The best way to stay cool during the summer months is to head to one of the City’s free, drop in water play features. There are lots of places to splash away the day, some of them in your very own neighbourhood!
When do Edmonton spray parks open for the Season?
If your kids are anything like ours, yesterday had them asking when they could put the sprinkler under the trampoline and bike to the local spray park. The Water Play Program season begins May 18 for district spray parks and May 25 for neighbourhood spray parks. All site hours are subject to change due to weather changes and maintenance schedules, and some neighbourhood sites may not open until a certain point in the day when volunteers are available to manage the water play sites.
Tips for bringing your kids to the spray park this summer:
- Choose spray parks with bathrooms, if you’re visiting with toddlers and young children. There’s nothing worse than getting to a playground or spray park without it, and they’ve got to go!
- Bring water and snacks. Bringing drinks and snacks means it’s going to be easier to keep the free spray park, actually free. Many of these spray parks sell snacks, ice cream and other treats and it’s quick to add up if you’re buying treats every time you visit the spray park.
- Go early, or during meal times for slower play. At the most popular spray parks, it’s a complete zoo – so going earlier in the afternoon, or even during meal times and bringing a picnic to the park, means that it’s going to be less busy – making it easier to find your own kids in the chaos.
- Have a ‘go bag’ for impromptu fun. We keep a bin in the car with our outdoor towels, snacks, water, and swimsuits for the family in case we’re out and we get the urge to visit a spray park, or we discover a brand new park. Then, the kids can easily change in the car, or at the bathrooms on site (if there are bathrooms on site), and we’ve got everything we need without making a trip home to pack up!