With warm days approaching, the Tampa Bay area has some great spray grounds, public pools, and splash zones many are free or low costs. extracted from Tampa Bay Times Life & Culture Section.
Free play areas in Tampa Bay
St. Pete Pier is one of the newest water play areas located near the St. Petersburg Museum of History and Spa Beach. The wide-open water area has fountains that kids can play in, and at night, there are lights and music. For the parents there are free lounge chairs and umbrellas next to the fountains and nearby concession stand.
Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park and Water Works Park on Tampa’s Riverfront on the Riverwalk now has fun splash pads, now joining the sprayground of dancing fountains at Curtis Hixon Park along the riverfront. The great fun is watching the kids gather under the giant yellow bucket that fills and tips over to soak them so they can scream.
Carrollwood Village Park has been around since December of 2019. This has many features for adults and children’s alike, there are picnic shelters, a dog park and outdoor chess boards and ping pong tables, along with a skate park and don’t forget the splash pad for the kids.
Dell Homes Park in St. Petersburg is a terrific sprayground open until September 30th from 9am to 8pm daily. Please note the sprayers are motion activated, and the park is tucked into a shady, tree-covered neighborhood.
WaterPlay at Zephyr Park in Zephyrhills has fountain, jets soaker cannon, falling buckets of water and arches shooting water. This is 34-acre spraygound is downtown and the site of the Alice Hall Community Center. The water Park is open at 9am to dusk.
Kiwanis Sprayground is next to Highlander Pool in Dunedin is still limiting the number of people at the popular splash pad, to about 60 people as of July 2021.
Sims Park and Orange Lake located in downtown park New Port Richey has a popular splash pad along with hosting many festivals and special events, what is nice about this location you have shaded park benches near by.
Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation has 10 interactive splash pads some are mentioned above, in there parks system that have two schedule per year: April to October and November to March. Times may vary per Park location in Tampa.
Low-coast Water Play Areas in Tampa Bay
North Shore Aquatic Complex in St Petersburg considered one of the premier pools located on the waterfront year-round with zero-depth entry for kids, a giant flume slide and splash pad.
Clearwater Beach Family Aquatic Center has lap-swimming lanes and a children’s play area that provides squirting water fountains, a “rain-drop” waterfall, a slide and basketball goal to play some hoops in the pool.
Childs Park Pool has a huge water slide and children’s water theme park with whales, water bucket and mushroom shape towers, along with an umbrella area for shade . This is a part of the St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation system. admission $1 for ages 3 to 12 and $2 for ages 13 and up.
Skyview Pool in Pinellas park has diving boards, a deep-end cork-screw slide and an adorable kiddie area with a mushroom that rains down water like an umbrella and bullfrog waterslide, squirting interactive bicycle and a squirting rocking whale.
The Suncoast YMCAs or Tampa Metropolitan area YMCAs have a number of aquatic areas and very affordable options. Many have waterslides and low-cost swim lessons.
The Bryan Glazer Family JCC has an enormous aquatic center with two pools, a spa and a splash pad for kids 8 and under.
Weeki Wachee Springs home of the famous mermaid shows, if Florida’s only spring-fed water park. The area’s oldest attraction is more than 70 years old but it has embraced the newest technology. From the sandy beaches, flume rides, volley ball, river rides, kiddie pool area and mermaid shows there something for everyone. Get there early due to the popularity of this water park.
