Arts & Entertainment
Suburban Splash Pads That Will Keep the Kids Cool During Heat Wave
A lot of the splash pads in the Chicago suburbs are free and a great outing for kids on a hot day.
The heat is officially on. And for those parents wishing to skip the hassle of loading the kids, and all their supplies up, for an afternoon at the pool, there is a more convenient way for keeping the kids cool when the temps begin to rise: the splash pad. It's a great way for the kids to keep cool, many of the splash pads in the Chicago suburbs are free and it doesn't require a ton of prep for parents.
There are also some splash parks located within pools and aquatic centers, which could be a great option for families wanting to make a day of it, while others are located in parks, where there are other amenities and playgrounds worth checking out.
We compiled a list of some of the best sprayground and splash pads and parks in the area and others that may be a bit of a drive. If we missed one, let readers know about it in the comments section. You can also e-mail the editor at amie.schaenzer@patch.com if you would like one included in our list.
Find out what's happening in Buffalo Grovefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- With temps rising into the 90s in the coming days, use caution while spending extended period of time outside. In addition to the heat and humidity that is in the forecast, the National Weather Service has issued an "Air Quality Alert" for the Chicago area from midnight on Monday through midnight on Tuesday. Active children and adults especially people with pulmonary or respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor activity.
READ MORE: Chicago-Area Weather: The Heat Continues
Lake County
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- Address: 951 McHenry Road
- Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday, 12 to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The splash park is open through Aug. 27 and it must be at least 70 degrees for the Spray 'N Play to open.
Buffalo Grove Park District Spray 'N Play, one of the largest facilities of its kind, features over 20 water toys, sprays and fountains, plus a picnic area. It’s completely interactive and there is no limit to the fun that can be had at the Spray 'N Play, according to the Buffalo Grove Park District’s website. Admission costs for the Spray ’N Play Park are $3 for children and adults, $1 for seniors, $1 for twlight time (the last two hours of the day) and free for children 12 months and younger.
Photo credit: Spray 'N Play/Buffalo Grove Park District website
Grayslake Spray Park in Central Park
- Address: 501 Lake Street in Grayslake
- Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday (depending on the weather) through Labor Day. The spray park closes daily from 3:15 to 3:30 for maintenance.
Located in Central Park, this free spray park is designed for children 10 years and under. Central Park also has a community size playground, picnic shelters, disc golf course, restroom building, fishing piers and plenty of open space nearby.
Photo credit: Grayslake Park District website
Mundelein Parks Spray Park at Keith Mione Community Park
- Address: 1401 N. Midlothian Drive, Mundelein
- Hours of operation: The spray park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m; 2:30 pm to 6:30 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. On holidays, the spray park is open from 12 to 6 p.m.
This water fun zone consists of interactive water features a sand play area, sand volleyball courts, and shuffleboard. The cost is $1 for residents and $2 for non-residents.
McHenry County
- Address: 12219 Lois Lane, Huntley
- Hours of operation: Hours of operation vary for season pass holders and the general public. Check the park district’s website for more information.
Stingray Bay includes a play and spray structure with slide. The aquatic center also has a sand/water play area, rain drop water feature and floating animal features. Admission costs for residents and non-residents can be found on the Huntley Park District’s website.
Photo credit: Stingray Bay/Huntley Park District website
- Address: 5200 Miller Road
- Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (through Labor Day)
Located at Sunset Park, 5200 Miller Road, the Splash Pad has a shelter, two picnic tables, pop machine, and porta-potties. The splash pad includes two cannon shooters, a twirl raindrop and a snake shooter--all of which is free to visitors. There is also a great playground across the parking lot from the splash pad.
Photo credit: village of Lake in the Hills website
- Address: 431 Walkup Road
- Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (through Labor Day)
The splashpad is free and is located next to a popular playground on the west side of the park on Walkup Avenue near the Walkup/Route 176 intersection. You can take a video tour of the splashpad, which was shot by Patch after the splashpad opened, and you can read more about the splashpad on Patch and on the park district’s website. Veterans Acres Park also has a great nature trail not far from the splash pad that goes around a pond where there is often wildlife, birds, frogs, and turtles, to watch for.
Kane County
- Address: Northeast corner of East Side Drive and Geneva Drive
- Hours of operation: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Spray Ground is free and full of interactive fountains, water cannons, arches that spray, and bubblers. It's a wild and wonderful watery adventure for kids of all ages, especially toddlers, according to the Geneva Park District's website. Comfortable benches are provided for adults to relax while their children stay cool.
