Houston has more than 25 splash pads to keep your kids cool and entertained this summer.
Jaycee Park in northwest Houston is a good spot. This park also has a playground and it's an easy place to watch the kids.
Marian Park in southwest Houston has a water "sprayground." Parents say what's great about this one is it has a shady area so they can avoid the sun but keep their eyes on the kids.
Closer into town, in Montrose, Ervan Chew Park has it all. It has a playground, picnic area, soccer and baseball fields, but the star in the summer is the splash pad. A simple push of a button activates the sprinklers.
In west Houston, Cullen Park is a big space with a colorful play surface and multiple geyser and spray fixtures. Plus, there's a pavilion nearby so you can picnic, too.
The Downtown Aquarium is another free option for you.
Heading to the southwest side of town, enjoy the River Park Splash Pad equipped with giant fountains, dumping buckets and a misting rainbow. They are closed for maintenance every Tuesday until noon.
If you're in the southeast side, check out the Kemah Boardwalk. You can eat ice cream, listen to live bands and let your kids run and play.
There's no entry fee to the boardwalk, so the splash pad is the cherry on top.
Here are some of the other splash pads we found in and around Houston:
City of Houston:
- Aron Ledet Park- 6500 Antoine
- Blueridge Park - 5600 Court Road
- Burnett Bayland Park - 6200 Chimney Rock
- Cullen Park - 19008 Saums Road
- Dodson Lake - 9010 Dodson
- Edgewood Park - 5803 Bellfort
- Ervan Chew Park - 4502 Dunlavy
- Gutierrez Park - 7900 Flaxman
- Hackberry Park - 7777 S. Dairy Ashford
- Herman Brown Park - 400 Mercury
- Hermann Park - 6001 Fannin
- Hidalgo Park - 7000 Avenue Q
- Jaycee Park - 1300 Seamist
- Levy Park - 3801 Eastside St
- Marian Park - 11000 S. Gessner
- McClendon - 3770 Summit Valley Dr
- Melrose Park - 12200 Melrose Park Road
- Montie Beach Park - 915 Northwood
- Nieto Park - 500 Port
- Park at Palm Center - 5400 Griggs Road
- Settegast Park - 3000 Garrow
- Shady Lane Park - 10220 Shady Lane
- Stuebner Airline Park - 9201 Veterans Memorial
- Tony Marron Park - 808 N. York
- Wiley Park - 1414 Gillette
Outside the city of Houston:
- Nottingham Park - 14205 Kimberley Lane
- McClendon Park - 3770 Summit Valley Drive
- Menard Park - 2222 28th Street, Galveston
- Clear Lake Park - 5001 E NASA Pkwy, Seabrook
- Schreiber "Flagship" Park - 3134 83rd Street, Galveston
- Depot Park - 201 South Elm, Tomball, TX 77375
- Splash Pad at RiverPark - 5875 Summit Creek, Sugar Land, TX 77479
- Richwood Municipal Work- 600 Audubon Woods, Richwood, TX, 77531
Big Kids Small City has a great review of a number of these splash pads if you want to know more of what to expect before you check them out.
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You can also get the full list of splash pads in areas such as The Woodlands, Deer Park, Friendswood and Pearland on the Houston Moms Blog website.