Playgrounds Get Imaginative: Carousels, Castles and . . . Xylophones?

Friendship Park

This decades-old spot, often called Turtle Park, may not have the bells and whistles of today's play spaces, but the Northwest Washington playground is still a destination for many parents. On a recent warm, breezy day, Crystal and Matthew Bowman of Woodbridge took daughter Moira, who's nearly 2, on a family field trip -- their second visit to the playground.

Crystal Bowman, who learned about Turtle Park on the Internet, says she appreciates the large sandbox with turtle sculptures, the picnic area and the trees that provide plenty of shade. "I love the fact that there are toys that are left on the playground, so I don't have to worry about bringing a ball or anything," she says.

Author Masterson lists the 13,000-square-foot playground in Turtle Park as her favorite. "There's a shaded picnic bench, plenty of seating around the edge of the playground for adults and a [water-spouting] 'sprayscape' that is very popular in summertime," she says.

Masterson also praises the playground's soft surfaces, low fence and multicultural vibe.

45th and Van Ness streets NW, 202-282-2198, http://www.turtlepark.org.

Hadley's Playground

Children of all abilities mingle and play on the wheelchair-accessible equipment at this Potomac spot -- all thanks to a mother who wanted equality for her disabled daughter. The play structures at Falls Road Local Park include a ship, a castle and a frontier village that incorporate the obligatory swings and slides while encouraging imaginative play. Signs have Braille, and the soft, colorful surface under the equipment ensures a few fewer bumps and bruises.

"It's an excellent example of what can be done to make a playscape truly accessible to all children, including those with special needs," Masterson says.

Though she wishes the eight-year-old, 34,000-square-foot playground had more shade, Masterson says this space has a lot to offer in the way of play: "The equipment is really creative and fun, and my daughter loves the painted-on 'roadway' that snakes throughout the playground for riding trikes." Masterson also notes that there's a huge globe with raised surfaces for the continents and several types of swings.

Hadley's Playground, Falls Road Local Park, 12600 Falls Rd., Potomac, 301-299-0024, http://www.montgomeryparks.org.

Watkins Regional Park

Lisa Cason of Upper Marlboro, who was recently found corralling her 3-year-old nephew, Marquez, on the Watkins Regional Park playground, is something of a playground expert. She runs a family day care and spends a lot of time scoping out facilities to find the ones her charges will enjoy most.

Watkins, in Prince George's County, offers kids a variety of things to do, Cason says. The playground has colorful and up-to-date equipment with several swing sets, cubbies and places to climb. The equipment may not be as snazzy or as abundant as at other playgrounds, but the park's amenities -- which include a carousel, a train that winds through the woods, a nature center, a miniature golf course and a farm with animals and gardens -- make the 25,000-square-foot playground stand out, she says.

Marquez's take on Watkins was simpler: "Swing! Jump! Slide! Yeah!"

301 Watkins Park Dr., Upper Marlboro, 301-218-6700, http://www.pgparks.com/places/parks/watkins.html.