Summer is the season for water sports. Fortunately, Kansas City has something for everyone—free spraygrounds for young children, daring water rides for teens and adults, as well as classes and programs, pools and waterparks and everything in between. Dive into fun this summer!
A Few of Our Favorite Outdoor Pools and Waterparks
Tip: Most of these attractions are open through Labor Day weekend.
- Splash into summer fun at Kansas City’s premier outdoor water park! With waves of fun from mild to wild, Oceans of Fun offers amazing fun for everyone in the family. Extreme waterslides appeal to thrill-seekers, and kiddos love our pint-sized slides, geysers and fountains at Crocodile Isle. Float along on our Caribbean Cooler lazy river and catch some waves at fan favorite Surf City Wave Pool. Enjoy season-long access and free parking to Worlds of Fun with a Gold Season Pass, including seasonal events Grand Carnivale and the Great Pumpkinfest.
- Summit Waves in Lee's Summit: The outdoor water park also features one body slide and one tube slide, a six-lane lap pool with diving boards and a water playground area featuring mini-slides, dump buckets and more.
- Memorial Park Outdoor Water Park in Belton: Plunge more than two stories down the Speed Slide or hop on an inner tube and swirl down the Tornado Slide into the pool below. Grab a tube and float around the water park in the 82,000-gallon Action River or get a little exercise walking against the 4 mph current.
- Overland Park Swimming Pools: The City of Overland Park has multiple outdoor pools. At Tomahawk Ridge Aquatic Center (TRAC), the city's largest overall pool facility, visitors can enjoy lots of shade and grassy areas for lying out or relaxing. Stonegate Pool, originally, the city's smallest pool, was rebuilt in 2009 after more than 40 years of summertime fun. Young's Pool is one of the city's largest pools. Young's makes its mark with a 31-foot-tall waterslide that dares guests to take the plunge down the drop slide. The indoor pools at Matt Ross Community Center are open year-round.
- Black Bob Bay in Olathe: This waterpark features raft waterslides, lazy river, shallow water play structures, shade areas and a baby pool.
- Lenexa Swimming Pools: The city of Lenexa offers several outdoor pools. Indian Trails Aquatic Center boasts eight 50-meter lanes, ¾-meter diving board, in-deck spray feature, AquaClimb rock wall and two large waterslides. Flat Rock Pool has a zero-depth entry, on-deck and in-water shade structures, in-water benches, interactive mushroom water feature, three 25-yard lap lanes, 1-meter diving board, in-deck spray feature, basketball goal and AquaClimb rock wall.
- Adventure Oasis in Independence: Pools, waterslides, lazy river and play areas for young children make this a fun splash spot.
Indoor Water Play:
Little ones love to play in water, but sometimes Mom wants to skip the sunscreen and the bath afterward. Head to Science City at Union Station (30 W. Pershing, Kansas City, MO, UnionStation.org), Kansas City's own hands-on science center featuring permanent and traveling exhibits to educate and engage children. Tots enjoy the water table, where they learn about water as it flows through tubes and tunnels. Other fun sensory exhibits for little ones include the musical playground, the dinosaur dig, the nature center and more.
Water Fun at Home
- BEST Homemade Bubble Solution: Ingredients: 4-1/2 c. water, 1/2 c. liquid dish soap (brand-name is best), 4 t. sugar. How to: Measure water first, then add soap (if you measure soap first and add running water, you will have dish suds). Tip: Make the night before, allowing the mixture time to set, and use the next day for bigger bubbles.
- Homemade Bubble Wands You can find many easy ways to make your own bubble wands. A few simple ideas: Bend a wire coat hanger into fun shapes and use it as a bubble wand. For a wand this large, aluminum pie plates work great to hold the bubble solution. Children can get in on the bending fun when you fashion pipe cleaners into favorite shapes for bubble wands. Use string and soda straws. Simply run some string through a soda straw or two (straws cut to be shorter work too) and tie the string together—essentially creating a straw necklace. Then hold onto the straws and dip the string into the bubble solution. Straws work by themselves—but be sure to blow the bubbles and not drink the solution!
