Summer is officially here and one of the best resources New Yorker’s have to stay cool is access to water features at local playgrounds. We have curated a list of some of our favorite downtown playgrounds and parks with water, to ensure kids of all ages stay cool this summer. Check out some of our favorite splash pads in Lower Manhattan.
FiDi Families Insiders: Always travel with a bathing suit, you never know when you’ll discover a secret hideaway with a sprinkler or fountain!
Hands down our favorite watering hole, with an oversized water play area featuring dump buckets, water hoses, various sprinklers and water fountains. In addition to their water area, the 25,000 square foot playground has a climbing wall, multiple slides, sandbox and swings (for both big and small). There’s a mini-golf course and beach volleyball court and a snack stand.
This is a Lower Manhattan family favorite as they have thought of everything a parent could want at a playground. This incredibly park has three separate jungle gym areas, separated by age. A small climbing section in the sand for tots, a more complex section with ladders, slides and a wooden train for kids to play in and the third option is the largest section for older kids; bigger jungle gym area, a rope wall and sprinkler to cool off in. You can also bring your soccer ball to kick around their large open field or pack a picnic and eat lunch at the picnic tables lining the park. Throughout the Summer and Fall, they offer concerts and movie nights.
Rockefeller Playground
Imagination Playground
Designed by famous architect David Rockwell, Imagination Playground is filled with oversize foam blue blocks that allows them to build and create whatever they can come with. With a large sand pit and enclosed tunnel slide, the playground also offers a great sized water play area and a deck lined with umbrellas to provide some much needed shade!