More info is available on the Geneva Park District website.
Photo credit: Geneva Park District website
- Address: 3615 Campton Hills Drive, St. Charles
- Hours operation: 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Sunday (through Aug. 22). More information is available on the park district’s website for hours of operation after Aug. 23.
The splash park is a part of the St. Charles’ Park District’s Otter Cove Aquatic Park. The splash area includes interactive water play features on top of safety surface. Children can make a sand castle in the sand/water play area. Shade structures and lounge chairs are available at the splash park, which also includes spray loops, dumping buckets, spray cannons, bubblers, geysers, spray columns and water wheels. Admission costs to Otter Cove Aquatic Park can be found on the park district’s website.
Photo credt: Otter Cove Aquatic Center/St. Charles Park District website
- Address: 1000 Ray Moses Drive, Aurora
Located outside the David and Karen Stover Visitors Center at Phillips Park, the facility is designed for children under age 13 to play in jets of water.
- Address: 132 S. Grove Ave., Elgin
- Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
Both a neighborhood park and an entertainment venue, Festival Park provides a beautiful riverside setting with unique playground and spray park, according to the city of Elgin’s website. The Spray Park fountain hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on most days. The splash pad and bathrooms close for the season on Sept. 19.
Photo credit: Elgin Park District website
DuPage County
- Address: 845 Pershing Avenue in Glen Ellyn
- Hours of operation: Through Aug. 20, the splash park will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. From Aug. 21 through Sept. 3, the splash park will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures must be at least 70 degrees for the splash park to open.
Located within Maryknoll Park (at the corner of Pershing Avenue and Route 53), the Glen Ellyn Park District's Splash Park features 12 spray pieces, which include: a water tower, rising flag, wet saloon, cactus, team spray, power launch pod, bell trio, water tunnel, aqua dome, water jelly, spray cannons, railroad crossing gate and zero-depth pad. The splash pad is $3 for children ages 1 to 14 years old who are accompanied by an adult. Adults who are residents are free -- but they must show proof of residency. The fee for non-resident adults is $1.
Photo credit: Glen Ellyn Park District website
- Address: 1S151 Winfield Road in Wheaton
- Hours of Operation: In the summer, the park is open daily from 7 a.m. to sunset
Go West Young Mom blogger shared the following information in an article regarding an area for kids to keep cool at Cantigny Park: “The fountain located just outside the Visitor’s Center features actually a number of fountains and 'bubblers' that kids can run and splash around in." But keep in mind that the area, according to park officials, is meant for visitors to simply "get their feet wet" and swimsuits and towels are not allowed. It could be a good stop for those visiting the many other amenities at Cantigny Park. The cost for visiting Cantigny Park is $5 per car on the weekdays and $10 per car on the weekends in the summer.
McCaslin Park Splash Pad Water Playground
- Address: 27W650 North Avenue in West Chicago
- Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the summer
A colorful splash pad keeps the kids cool. A foot button is pressed to turn on the water, which is dispensed from the ground, from a frog-like feature, and from tall flower-like dumping buckets. The splash pad is adjacent to a large dry playground, the Bankshot court, the large picnic shelter with permanent grill (available to rent) and the sand volleyball court.
Photo credit: Carol Stream Park District website
Dragonfly Landing Children’s Play Area
- Address: Garfield Avenue and Route 53 in Lisle
- Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Labor Day weekend
Dragonfly Landing features a shelter with a living “green” roof and a free, fun splash pad with interactive water jets and giant, colorful flowers that mist water. Nature-themed play structures such as a tree house, leaping lily pads, and cat tail swingers inspire creativity, encourage exploration, provide conservation education opportunities, and are just plain fun.
Photo credit: Lisle Park District website
Naper Settlement Early Learning Playscape
- Address: 525 S. Webster St.
- Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday and closed on Monday
The water features in the Splashpad are turned on between May 15 and October 15 on days that the temperature is above 70 degrees. Water will be shut off during lightning, heavy storms, tornados and for repairs as needed.
Nestled in a replica of a wooden fort, the Harvard Early Learning Playscape is designed for children ages 2 through 7 to explore the outdoors in a setting created just for them. The playscape playground and splash pad provide opportunities for early childhood physical, imaginative and social development while promoting increased connections to the natural environment, local history and community engagement. Visitors to the splash area can splash in the water, touch the pump to activate the water for the water trough and activate the water cannon and the ground misters by simply pressing a button.
Photo credit: Naper Settlement website
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