Free story times at Twin Hickory and Gayton libraries, playgrounds and a pump track in Henrico parks, Meadow Farm's animals and rainy-day picks in Short Pump.
Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Sources: Henrico Recreation and Parks’ park pages, linked below, the Henrico County Public Library calendar and locations page, and Short Pump Town Center’s visit page. Program times change by season; check the calendar before you go.
Most things for kids in Short Pump are free and run by Henrico County: parks with playgrounds and a bike pump track, library story times several mornings a week, and a working farm museum in Glen Allen. Henrico Recreation and Parks is 804-501-7275; Twin Hickory Area Library is 804-501-1920.
Quick picks
- Toddlers: library story times, Twin Hickory Park’s ages 2-5 playground
- Bikes and scooters: the pump track at Deep Run Park
- Animals: Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Glen Allen
- Rainy day: a library program, or the play areas at Short Pump Town Center
- Summer: spray parks at Short Pump Park and Twin Hickory Park (May to fall)
Story times
The county library’s weekly story times are free, for babies through preschoolers, from its events calendar. A typical week at the branches closest to Short Pump:
| Library | Program | When |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Hickory Area Library, 5001 Twin Hickory Road | Read, Play, Grow | Mondays and Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. |
| Twin Hickory Area Library | Baby Songs and Stories | Mondays and Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. |
| Gayton Branch Library, 10600 Gayton Road | Baby Songs and Stories | Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. |
| Tuckahoe Area Library, 1901 Starling Drive | Family Fun | Mondays, 10 a.m. |
| Tuckahoe Area Library | Adaptive Storytime | Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. |
The libraries also run preschool crafts, STEM programs, holiday parties and teen nights; school-break programs are on our spring break and summer pages. Twin Hickory and Tuckahoe are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Gayton opens at 10 a.m. most days.
Playgrounds
All county parks are open daily from dawn to dusk.
- Twin Hickory Park, 5011 Twin Hickory Road, Glen Allen: a playground for ages 2 to 5 and another for ages 6 to 12, walking trails, open play areas, a picnic shelter with restrooms and outdoor fitness equipment. The county warns that the surface around the playground gets very hot on sunny days.
- Pouncey Tract Park, 4747 Pouncey Tract Road, Glen Allen: an accessible and inclusive playground, plus fields and a nature trail.
- Short Pump Park, 3329 Pump Road: playground, athletic fields, picnic shelters, a dog park and the 1902 Deep Run School Museum, open by appointment at 804-652-1455.
- Deep Run Park, 9900 Ridgefield Parkway: playgrounds, ponds, 3.4 miles of paved trails and fishing.
- Echo Lake Park, 5701 Springfield Road, Glen Allen: a playground, a fishing lake and a half-mile nature trail.
The pump track at Deep Run Park
Deep Run Park has a bike pump track, a loop of rollers and berms that riders move around by shifting their weight instead of pedaling. The county says anyone with a bike can ride it regardless of age or skill. It was built with the mountain bike group rvaMORE, which maintains it with the Henrico County Composite Mountain Bike Team; follow the posted rules.
Spray parks
The county’s spray parks at Short Pump Park and Twin Hickory Park run 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in season. They are closed now and reopen in May. Children must be supervised. More on our summer guide.
Farm animals and history
Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, 3400 Mountain Road in Glen Allen, is a living history farm with heritage-breed animals cared for by the county’s animal care team. The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk, and tours of the 1810 farmhouse run during building hours; arrive at the Parsons Community Center by 3 p.m. for a tour. Visitors may not enter the pastures or feed or touch the animals. Crump Park, on the same grounds, has playgrounds, trails and a fishing pond. 804-652-1455.
Rainy days
- Libraries: story times, crafts and STEM programs, plus books and games, at Twin Hickory, Gayton and Tuckahoe.
- Short Pump Town Center, 11800 W. Broad St., has children’s play areas on the first level in the Main Plaza and on the second level at the clubhouse, and family restrooms with baby care lounges, the center says on its visit page.
- Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, 1800 Lakeside Ave., holds Storytime in the Garden for young children on Friday and Saturday mornings, listed on its events calendar.
What this means for you
Start with a library story time and a playground the same morning; Twin Hickory’s library and park sit on the same road. Seasonal plans are in our Halloween events, holiday lights and things to do this month guides.
Frequently asked questions
Where is story time near Short Pump?
Twin Hickory Area Library, 5001 Twin Hickory Road, holds Read, Play, Grow at 9:30 a.m. and Baby Songs and Stories at 10:30 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. Gayton Branch and Tuckahoe Area libraries have weekly story times too. All are free.
What is the best playground in Short Pump for little kids?
Twin Hickory Park, 5011 Twin Hickory Road, has separate playgrounds for ages 2 to 5 and 6 to 12. Pouncey Tract Park has an accessible, inclusive playground, and Short Pump Park and Deep Run Park have playgrounds too.
What can kids do in Short Pump on a rainy day?
Go to a county library story time or program, or to the children’s play areas inside Short Pump Town Center on the first level in the Main Plaza and the second level at the clubhouse.
Where can kids see farm animals near Short Pump?
Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, 3400 Mountain Road in Glen Allen, keeps heritage-breed farm animals. The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk.
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