Things to do with kids in Savannah: splash pads, the Daffin Park playground, library story times, Oatland Island, the Children's Museum, rainy days.

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Hours and programs come from each venue’s own website, linked below. Venues change hours by season, so check the link before you go.

Savannah’s best free things for kids are city splash pads and library story times; the best paid half-day is Oatland Island or the Children’s Museum. Here is what is where, with hours and phone numbers. For camps, see our summer camps and pools page.

Quick picks

  • Free and outdoors: city splash pads, March through October, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Free and indoors: library story times, LEGO clubs and game days
  • Animals: Oatland Island Wildlife Center, daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., (912) 395-1212
  • Rainy day: Children’s Museum STEAM Center or the Georgia State Railroad Museum

Playgrounds and splash pads

The City of Savannah’s splash pads are free and open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., from March through October. They are zero-depth and fully accessible. The city has opened six new splash pads since 2021 and renovated or replaced six more.

Daffin Park’s new signature playground, 1301 E. Victory Drive, is the biggest new play space in the city. According to the city’s project page, it sits in the park’s northwest corner, serves ages 2 to 12, is fully accessible and has a splash pad and new restrooms. It is laid out in zones, among them a splash zone, a story time zone, a swings zone and a “mega zone” with two large climbing units, slides, an in-ground whirl and a seesaw under shade. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade helped pick its name, which the city said it would announce at the ribbon cutting.

Forsyth Park’s playground reopened in fall 2025 with a new rubber surface. The city’s parks and playgrounds list gives every park’s address and facilities. More in our parks and trails guide.

Story times and library programs

Live Oak Public Libraries runs free children’s programs at its Savannah branches every weekday. In the first week of October 2026 the library’s program calendar listed:

Day Program and branch
Monday Storytime, Islands Library, 10:30 a.m.; LEGO Imagineers, Forest City Library, 5 p.m.
Tuesday Storytime at W.W. Law and Southwest Chatham, 10:30 a.m.; Forest City, 11 a.m.; West Broad, 11:45 a.m.; Baby Playdate, Bull Street; Cuentacuentos (Spanish story time), Islands; Music and Movement, Oglethorpe Mall
Wednesday Storytime, Bull Street Library, 10:30 a.m.; Baby Storytime, Islands; LEGO Club, Southwest Chatham, 4 p.m.
Thursday Baby Storytime at Oglethorpe Mall and Southwest Chatham; Toddler Tales, West Broad; Storytime, Garden City; Music and Movement, Islands; all 10:30 a.m.

Programs change by season, so check the calendar before you go. The library has also put up permanent StoryWalk trails, oversized picture-book pages along a short path, at Bowles C. Ford Park and Lake Mayer Park in Savannah and Tom Triplett Park in Pooler. The stories change with the seasons. The main library is at 2002 Bull St.; call (912) 652-3600.

Animals and nature

Oatland Island Wildlife Center, 711 Sandtown Road, is a nature center run by the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. It is open daily, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., rain or shine; no cars are admitted after 3:30 p.m., and a visit takes at least an hour. Children 3 and under are free. It holds a Toddler Tuesday program and seasonal events; in 2026 its Halloween Hike is Oct. 16-17 and its Harvest Festival and Cane Grinding is Saturday, Nov. 14. It closes for July 4, Thanksgiving and the day after, Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1. Call (912) 395-1212.

Museums for kids

  • Savannah Children’s Museum, 655 Louisville Road: the outdoor Exploration Station, with a maze, puppet theater, art space, sensory garden and nature kitchen, is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The indoor STEAM Center, with an 1,800-square-foot Mirror Maze, is open daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Educators run daily story time and STEAM programs. (912) 651-4292.
  • Georgia State Railroad Museum, next door, is open daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission includes the STEAM Center.
  • Telfair Children’s Art Museum is inside the Jepson Center, 207 W. York St., open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. The Jepson Center is free for residents of Chatham and nearby counties with proof of address, and children 5 and under are always free. Telfair also holds Free Family Days with hands-on activities; the next is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.

Families who receive EBT, SNAP or WIC benefits get free admission to Coastal Heritage Society museums, including the Children’s Museum and the Railroad Museum, through Museums for All.

Rainy-day picks

  1. The Children’s Museum STEAM Center and Mirror Maze (the outdoor section closes in bad weather)
  2. The Georgia State Railroad Museum’s indoor exhibits
  3. The Telfair Children’s Art Museum at the Jepson Center
  4. A library story time or LEGO club

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do with kids in Savannah? Oatland Island, the Children’s Museum, the Railroad Museum, the Telfair Children’s Art Museum, free splash pads and free library story times.

Where are story times in Savannah? At Live Oak Public Libraries branches on weekday mornings; the program calendar has times.

What can kids do in Savannah when it rains? The Children’s Museum STEAM Center, the Railroad Museum, the Jepson Center and library programs.

Are Savannah splash pads free? Yes, and open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., March through October.

What this means for you

  • Splash pads close for the season at the end of October and reopen in March.
  • Residents of Chatham County can visit the Jepson Center free; bring a local ID or a utility bill.
  • Know a free program for kids that belongs here? Tell us through our contact page.

Related: free things to do in Savannah, summer camps and pools, spring break and things to do this weekend.