaurants and treats at Heritage Chocolate’s. Don’t miss walking the Wharf or visiting the new library, both just a few miles drive down the road.
  • Smallwood State Park– This agriculture themed play ground is located at the back of Smallwood State Park near the camp ground and historic buildings. Children of all ages will love the new play space that has multiple areas to engage in open play. From climbing to sliding and playing make believe to swinging; there is something fun for everyone. The  unique equipment design is very whimsical and entertaining. The design reminds me a lot of the Woodlawn playground at Walkers Mill Park in District Heights, Maryland.
  • PG County Parks– These are my top three favorite playgrounds you need to visit at least once if you have kids. Walker Mill Regional Park– PG county has some of the best parks, this one is our favorite! Watkins Regional– There’s no place like home at this creative play ground that looks like a scene straight out of The Wizard of Oz. Wheaton Park– Visit this fun playground that will make your kids go crazy.

MUSEUMS & EDUCATIONAL

  • Aviation Museum– The museum is now open Wednesday’s and Saturdays!
  • Baltimore Science Center– If you have a little one that loves STEAM than this is the place to be!
  • Be with Me Playseum– Children are able to explore, discover and play in our uniquely designed city shops, created to mimic mom and dad’s world but uniquely scaled to their size.
  • B&O Railroad– Learn all about locomotives and even catch a ride.They now have a steam engine!!!
  • Calvert Marine Museum– The museum is open to the public and is even offering children’s programs. See their calendar for information on Little Minnows.
  • Clear Water Nature Center– The nature center at Cosco Regional Park in PG county is now open by reservation.
  • Fort Washington– The National park is currently open and free to the public. Outdoor exhibits are open; however, indoor buildings and visitors center are closed.
  • Historic St. Mary’s– Explore this historic city that is an outdoor living history museum.
  • Jefferson Patterson Museum– Where History and Nature Surround You. 560 scenic acres along the Patuxent River in Calvert County, Maryland.
  • Libraries- Many of the Southern Maryland libraries are either open or open soon! St. Mary’s County library buildings are open, Charles County libraries are open by appointment for some in building services and hope to open at great capacity soon!
  • Maryland Zoo– Explore and learn about animals big and small.
  • National Aquarium– Take a trip that will inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures.
  • PAX Museum– This museum is all about preserving the history and heritage of Naval Aviation.
  • Port Discovery Children’s Museum– Visit one of the top most rated Children’s Museums in our nation located in Baltimore, Maryland.
  • St. Clements Island Museum– St. Clements has lots of educational programs planned for the Spring and Summer be sure to check out their website.

POOLS

  • Brandywine Aquatic Center– This brand new state of the art aquatic center which opened up March 29, 2021 to the public.
  • Charles County Public Pools– Charles County has open swim available and open to the public, see their calendar for dates and times.
  • Cove Point Pool– This is the perfect oasis for the summer heat! Enjoy a lap pool or water park. Opening this summer.
  • Edward T Hall Aquatic Center– This indoor pool is a little trip to paradise right here in SOMD. Make a reservation and splash today!
  • Hawthorne Country Club– Private swimming pool has membership option and is open for the 2021 season this coming May.
  • Smallwood Village Swim Club– Private swimming pool has membership option and is open for the 2022 summer season.

SPORTS & RECREATION

THEATERS

  • AMC– Open for public and theater rental.
  • FlagShip– Calvert county residents will be happy to catch a film here. Check out their 2025 summer program- Link Here
  • RC Lexington Exchange– St. Mary’s families will be excited to see a movie at RC.Check out their 2025 summer program- Link Here
  • Xcape Theaters– Catch a movie on the big screen! A little bird told me to be on the look out for the free summer movie program! Check out their 2025 summer program- Link Here

THEME PARKS

  • Busch Gardens– I couldn’t be more thrilled to see Busch Gardens and Water Country USA open! This is our favorite theme park. Williamsburg is a great vacation spot for families is under a two hour drive!
  • Kings Dominion– Just a short drive into Virginia is a perfect theme park for families!!! We enjoy taking advantage of the free pre-k pass!
  • Six Flags– I’ve heard families brag about the season pass perks to Six Flags being well worth it!

WATER PARKS/SPLASH PADS

  • Chesapeake Beach Water Park– The water park opens end of May. Tuesday & Wednesday is for county residents only. Thursday thru Sunday all are welcome.
  • Nicolet Park Spray Ground– There is a cute spray ground in Lexington Park, MD perfect for smaller children. $5 per person fee. Last year Wednesdays were free so check their website.
  • La Plata Splash Pad– Opens mid May 24, 2024 and is FREE!
  • Our Special Harbor– A free outdoor splash pad in Alexandria, VA. Worth the drive.

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