The 5 best parks for kids in Ventura County

Living somewhere with gorgeous weather year-round means lots of visits to parks for our family. We moved to Ventura County in 2020, so it’s safe to assume we spent a lot of time entertaining our kids outside when we could. Since we’ve become park aficionados, I’ve put together a list of what I believe are some of the best parks for kids in Ventura County and what we love about them.

What takes a park from good to great?

It’s true that for kids it often doesn’t take much to entertain them. Give mine a grassy hill or tell them you’re going to look for rocks, and they’re set for a while. The parks that have made my list below are on the list because they’re places our kids have asked to return to over and over. They’ve got well designed playground structures, special touches that make them extra fun, and they’re usually full of other kids to play with.

The best parks for kids in Ventura County

Mission Oaks Park in Camarillo

This is one of our favorite parks in Camarillo. I think what’s really great about it is the fact that in addition to a fun play structure, this park has a walking trail you can access near the tennis courts that is kid friendly, shaded, and full of adventures to be had.

What our kids have to say:

“I like the big seesaw. It’s so fun! It goes so high!”

“I like how pretty the trail is. And the seesaw goes super high.”

Mission Oaks Park is located at 5501 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo, CA 93012.

Libbey Park in Ojai

This is, hands down, one of the best parks for kids in Ventura County. If you’ve been to this park, you know. If you haven’t, it’s time to load up the kids and take them. For one thing, the location is perfect. It’s in the middle of downtown Ojai, surrounded by lots of other walkable shops and restaurants. We love to cross the street and get ice cream from Ojai Ice Cream after park playtime.

The play structures are suited to all ages – bigger, wooden structures for older kids, and a smaller play area for younger ones. Our kids love the carousel pictured above (usually a parent gets recruited to do the running to make it go). The other feature our kids can’t get enough of is a grassy astroturf hill they like to slide down with cardboard.

What our kids have to say:

“When it’s hot out, the misters are nice. And the grass hill is fun.”

“I like the fire pole on this playground. And I like getting ice cream after the playground.”

Libbey Park is located at 210 S Signal St, Ojai, CA 93023.

Ojai Ice Cream is located at 210 E Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023.

Marina Park in Ventura

This playground was just refreshed last summer (2025), and it’s so good. There’s a pirate ship that’s been there for ages, and there’s also a new play structure with swings, slides, a rope bridge, and this set of poles pictured above that our kids found multiple ways to climb both up and down. When I asked our daughter her favorite part of this park, she said she liked the seesaw, which I’d forgotten about. We all love that it’s right on the beach too.

Marina Park Playground is located at 2950 Pierpont Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001.

Oak Canyon Community Park in Oak Park

This is a park we go to strictly in the summer time, and there’s one main draw: the splash pad. The splash pad at this park is big, there’s space for everyone, and it’s so refreshing when it’s hot out. One note to remember: the splash pad is only open Memorial Day through Labor Day from 10am to 7pm.

There are also a few different play structures and lots of beautiful green space. There’s a huge hill at this park that our kids love to roll down as well.

Oak Canyon Community Park is located at 5600 Hollytree Dr, Oak Park, CA 91377.

Honorable Mention: Ventura Promenade Beach Playground in Ventura

This park is literally on the beach and right next to the pier in Ventura. It’s smaller, so there’s not quite as much to climb and do, but it’s on the beach, so it’s scenic and simple. There are swings that are good for older kids and a slide that’s good for littler ones. What’s most appealing about this playground to me is its proximity to the pier. The kids can play, and then the grown ups can easily grab some fish tacos and a drink.

Ventura Promenade Beach Playground is located in Ventura on the beach next to the pier.

Time to get outside!

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the great parks in Ventura County, but it’s a solid start for sure. If you’re new to the area, passing through, or looking for a new place for your kids to play, I hope you found something on this list that works for your family.

And one more thing: parks are a great place for fun, candid family photos. Get in touch if that’s something you’re family would like to do!

The 5 best parks for kids in Ventura County

Erica Hurlburt is an award winning Ventura County Photographer who specializes in newborn, family and school photography. Her style tends toward cleaner, classic images, both in how they’re composed and edited. Her goal in every session is to keep things relaxed and fun and to create images that are both meaningful and unique.

Erica serves clients in Camarillo, Ventura County, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Westlake,
Malibu, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Ojai and beyond.