Walking distance from family-friendlly mothership, The Grove and The Original Farmer's Market, Pan Pacific Park features three different playground areas that offer inclusive play for all abilities. In addition to the playgrounds, there are new-ish basketball courts, a top-of-the-line athletic field, and plenty of picnic and barbecue areas.

Across the road from the Santa Monica Pier is another little piece of kid paradise—the Tongva Park playground. With an awesome climbing wall, three tall slides that are built into the hillside, whirly twirly seats that spin, climbing structures and a roller slide, your littles will love spending an afternoon here. And when the temps heat up, there’s even a splash pad to help kiddos cool off.

Ship ahoy! Located on the Santa Monica beach next to one of LA's best bike paths is a nautical playground fit for all sorts of swashbuckling adventurers. With climbing ropes, swings, a roller slide, and sandpit with water pump, your curious captains will have a blast pretending they are ocean explorers adrift at sea. A soft rubber padded play area covers the entire park’s floors so parents breathe out a sigh of relief while they breathe in that fresh ocean air.

With plenty of shade, a lovely stream and tall billowing trees, Coldwater Canyon Park is one of our top go-tos whenever we’re in Beverly Hills. This gorgeous spot oozes peace and tranquilty and is perfect for an afternoon picnic or playdate. After kids work up a sweat on the playground, they'll love taking a cool dip in the stream. Good to Know: While you’re more than welcome to picnic anywhere you like in the grass, picnic tables must be reserved ahead of time.

As the first universally accessible playground on the west coast, this special place has set the bar for how much fun kiddos of all abilities can have when given the chance to play together. Littles will love playing on the ship, the double-arched buddy zip line featuring a high-backed seat, and even an accessible merry-go-round! The playground also offers musical instruments and interactive literacy panels.

Located at the end of the kid-friendly Fern Dell Trail, this towering nature-inspired playground was recently refurbished. Designed for kids ages 2 to 12 years old, it's fully equipped with five slides (including three that are 8 ft. high!), plus a rope ladder, climbing rocks, tree stumps, lily pad ladder and more. For some reason, the playground hasn't yet made it onto Griffith Park's official map or the LA Parks website, but trust us, it's there!

Small but impressive, this neighborhood park remains under the radar for most. It's located in the Rancho Equestrian area of Burbank, where stables abound and cars stop for horses. (You might even see one during your visit—giddy-up!) Big kids will love the tall, sloping slides in the larger play area, while tots can explore a smaller structure with a climbing wall and faux cave and boulders. There's also plenty of sand for diggers to enjoy.

A second Burbank find, the playground at Johnny Carson Park has bridges, ladders, rings and beams to challenge kids' climbing and coordination skills. Another perk? A large grassy area for running around and a path for practicing bike riding. And although the park is in an urban setting, you can cross a bridge behind the playground to discover a sweet little nature trail.

Lakes in Los Angeles are not the norm so if you’re looking for a playground that feels more like a weekend getaway, Anthony C. Beilenson Park delivers in spades. With a universally accessible play structure that’s almost as big as the park itself, little ones have more than enough elbow room to swing, shimmy through tunnels and romp around on the jungle gym. It's lakeside bike path is one of our favorites—your little two-wheelers can pedal past gaggles of honking geese and quacking ducks.

Tucked in a residential neighborhood bordering Granada Hills' sprawling O' Melveny Park, the playground at Bee Canyon Park can only be accessed by crossing a cute wooden bridge. The playground has a larger structure for older kids, and a smaller one for littles. While the equipment is beginning to show its age, the bucolic, hidden setting is what makes this place so special.

In keeping with its rock-filled surroundings, this massive park is all about climbing and boy does it deliver! Perfect for little billy goats that are climbing the walls at home, let them loose here where they can scamper until their hearts (and hooves) are content. From rock walls to a giant web, tree stumps to a man-made boulder, if it's climbable, this playground's got it.

We all know how hot Los Angeles can get (especially in the Valley) so finding a playground with ample shade is a huge plus in our book! Woodland Hills Park has two separate play areas, both catering to different age levels, that are fully covered by bright blue canopies. There is even a fully shaded picnic table area.

A’hoy mateys! Reese’s Retreat inside Pasadena’s Brookside Park offers pint-sized pirates a coveted chance to channel their inner Captain Jack Sparrow. Your pirates-in-training will have plenty of room to hoist the sails and fire the cannons while they guide their trusty ship over a padded ocean floor. This universally accessible play space also features tons of swings and slides for landlubbers of all ages, as well as a cool sand and water area. Pro Tip: Bring a change of clothes.

Part playground, part futuristic art installation, this intimate hilltop play space showcases more than monkey bars and seesaws. Whimsical, state-of-the-art play equipment was created to challenge the younger set both mentally and physically. Nearby, older ones can try out a fitness hike up the famous Culver City stairs or strap on a helmet and hit up the skate park. For those littles who want to get their hands wet, there’s a sand and water area with a working water pump and water wheels.

This nautically-themed, universally accessible park is perfect for young scallywags who like to make a quick getaway. This fully-enclosed playground has oodles of swings, slides and enough climbing things to fill an active tot’s afternoon. Because of the flat, expansive layout, it’s pretty easy to have eyes on everyone (which is super helpful if you’ve got a larger gang in tow). Glen Alla also has plenty of shade, picnic tables, and large grassy areas.

Built on the site of a former gas station, this enclosed parklet is a little slice of metropolitan magic. While you won’t find much in the way of grass, the urban space is covered with a bright teal and orange, shock-absorbent surface and two main play surfaces. With a snake slide (clearly the kid fave at this park), an urban forest and musical instruments, this pocket park provides outdoor entertainment in the middle of the city and is a perfect place to stop and let the kids run wild.

One of the coolest playground slides in LA that features curly slides, wavy slides, and winding wack-a-doodle slides. With three expansive play areas to choose from (including a concrete boat in the middle of a sand ocean), it’s best for your mini minnows to start at one end of the park and work their way to the other. Make it a family furry affair and bring your pup on this outing as there is a large dog run on one end of this pooch-friendly park!

Blast off to Torrance’s “Rocket Ship” Park and treat your kids to a 28-foot-tall rocket tower they can actually climb inside of and slide down (after they’ve simulated a proper launch of course). Situated on top of a hillside, this hidden neighborhood gem of a park offers spectacular ocean views stretching from the Santa Monica Bay to the San Gabriel Mountains. With new and old playground equipment, scenic swings and sand for days, your young rocketeers will certainly be over the moon!

This University of CA Irvine adjacent park is chock-full of everything your little loves could possibly want and more! Along with an incredible castle-like structure, a tree house, kid’s fort building zone, concrete slides, and even a sensory garden, your little piggies will never want to leave. The best part for parents? This park is fully enclosed so while the kiddos wallow in the muck, you can sip coffee and watch them go hog wild from the comfort of a bench.

Maybe it’s the super long tube slide, the never-ending rope ladders or the soft play hills and tunnels that feel straight out of a Dr. Seuss book, but Grand Park playground will forever be one of our favorites. With City Hall, Grand Central Market, Angel’s Flight and Bae Ice Cream in Little Tokyo all within walking distance, you can make a whole day of it exploring downtown.