New Jersey's many excellent parks with splash pads and spray parks are surefire crowd-pleasers on hot and steamy summer days—after all, who doesn't love running through a sprinkler when the mercury rises?

The splash pads we profile below are not water parks, so you won't find a ton of bells and whistles—though some do offer interactive features like dumping buckets or whimsical designs like water spouts in the shape of flowers (Dorbrook); a pirate ship (Veterans Memorial Park); or basketball sprayers (Manalapan). But the best part? Most of these water play spots are FREE and located in local parks and playgrounds.

Find more ways to cool off in the Garden State in our Ultimate New Jersey Kids Summer Vacation Guide, which includes our favorite water parks, beaches, and more.

When we were growing up, New York City playgrounds had sprinklers. But now, splash pads in NYC have transformed into spraygrounds—entire playgrounds dedicated to water play with fountains, geysers, rivers, pumps, and beautiful spraying statues. Kids just love these splash parks in NYC, and parents prefer these newfangled sprinkler parks because they're pretty and cool and a great way to beat the heat.

Splash pad season in NYC parks usually kicks into gear when temperatures hit 80 degrees, and there are hundreds of splash parks and splash pads in NYC parks. Though we've highlighted some favorites by borough—calling out the best splash pads in Brooklyn, top sprinkler parks in Queens, and our favorite spraygrounds in the Bronx—the ones on this list are even cooler (literally and figuratively).

Read on for the 24 best splash pads in New York City. For more ideas to stay cool and keep busy, check out our Ultimate NYC Kids Summer Guide and our Playgrounds and Parks Guide.

Cool off at these splash pads and sprinkler parks around Connecticut in 2025!

Stay cool this summer with one of these spraygrounds and splash pads in and around Houston.

The fun is as wet as it gets at these nearby sprinkler parks.

Free and fabulous splash pads in Los Angeles can be found at many parks and playgrounds across the city— and some of them are open year-round. Entire playgrounds (plus a few swimming pools and wading pools) are dedicated to ways to keep it cool, with plenty of fountains, geysers, pumps, and water sprayers. Kids adore these Los Angeles splash parks and "spraygrounds:, and parents love that they're a great way to beat the heat without a drive to a favorite beach (not to mention, the car won't get all sandy!).

Looking for more summer fun? Check out our list of the best swimming lakes in Los Angeles, our ultimate playgrounds guide, and our Ultimate Mommy Poppins summer guide!

Making a quick trip to the nearest sprinkler or splash pad around Philly is a great way to cool kids off on a hot day! The water playgrounds and splash pads listed below are some of our favorite local splash parks to enjoy free water play and make the most of summer.

Headed to the shore this summer for some ocean play? Check out these 100 Things To Do With Kids at the Jersey Shore, and don't forget to visit our Summer Activity Guide for more summer fun!

CAMP Dallas invites you to play in a whole new way

If you’ve been to CAMP Dallas, you know all about the magic behind the door. Just in time for summer break, the interactive toy store is bringing a whimsical new adventure to DFW, and it’s one you don’t want to miss.