Kids' activities in Lakeland: playgrounds, splash pad, story times

Things to do with kids in Lakeland: Bonnet Springs Park, Common Ground's inclusive playground, the Barnett splash pad, library story times and rainy-day picks.

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Sources: the City of Lakeland’s parks, Barnett Family Park, Common Ground and library pages; Bonnet Springs Park; the Florida Children’s Museum; the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art; and Lakeside Village. Hours change; check before you go.

Lakeland’s go-to for kids is Bonnet Springs Park, a free 168-acre park on the edge of downtown with playgrounds, a treehouse and the city’s children’s museum. Downtown adds a splash pad and playground at Barnett Family Park, and the city runs an inclusive playground, three libraries with story times and more than 70 parks and recreation sites; its Parks Finder map sorts them by amenity.

Quick guide

Free and outdoors: Bonnet Springs Park, Common Ground, Barnett Family Park

Water play: Barnett Family Park splash pad, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Wednesdays

Rainy day: Florida Children’s Museum, the art museum, the library

Story times: the city libraries; Little Sprouts at Lakeside Village

Playgrounds and parks

Park	Address	What is there
Bonnet Springs Park	400 Bonnet Springs Blvd.	Playgrounds, a train playground, the Kiwanis Cares for Kids Treehouse, a canopy walk, a butterfly house, a nature center and a StoryWalk; free, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Common Ground	1000 E. Edgewood Drive	Polk County’s first inclusive playground, for children of all abilities; closes at 6 p.m.
Barnett Family Park	730 E. Orange St.	Splash pad, playground and the Sunflower Preschool Playground, a labyrinth and covered picnic tables
Lake Parker Park	910 E. Granada St.	Playground, picnic pavilions and walking paths; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., hours change seasonally

Bonnet Springs Park runs trams from 9 a.m. and has a StoryWalk near the canopy walk, where families follow the pages of a children’s book along the path. It also holds free weekend programs for families, such as STEM in the Park, Art in Nature and Classroom Drop-In sessions at its nature center, on its calendar. The park is cashless.

Barnett Family Park sits above the Lake Mirror amphitheater. The playground opens at 8 a.m. and closes just before dusk on weekdays and at dusk on weekends. The splash pad runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Wednesdays for maintenance; no food, drink or pets on the pad, and water shoes are requested. Extra parking is at 121 S. Lake Ave.

Story times and free programs

Lakeland libraries: preschool story times for ages 2 to 5 at the main Lakeland Public Library, 100 Lake Morton Drive, at 10 a.m. on select Wednesdays; the Kelly Branch at 10:15 a.m. on select Tuesdays; and the Larry R. Jackson Branch on select Thursdays, including a bilingual story time on the last Thursday of the month, the library says. The Jackson Branch closes for renovation from Oct. 26, 2026. The main library also held an interactive Children’s Theater story time for ages 4 and up on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Little Sprouts at Lakeside Village, 1479 Town Center Drive: a free morning of story time, games and music for little ones on The Lawn. It returned Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, from 10 to 11 a.m.; no registration, the center says.
Florida Children’s Museum daily programs: Story Sprouts for ages 1 to 5, a STEM Challenge for ages 5 and up and art sessions, included with admission.

Rainy-day picks

Florida Children’s Museum, 600 Bonnet Springs Blvd.: two floors of interactive galleries focused on the five senses. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday; its City Play exhibit runs Sept. 19 to Dec. 27, 2026. It is a separate organization from the park and charges admission.
Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art, 800 E. Palmetto St.: admission is always free. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The libraries: the main library is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday; branch hours are on the library’s locations page.
Polk Nature Discovery Center at Circle B Bar Reserve, with hands-on exhibits and an indoor play area, Visit Central Florida notes.

Seasonal

Halloween, holiday lights, spring break and summer camps have their own pages: Halloween events, holiday lights, spring break and summer camps and pools.

What this means for you

On a hot afternoon, pair the Barnett splash pad with the shade of Lake Mirror; skip Wednesdays.
Bring a card, not cash, to Bonnet Springs Park.
Check the library’s monthly story time dates before you go.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an inclusive playground in Lakeland?

Common Ground, 1000 E. Edgewood Drive, was Polk County’s first inclusive playground, built so children of different abilities can play side by side. It closes at 6 p.m.

When is story time at the Lakeland Public Library?

Preschool story times for ages 2 to 5 run at 10 a.m. on select Wednesdays at the main library, 100 Lake Morton Drive, and at 10:15 a.m. on select Tuesdays at the Kelly Branch. The library posts the dates each month.

What can kids do in Lakeland when it rains?

The Florida Children’s Museum at Bonnet Springs Park has two floors of hands-on exhibits, the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art is free, and the city’s three libraries run story times and programs.

Is Bonnet Springs Park free?

Yes. The 168-acre park charges no admission except for some special events. It has playgrounds, a treehouse, a canopy walk and trams, and it is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.