The highlight of today’s splash padding adventure has got to be the signage at Kiwanis Park splash pad.

At the front of the park, it gives you a list of things you cannot do.

Please don’t be tempted to bring your bow and arrow to Kiwanis Park. Target practice is forbidden in this tiny urban park.

(It’s not expressly forbidden at any other city park we’ve visited so I guess you’re good to go at those ones. We’re not sure about this, so you’d better check.)

1. Kiwanis Park Splash Pad

The splash pad at Kiwanis Park is part of the wading pool.

The wading pool was closed when we arrived after 9AM on a Friday morning.

It’s an old under powered metal post, so there’s not really much more to say about the splash park.

You already know about the no archery rule.

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2. Lawson Park Splash Pad

A reader let us know earlier in July that there isn’t actually a splash pad at Lawson Park.

We were in the neighbourhood, so we thought we’d check it out to see what was hiding at the GPS co-ordinates given by the city (open data catalogue). Kinda like geocaching.

There used to be a splash pad at Lawson Park, but it doesn’t work any more. It’s a giant tree-sized wooden post, but there’s no start button anymore and the weeds have overgrown the grounds.

“That doesn’t look like a park,” comments our three-year old daughter who, by now, is used to things like Diamond Jubilee or Brewer Park.

“Where’s the real park?”

She means the curly slides and swings that we usually use after we snap a few photos. Usually there’s a play structure beside the splash park and we have fun throwing our baby doll down the slide. Lawson Park is mostly a giant field.

“I want a park to play,” she says, after we explain that the splash pad is broken.

So, we play hide and go seek behind the tall trees.

And then we’re off to find the next splash pad.

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3. Stonecrest Park splash pad

The splash pad at Stonecrest Park is a lot of fun.

We invited our cousin over to splash with us and have a little picnic. Stonecrest Park is a good place to do just that.

The splash pad is neat because it runs through different patterns and the water pressure changes.

For example, sometimes, the split stream is a quiet trickle and other times, it’s blasting across the splash pad.

• A yellow spray cannon,
• A bunch of water fountains from the ground
• A gazebo with picnic table
• A toddler play structures and a bigger play structure

We had fun making sand castles, just like last time. And just like last time, we picked up a couple of stray kids from the day care who joined in on the fun.

If you build it, they will come.

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4. Mountain Meadows Park Splash Pad

There were too many toddlers toddling at the splash park at Mountain Meadows, so we couldn’t get a big picture shot.

But, if you can’t beat them, join them.

Our little girl had fun dunking baby’s head in the water. (Baby needed a bath after going down some slides at the play ground.)

A nice basic modern splashpad: water cannon, high powered ground water fountains, and a line of 8 sprinklers creating a water tunnel.

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5. Four Seasons Park Splash Pad

Sometimes, when we’re riding in the car, we play this game trying to count fire hydrants.

Our three year old backseat driver will shout out, “Fire hydrant,” and it’s game on.

Some how, the game never really transfers over to counting the fire hydrants at splash pads.

The splash pad at Four Seasons Park consists of a fire hydrant with four nozzles – one is broken.

(In case you were wondering, we checked our database and there are at least 11 splash pads in Ottawa that have a fire hydrant water structure.)

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6. Claudette Cain Park splash pad

Claudette Cain Park is beautiful and the splash pad there is impressive as well.

We gave it five stars.

• Beautiful park by the river
• Interesting water structures: Several tall posts with dripping flowers, spinning flower, and a dumping bucket. There are also water cannons, a bunch of ground sprinklers, and an aqua dome creating a wave of water.
• There are portapotties  around the park (including one beside the splash pad)
• There is a parking lot
• You can walk from the splashpad to get to a gazebo and other play structures with slides.

We definetely want to come back to this one.

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