It opens on the Southbank Centre’s riverside terrace on 16 June and runs through the summer. Free to use, all ages, and right on the Thames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udccd Southbank Centre, SE1 | All ages | Free | Opens 16 June<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the best-known water play spots in London. Over 1,000 individually controlled jets rise and fall in sequences across the paving in front of the canal. It’s interactive, it’s free, and it’s busy on hot days \u2014 but big enough to absorb a crowd. Unlike most splash parks on this list, it runs year-round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd King’s Cross, N1C | All ages | Free | Open daily<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A maze of 320 water jets near Paddington Basin, arranged in concentric circles that rise and fall to create shifting gaps. The aim is to get through without getting wet. The aim is always unsuccessful. Note that the fountains switch off in high winds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Merchant Square, W2 | All ages | Free | Daily, 7am\u20138.30am, 10.30am\u201312pm, 2pm\u20137pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A large public park near Liverpool Street with water features that run through spring and summer. Open around the clock, so a good option if you’re passing through the City on a warm day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Broadgate, EC2A | All ages | Free | Open spring and summer<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most popular splash pads in north London, with tipping buckets, water jets and spray features. Clissold Park is a lovely park in itself \u2014 deer, a caf\u00e9, a good playground \u2014 so it makes for a full morning out. You can walk up without booking, but pre-booking via the Better app guarantees your slot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Clissold Park, N16 | All ages | Free | Opens 23 May, 11am\u20136pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Parliament Hill paddling pool sits right next to the Parliament Hill playground and athletics track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Somewhere between a paddling pool and a splash pad. It’s shallow, calm and well supervised, which makes it one of the better options for younger children. Worth knowing: it’s for under-8s only, and fills up on busy days. Reopens May 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Hampstead Heath, NW3 | 0\u20138yrs | Free | May\u2013September, 10.30am\u20135pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The water play area at Barnard Park is part of a wider adventure playground and open daily through the warmer months. A good local option for families in Islington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Barnard Park, N7 | All ages | Free | Open daily<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Easy to miss, but worth the visit. Tucked between Hampstead Theatre and the library, this open space has a splash area with water jets and ground-level play features, open most of the year and much quieter than the bigger parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Swiss Cottage, NW3 | All ages | Free | Open daily, 7.30am\u20139.30pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside the London Stadium, 195 individually controlled water jets are set into the ground and light up with LEDs as it gets dark. The Tumbling Bay Playground nearby has a separate water play area too. The fountains close on Stadium event days, so worth checking before you make a trip of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 | All ages | Free | March\u2013October, 10am\u20135pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A reliable summer staple for east London families. The splash pool at The Hub opens on the Spring Bank Holiday each year and runs until the last weekend of the summer holidays. It closes on rainy days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Victoria Park, E9 | All ages | Free | Opens 25 May, 11am\u20135pm (closes in rain)<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A large public square at the entrance to The O2, with geysers and water jets that burst from the granite paving. A permanent installation that runs year-round. Worth pairing with a walk along the riverfront or a visit to the Greenwich Peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Peninsula Square, SE10 | All ages | Free | Open daily<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most distinctive water play areas in London, full stop. Elephant Springs looks and feels completely different from a typical splash pad: cascading water channels, motion-activated jets, hand-operated pumps and sandy play areas set among rocky stone formations. It opened in 2021 and runs year-round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Elephant Park, SE1 | All ages | Free | Open daily<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A large, modern splash pad that replaced the old paddling pool in 2023. It has 41 water play features across 600 square metres \u2014 tipping buckets, fountains, interactive jets. Gets very busy on hot weekends; a weekday morning is a better bet if you can manage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Clapham Common, SW4 | All ages | Free | Opens 23 May, 10am\u20137pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The wet play area at Brockwell Park typically opens on the last Saturday of May and runs through to the last weekend of September. A natural pairing with a swim at the lido nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Brockwell Park, SE24 | All ages | Free | Opens last Saturday of May<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A seasonal splash pad in Wimbledon Park with six interactive paddling pools and water play areas. Good for families in south-west London who want something closer to home than the bigger destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Wimbledon Park, SW19 | All ages | Free | 15 June\u20136 September, 10am\u20135pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Three sets of water jets and a long sandy beach area, right by the Thames in Fulham. One of the earliest to open each year \u2014 already running from 1 May \u2014 and a good excuse for a riverside walk if you’re in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Bishops Park, SW6 | All ages | Free | 1 May\u201331 August, 10am\u20136pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A splash pad with water jets and a sandy beach area in a lovely park with a caf\u00e9 on site. Entry is free but you need to book a ticket via Eventbrite on the council’s website before you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Ravenscourt Park, W6 | All ages | Free (ticket required) | Summer, 10am\u20135pm until 31 August<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A well-used water jet area in a local park in Kensington. It operates in two-hour sessions rather than running continuously, so check the times before you set off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Kensington Memorial Park, W10 | All ages | Free | April\u2013September, daily 10am\u20136pm (timed sessions)<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n London’s most visited playground has been closed since autumn 2025 for a \u00a33 million overhaul, but is due to reopen this summer. The new water play area will feature a 12-metre crocodile sculpture that children can use to control the flow of water \u2014 one to look out for when it opens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udccd Kensington Gardens, W2 | All ages | Free | Reopening summer 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n See more<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Always bring towels and a change of clothes, including shoes. Wet trainers on the journey home are no fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The busiest spots are Granary Square, Appearing Rooms and Clissold Park, get very busy on weekend afternoons in July. A weekday morning is a much better experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening dates change each year. Check the venue’s website before making a long journey, especially early and late in the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two parks require advance booking. Clissold Park recommends pre-booking via the Better app; Ravenscourt Park requires a free ticket via Eventbrite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Happy splashing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When the temperature climbs, London’s splash parks become some of the most popular spots in the city. Most are free, most are open from late May through to September, and they range from a few water jets in a local park to a full-scale art installation on the Southbank. The tricky part is knowing which … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"0","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,39],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-9008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-free-fun-london","category-whats-on","tag-featured-homepage-hero"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9008"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9016,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9008\/revisions\/9016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Best-splash-parks-in-London.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSplash parks in central London<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Granary Square Fountains, King’s Cross<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Fountain Maze, Merchant Square<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Exchange Square, Broadgate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Splash parks in north London<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Clissold Park splash pad, Hackney<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Hampstead Heath paddling pool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Barnard Adventure Playground, Islington<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Swiss Cottage Open Space<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Best-Splash-Parks-London-edit-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSplash parks in east London<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park fountains<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Victoria Park splash pool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Peninsula Square Fountains, Greenwich<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Splash parks in south London<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Elephant Springs, Elephant + Castle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Clapham Common splash pad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Brockwell Park wet play area<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Wimbledon Park splash pad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/loopla.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Best-Splash-Parks-London-edit-2.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSplash parks in west London<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bishops Park splash pad, Fulham<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ravenscourt Park paddling pool, Hammersmith<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kensington Memorial Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, Kensington Gardens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tips for visiting splash parks in London<\/h2>\n\n\n\n