- Toy Car Wash Hook up the sprinkler to have some fun. Add a twist by setting up an outdoor car wash for your toy cars (or real car, for that matter) or wash favorite play toys. Play classic games around the sprinkler like tag or duck, duck, goose, and this summer, parents join in the fun! The family that plays together stays together.
- Kiddie Pool “Free” Toys You don’t have to splurge on fun pool and bath toys for little ones. Many common household items make great water toys. Have an empty yogurt carton or margarine container? Empty plastic containers make great scoops to play in the pool or tub. Brand new sponges or clean washcloths are great fun in the tub too. Let children fill an empty salt shaker or salad dressing bottle with water and watch as it pours through the spout like a sprinkler. Measuring cups, spoons and squirt bottles you have around the house all make great water toys as well.
- Bonus: Cool off after your water play with a delicious homemade frozen pop. Buy plastic Popsicle molds and have fun creating your own flavors! Fill with juice and some fresh berries or fruit, or make pudding pops with instant pudding and add bananas for fun. Let the kids create their own tasty concoctions all summer long.
Kansas City Area Spraygrounds:
Kansas City is home to many wonderful spraygrounds! Spraygrounds are water playgrounds where children can frolic through sprinklers and sprays on a safe surface. This is a fantastic, fun, free way to cool off on a hot summer day. Spraygrounds are open through Labor Day across the metro!
Missouri Spraygrounds & Splash Pads:
Blue Springs Sprayground:
- Burrus Old Mill Park: 112 NW Woods Chapel Rd.
Grandview Spraygrounds:
- John Anderson Park: 4701 E. 135th St. This one features a fun pirate theme!
- The View Splash Park: 13500 Byars Rd. Sprayground features waterslides in addition to spray features.
Kansas City, MO, Spraygrounds:
- Blue Valley Park: 23rd Street & Topping
- Central Park: Linwood Boulevard & Bales Avenue
- Dagg Park: 701 E. 21st Ave.
- Douglas Playground at Grace Williams Nicholl Park: 2632 Jarboe St.
- Garrison Square: E. Fourth Street & Forest Avenue
- Gillham Park: 3915 Gillham Rd.
- Golden Oaks Park: NE 46th Street & N. Antioch Road
- Harmony Park: E. 10th Street & Agnes Avenue
- Longview Tract: 7107 Longview Rd.
- Loose Park: W. 52nd Terrace & Summit Avenue (Closed Wednesdays.)
- Lykins Square: E. 8th Street & Myrtle Avenue
- Nelson C. Crews Park: E. 27th Street & Michigan Avenue
- Parade Park: 1600 John Buck O'Neil Way
- Seven Oaks Park: E. 39th Street & Kensington Avenue
- Spring Valley Park: East 27th & Woodland Avenue
- Sunnyside Park: W. 83rd Street & Summit Avenue
- Swope Park Pool: 6700 Lewis Rd.
- Zona Rosa: I-29 & Barry Road
Kearney, MO, Sprayground:
- Lions Park: 340 S. Jefferson St.
Independence Spraygrounds:
- McCoy Park: 24 Highway & N. Delaware
- Rotary Park: 24th & Hardy
Lee's Summit Spraygrounds:
- Miller J. Fields Park: 1301 SE Third Ter.
- Lea McKeighan Park: 125 NE Chipman Rd.
Liberty Spraygrounds:
- City Park: 970 S. Hwy. 291
- Ruth Moore Park: 401 N. Morse
Raymore Sprayground:
- T.B. Hanna Station: 214 S. Washington St.
Kansas Spraygrounds & Splash Pads:
Kansas City, KS, Spraygrounds:
- Eisenhower Park: 2901 N. 72nd St.
- Heathwood Park: 10th & Parallel Parkway
- Pierson Park: 1800 S. 55th St.
Olathe Spraygrounds:
- Olathe Lake Spray Pad: 221 S. Beaver Shelter Ln.
Overland Park Spraygrounds:
- Roe Park: 10400 Roe Ave.
- Sapling Grove Park: 82nd & Grant Avenue
- Thompson Park: 8045 Santa Fe Dr.
Shawnee Spraygrounds:
- Wilder Bluff Park: 24200 W. 55th St.
- Erfurt Park: 24135 W. 71st St.
Kristina Light’s daughters love spending summer days at local waterparks with their friends.