EVENTSSplash pads around the Phoenix area: 30 places to get soaked this summer across the ValleyArizona RepublicPHOENIX | El Oso Park:You'll find one of Phoenix's newest splash pads at this park located at 75th Avenue and Thomas Road. Opened on June 1, 2023, El Oso's design is bear-themed and features several dump buckets as well as water gun-style sprays.City Of PhoenixPHOENIX | Altadena Park: The park also has a playground, ramada, picnic area and grills.Michael Schennum/The RepublicPHOENIX | CityScape: Amid the urban heat is a simple splash-and-play area with jets at CityScape. This is accessible by Valley Metro light rail.Tom Tingle/The RepublicPHOENIX | Edison Park: The surrounding park has a lighted basketball court, a playground, a ramada, picnic area, lighted softball field, a multipurpose field and volleyball.Sam Caravana/The RepublicPHOENIX | Pecos Park: The park also has a skate plaza, dog park, pool, community center, sand and concrete volleyball courts, a paved walking path, ramadas and playground.Cheryl Evans/The RepublicPHOENIX | Phoenix Zoo: The Phoenix Zoo has plenty of ways to cool off, with several water-play areas where kids can explore, learn and splash. From the sandy Leapin’ Lagoon and its water jets to the stalactites and stalagmites of the Yakulla Caverns splash pad, there's no end to the fun.Murphy Bannerman/The RepublicPEORIA | Paloma Community Park:The splash pad has 15 water features under a shade structure.City Of PeoriaPEORIA | Pioneer Park: This Peoria park offers water guns, small and large water-dumping features and a playground. One of its selling points is that it is well shaded.Mark Henle/The RepublicGLENDALE | Fountain Park at Westgate Entertainment District: An interactive fountain streams jets of water from the ground near the AMC theater.Courtesy Of Westgate Entertainment DistrictGLENDALE | Sunset Palms Park:This splash pad, thish opened in time for Memorial Day 2023, has 15 water features, including giant sprayers that can be activated by pressing a button, waterspouts and a dump bucket. Sprinklers go off every four minutes to ensure people get soaked.City Of GlendaleGLENDALE | Glendale Heroes Regional Park: Besides a splash pad, the 81-acre park also has an archery range, volleyball courts, playground, ramadas and skatepark.Melissa Leu/The RepublicGLENDALE | Rose Lane Aquatics Center: Amenities include a zero-depth leisure pool with spray features, a splash pad, giant slide, kiddie slide and pool with a diving well.Deirdre Hamill/The RepublicGLENDALE | Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center: The zero-depth leisure pool has spray features. The center also has slides, an aquatic playground, a lazy river, diving well and diving boards.Cheryl Evans/The RepublicAVONDALE | Festival Fields Park: Avondale’s Festival Fields Park underwent renovations in 2020 and features buckets that drop water on kids, a "water-style merry-go-round," a spray tunnel and various floor geysers and jets. Two shade canopies provide protection for people who sit near the splash pad. Families can also enjoy the playground, fishing pond, skate park and pickleball courts at the park.Ben Moffat/The RepublicGOODYEAR | Goodyear Community Park: Besides the splash pad, this park also has ramadas, sand volleyball courts; tennis, pickleball and basketball courts; a skatepark; playground; walking trails and dog parkaxNick Oza/The Arizona RepublicSURPRISE | Hollyhock Community Pool: In addition to the zero-depth water-play area and spray pad, there's also a three-lane lap pool and water slide.Michael Schennum/AZRSURPRISE | Surprise Aquatic Center: Surprise Aquatic Center has water play features, including mushroom water spouts and dump/tipping buckets, in its zero-depth area. There are also two waterslides for thrill-seekers.The RepublicNORTH PHOENIX | Desert Ridge Marketplace: The splash pad has spray jets and seating for adults. It's located near the AMC Theatre in the District.The RepublicSCOTTSDALE| McDowell Mountain Ranch Aquatic Center: During the summer, Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountain Ranch Aquatic Center opens up its waterslide, lazy river, zero-depth play pool and spray pad with water features.David Wallace/The RepublicSCOTTSDALE | Paiute Park: The spray pad at this park is accompanied by lighted tennis courts, a basketball court and playground.Courtesy Of The City Of ScottsdaleSCOTTSDALE | Scottsdale Quarter: The pop-jet splash fountain in The Quad features multiple jets and palm trees nearby.Patrick Breen/The RepublicCHANDLER | Chuparosa Park: The spray pad has a candy-cane-shape shower plus four spray areas within a 28-acre park.David Wallace/The RepublicCHANDLER | Desert Breeze Park: You'll find spray and splash pads as well as a lake, playground, walking trails and a sand volleyball court.Patrick Breen/The RepublicCHANDLER | Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center: Chandler’s Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center has the feel of a water park with a 6-foot-tall tumble bucket that holds 725 gallons of water, two waterslides, a water spray pad and a lazy river. For families who want to cool off after the heat peaks, the aquatic center offers night swim from 7-9 p.m. on Mondays-Wednesdays.The Arizona RepublicGILBERT | Water Tower Plaza: The water-play area has four features, including water walls and a 9½-ton granite ball that spins on a layer of water. The water automatically turns off when the wind reaches 8 mph.David Wallace/The RepublicMESA | Eastmark Great Park: The splash pad in the hub of the park is shaded.John Samora/The RepublicMESA | Rhodes Aquatic Center: The center features splash pads, tumble buckets and a FlowRider surfing simulator. There also are diving boards and shade structures. There's an additional charge for the FlowRider.David Kadlubowski/The RepublicMESA | Riverview Park: This renovated park in Mesa has a spray ground in a fenced-off area with different kinds of jets and fountains. Other play options include a “playground extraordinaire,” which has a 50-foot-tall climbing tower, mesh rope climbing structure and shaded play structures.David Wallace/The RepublicTEMPE| Jaycee Park: Jaycee Park has a "splash playground" as well as volleyball courts, a playground and basketball courts.Tom Tingle/The Arizona RepublicTEMPE|Kiwanis Park: The Cloud at Kiwanis Park, located on the north end of the park, is the city’s largest splash play zone. It offers a variety of water play options, including water that sprays from the ground-up and also down from archways. One major plus: The splash pad is under a shade structure.Families who want to play after dark can enjoy the space’s colorful lighting.Johanna Huckeba/The Republic