With record-high temperatures sweeping across the country, everyone’s looking for a way to beat the heat. Luckily for Kansas City residents, there are dozens of family-friendly and kid-focused parks full of water features to splash around all day. Grab the sunscreen and check out our list of the area’s best splash pads and spray parks.
Burrus Old Mill Park Blue Springs, MO
The first splash pad in Blue Springs—and it’s huge! The park is jungle themed, with animals like elephants and hippos scattered around, buckets that dump water, and even a small slide.
John Anderson Park Grandview, MO
Do your kids love to play pirate? This nautical-themed park might be for them. Run through sprinkler-like fountains or close your eyes and imagine the ocean spray hitting your face. Free admission in Grandview all summer long.
Loose Park Sprayground Kansas City, MO
One of the smaller splash pads in the city, but a classic, nonetheless. Difficult to see from the road, this sprayground sits near the tennis courts and provides ample shaded seating and picnic areas for families after the kids tire from running around the spray area.
Gillham Park Sprayground Kansas City, MO
Closer to the downtown KC area, this new sprayground has colorful playground equipment and shaded areas for watchful parents. Kids can splash around in a shallow water stream and enjoy surprise splashes from nearby fountains.
Miller J. Fields Park Lee’s Summit, MO
Between the splash pad and playground next door, this is the perfect spot for the kids to spend a day. A large water-dumping bucket delights older kids on one side, while less-intense water activities await the younger kids on the other side. Xylophones, music, and a zip line complete this fun-filled Lee’s Summit park.
Lea McKeighan Park Lee’s Summit, MO
This Seuss-like spray park is separated into two areas, for both younger and older children. Covered tables nearby make this a comfortable place for the kids to play and the parents to relax, and other amenities like a pickleball court and skate park are nearby.
Dagg Park North Kansas City, MO
The ocean comes to you in this deep sea-themed sprayground. The park is entirely fenced in with a separate area for small children, and is zero-depth, so you can feel comfortable bringing even the littlest ones around.
Wilder Bluff Park Shawnee, KS
A splash pad with a natural focus, this park has both a shallow river and waterfall. Boulders surround the fountains in the splash pad, and small water toys and boats float through the shallow river. This park opened just two years ago and is surrounded by 40 acres of parkland.
Lake Olathe Park Olathe, KS
Olathe’s very first sprayground is divided into three sections by a shallow river. Kids visiting Lake Olathe will have access to musical instruments along the path to play with, as well as two splash pads. A foot-wash station sits next to the sand and water area for rinsing off the post-play sand.