Keep your kids cool this summer with water playgrounds in the area.
With all public schools out and the 4th of July around the corner, summer is officially in full swing!
If the calendar doesn't say it, the weather sure does. Nice and toasty, sunny days with highs in the 80s, 90s, and sometimes even higher with the heat index!
While the Floridian in me LOVES the heat, I know my kids can only take so much.
No matter the season, we absolutely love to get out of the house to play. Whether it's around town at a lake, beach, park, or even just the backyard, we love to dress appropriately and enjoy the outdoors.
However as I mentioned, the heat can sometimes be a lot for little bodies. Really anybody after a while. And occasionally we like to change up our water play. Instead of a lake or the backyard sprinkler, a trip to a local splash pad is in order.
I so wish we had splash pads growing up. I absolutely love swimming, but occasionally a mix of playground fun with water could have been cool, too. And my kids absolutely love that that's what you get with a splash pad.
The 1st one I saw was about 10 years ago down in Florida. I had taken a kid I was babysitting to a local park and he pointed out the splash pad to me. I thought it was the most creative thing ever.
Since then I've also seen some in California, Virginia, and now Illinois. It's a genius idea that seems to be becoming more popular everywhere.
And who can be upset at such a great addition for the community? It's a great way for kids and even non swimmers to cool off on hot days.
Sometimes with motion, or other times the push of a button, cool water will start spraying from various features found in a splash pad.
Another great thing is that there's not really much of a mess other than wet clothes because no sand or dirt is involved!
So where can us Lake Counry residents find some of these awesome splash pads? Keep scrolling and listed are a couple FREE ones in our area!
Yup, Lake County, Illinois is home to free splash pads! There are a couple that charge a small to moderate fee, and I may make a post about those at a later date. But my focus at the moment is to make sure kids have fun and stay cool this summer, especially with how expensive things are getting. So listed below are the three I currently know about that do not have any admission fee.
Grayslake Spray Park
Address: 250 Library Lane, Grayslake, IL 60030
Hours: 10am-7pm
This spray park is located just past the Aquatics Center in Grayslake. While there is usually ample parking, it's a bit of a walk from any lot to the spray park itself. There are restrooms available close by, and also a pavillion and cute playgrounds right next to it.
A favorite thing for me about this one is that it is fenced in. It's such a huge help if you have a toddler like mine that likes to bolt for no reason other than to give mommy a heart attack.
Sports Center Park (RLB) Splash Pad
Address: 2004 Municipal Way Road, Round Lake Beach, IL 60073
Hours: 10am-8pm
This sports-themed splash pad was just built this summer! The water features inculde a basketball, soccer ball, tennis racket, goal, and a baseball player you need to spin to line up.
Parking is super close and easily accessible. It is also situated next to pavilions and playgrounds. This area also got a face-lift with new tennis courts, volley ball courts, a fitness trail, and soccer fields.
Restrooms can be accessed at the adjacent sport complex building during normal business hours.
Oak Ridge Park (Lindenhurst) Splash Pad
Address: 600 Independence Blvd, Lindenhurst, IL 60046
Hours: 10am-6pm
This adorable splash pad has a woodsy theme that includes a waterfall producing tree, a climbing bear with bumble bee hive painted buckets, and other creatures spraying water at you.
My kids favorite feature was the one that produced a dome. They loved going into the water dome and giggling as it enclosed them like a giant bubble.
The parking lot is super close and easy to access. This splash pad also has restrooms and a pavillion on site.
I hope this post was able to help provide you with some local information you might have been looking for.
Have fun and stay safe as these summer days are upon us!
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