Splash Into Summer With These Spraygrounds

Trying to stay cool during the sweltering summer heat? At Planning Design Studio (PDS), we’ve put together a list of splash pads/spraygrounds we've helped design over the years. These vibrant play areas offer a fun, free way for kids to enjoy the outdoors but remain cool on the hottest days of the year!

1) Capaha Park Splash Pad

1400 Broadway St, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

The Capaha Splash Pad is a perfect family-friendly spot located in Capaha Park, a large city park that features numerous amenities, such as walking trails, playgrounds, shaded picnic areas, and a pond. Thoughtfully designed for children 8 and under, this splash pad features playful water sprays and fountains and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The splash pad is gated for safety purposes and holds up to 50 people.

2) Family Sports Park Sprayground

301 Obernuefemann Rd, O Fallon, IL 62269

Nestled within the expansive, 200‑acre Family Sports Park (FSP), this splash pad is a vibrant water play area, including various features that are fun to children of all ages, such as a large sprayground, two man-made creek streams, dumping buckets, arches, fountains, and a shallow pooling area. The space is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Aside from the sprayground, visitors can also enjoy the walking trails, picnic pavilions, concessions, sports fields, and playgrounds. With facilities designed to keep both kids and parents entertained, this sprayground is frequently praised as spacious, clean, and easy to access, even during busy tournament weekends.

3) Millennium Park Splash Pad

2 Barnes West Dr, Creve Coeur, MO 63141

The Millennium Park Splash Pad is a gated, seasonal splash pad that spans about 3,000 sq ft, and boasts features like ground-level bubblers, colorful arches, dumping buckets, pop jets, and a playful “gecko” named Ralph mounted on a large flower—an upgrade part of the $2.5 million renovation completed in June 2024. The splash pad is also fully fenced for safety purposes. With the entire park being recently renovated in 2024, children can also enjoy the new, large playground with a variety of features, and adults can enjoy the quaint, looped walking trail. The splash pad runs on a visitor timer and is open from sunup to sundown.

In addition to these projects, PDS has also contributed its expertise to the development of some other water play areas, including spray features to the playgrounds at Kirkwood Park in Kirkwood, MO, and Pioneer Park in Des Peres, MO.

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