BY JENNA FANELLI
It’s now sprinkler and water playground season in NYC, which means it’s time to get the kids into their bathing suits and find a city oasis with spewing fountains, water jets, and endless water fun at one of the many water playgrounds and sprinkler parks across NYC. Gear up with some kid-friendly sunscreen and find the nearest “spray ground” right in your neighborhood. Kids will be thrilled and entertained and it’s SUPER cost-efficient. Whether you head for the parks or the beaches, you will definitely have a refreshing summer in New York City when you explore these water playgrounds!
Manhattan
Heckscher Playground
65th St Transverse
Splish and splash around at Heckscher Playground during these warm summer days. Kids will get to climb around the play structure with ramps, slides, and swings galore! After, head over to the water section to cool off where kids can walk through water-flowing channels to find water jets spraying into the air in a semi-enclosed area with a low and gentle spray of water jets.
Neighborhood: Central Park
Teardrop Park
65th St Transverse
Imagination comes to life at Teardrop Park where the playground meets artwork. Kids can discover the “Ice Wall,” an artistic piece by Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil while playing in the sandbox and going down the enormous metal slide. Best of all, this park also includes one of many water playgrounds to splash around in when we hit mid-summer and need that cool-down moment.
Neighborhood: Battery Park City
Chelsea Waterside Park
557 W 23rd St
This redesigned area at Chelsea Park includes a hit water area that kids love to come and play at. Kiddos can explore a multi-color pipefish jungle gym and slide, then they can continue their exploration to the small sand area with sprinklers for a refreshing time. Parents can also cool off in the shaded area as they watch their children have a blast!
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Washington Square Park
5 Ave, Waverly Pl., W. 4 St. and Macdougal St.
Washington Square Park is always a lively place to visit with musicians playing and dancers grooving in this small quadrant of the city. The fountain is always a sight to see as you plop down on the steps, but during the hottest time of the year, you will want to roll up your pants and shuffle your feet around the fountain water.
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Nelson A. Rockefeller Playground
75 Battery Pl
This unique water play area has it all with unique structures everywhere. From a dodo bird sculpture dripping water to a sprinkler area spewing water, there is adventure everywhere you turn. Even as you exit the playground there is something to see with stone dog and elephant gargoyles spewing out more water as you walk by.
Neighborhood: Battery Park City
Asser Levy Park Playground
302 Sea Breeze Ave
Asser Levy Park Playground has been upgraded for children to have an even better time. They can hit the swing sets and play area, and don’t forget to check out the spray showers where they can take a break from the beating sun. Asser Levy also added new safety features to prevent the kiddos from getting hurt, like paved pathways, improved lighting, and more!
Neighborhood: Kips Bay
Brooklyn
Domino Park
15 River St
If you haven’t yet visited this gem along the East River in Williamsburg, now is your time to do so. This sweet location has been transformed from the former Domino Sugar Refinery to the latest play spot for kids. After playing on all the slides, cool off at the fountain and seating steps. Each water jet is illuminated with blue and purple lights — a space for both fun and beauty!
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 Water Lab
Pier 6
Brooklyn Bridge Park has it all, from an amazing playground to its prime location for New York City views. Spend your summer days here at the volleyball courts and around the jungle gym that surrounds the city’s largest sandbox. Don’t forget to play in the water jet area and escape from the heat. After you work up an appetite from all that playground fun, grab a bite to eat at Fornino’s pizza to fuel up. Park restrooms are located on the first floor of Fornino.
Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights
Greenpoint Playground
243 Franklin St
Stop by at Greenpoint Playground with the kids for a refreshing time at one of Brooklyn’s best water playgrounds. When temps are high, head over to the spray shower to cool off, then have a blast on the green and red climbing structure and swing-set. Kids can play and parents can keep watch in the seating area of the park.
Neighborhood: Greenpoint
Walt Whitman Park
1402, 165 Cadman Plaza E
Named after the inspiring poet, Walt Whitman Park is a peaceful area where families can relax and also have fun. Spend those summer sunny days at the park scooting and strolling along their paved walkways. Children can play at the water fountain while parents can take a seat at the benches.
Neighborhood: Downtown Brooklyn
J.J. Byrne Playground
3rd St. & 5th Ave
Get the full water experience at J.J.Byrne Playground with water cannons, sprinklers, and an old-fashion water mill. Cool off from the summer heat but don’t forget the other awesome features this playground has. Kids can head to the top of the climbing structures and enjoy swinging at the swing set. Don’t miss out on the interactive panels designed by Julie Peppito, centered around farming and the Revolutionary historical period.
Neighborhood: Between Gowanus and Park Slope
Queens
Beach 30th Street Playground
1-09 Beach 30th St
Making it unique from other water playgrounds, this one is beach-themed! Here, your little ones can run through blue arches and get soaked! They can also head to the sea on their ship-inspired play structure of water-spewing cannons. Journey to Beach 30th Street Playground where you can set sail for the day.
Neighborhood: Rockaway
Flushing Meadows Park
Grand Central Pkwy., Whitestone Exwy. bet. 111 St. and College Point Blvd., Park Drive E
Home to two twentieth-century World’s Fairs, this hit location is a must-see for a family adventure in Queens. Being the largest park in the area, there’s plenty of space for baseball, soccer, tennis, cricket, and a huge fountain where kids will get a mist from the geyser waters — a perfect place to relax and cool off after an eventful day!
Neighborhood: Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Paul Raimonda Playground
20th Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets
As a musical homage to the Steinway & Sons factory just blocks away, this playground was revamped with a baby grand piano sprinkler play area for young kiddos to splash around and cool down in during the New Yor City summer days. There is also more opportunity for fun with renovated play equipment and a fitness center for adults to exercise and stay healthy.
Neighborhood: Ditmars Steinway
Travers Park
34th Avenue between 77th and 78th Streets
Take cover from the sun under the misting leaf spray showers and water jets throughout the playground. This park is divided into “little kid” and “big kid” sections for your toddlers to play safely in this popular park. Not to worry parents because there are cushioned ground surfaces where kids can play, swing, and have fun in the basketball and handball courts.
Neighborhood: Jackson Heights
Bronx
Fort Independence Playground
Sedgwick Avenue & W 238th Street
Get up and moving at Fort Independence Playground along the Jerome Park Reservoir. Parents can enjoy the shaded areas as they sit on the park benches while kids can roam the play structures. There is also a spewing water geyser for a refreshing and fun time!
Neighborhood: Kingsbridge
This story first appeared on newyorkfamily.com.
