The best splash pads in Tempe have quite a variety of features, from the epic location at Kiwanis Park, to small neighborhood offerings. All locations are open 8am-10pm, April-October, with the exception of Tempe Marketplace and The Watermark splash pads.
The Cloud at Kiwanis Park, 5233 S. Ash Avenue Tempe, AZ 85283 – The city did an excellent job combining favorites, like the half-circle spray tunnel, and adding new features like the umbrella fountain. This splash pad will delight and entertain both toddlers and older children. There are two highlights to this splash pad. The first is a shade structure that covers nearly all the fountains. Not only does this make it cooler for children, but parents too will enjoy being shielded from the sun. Not many splash pads in the Valley have this feature and we think it needs to be adopted by more cities! The other highlight is the thunderstorm sequence. Every 10 minutes or so the familiar water fountains turn off and thunder sounds from speakers above, complete with rain falling from these upper water features. This is unique and fun (especially for Arizona natives who love a good thunderstorm). Read more about The Cloud splash pad here.
Esquer Park, 2407 E. McArthur Drive Tempe, AZ 85281 – A button turn on splash pad features a water tower, circle, two spray guns, dumping buckets and numerous water spouting up. This is a fairly simple but fun splash pad for kids! The dumping buckets made it unique, while the water spouts will keep little ones entertained. And who doesn’t love a spray guns? Read more about Esquer Park here.
Hudson Park, 1430 S. Cedar St. Tempe, AZ 85281 – My favorite thing about this splash pad was that the water looked so blue when it landed on the ground. The cool effect you can only kind of see in pictures. There are spray poles, misters, buckets for dropping water. The water stays on for at least 10 minutes and rotates through the structures in a circle pattern and then all of them at the same time, and then individually. Read more about Hudson park here.
Jaycee Park, 817 W. 5th Street Tempe, AZ 85281 – This splash pad had some fountains, circles with most, and some pretty epic sprayers. You want the one on the west side of the pad if you are in a water fight. The toddler playground is right next to the splash pad, so it might be covered in sand from time to time. There is no shade over the splash pad, there is a small ramada not far from the pad and a couple of trees, but if you want shade you may need to bring some of your own. Note, that this splash pad is concrete, so it’s probably best to wear water shoes. Read more about Jaycee Park here.
Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe, AZ 85281 – The splash pad at Tempe Marketplace is perfect for toddlers and small children! It’s located behind Barnes and Noble, with some shaded seating. The splash pad itself is not covered. This splash pad is ideal for the very little ones, babies to about 5-6 years old. It is a smaller area with spouts that bubble straight up in varying strengths. This splash pad is open 7 am-11 pm, and has year-round availability. Read more about Tempe Marketplace here.
Tempe Watermark, 430 N Scottsdale Rd, Tempe, AZ 85281 – The splash pad is simple, with ten fountains that alternate in height. Kids will love the pattern! (Or maybe not – it did frustrate our toddler sometimes to have a fountain suddenly disappear.) Palm trees surround the area, making it nicely shaded a good portion of the late morning and afternoon for sure. Seating is the concrete barriers around the trees. The Watermark is a business center in north Tempe, off Scottsdale Road, just before you cross Tempe Town Lake. The splash pad is open year-round, 8 am-10 pm, Sunday to Thursday, and 8am-midnight Friday and Saturday. Read more about The Watermark splash pad here.
