Splash Pads

Best Splash Pads

There is no finer way to occupy a wild child on a properly hot day than a splash pad, and the North East has a decent scattering of them, almost all free, dotted between Northumberland and Durham. None of them are enormous, but that's rather the point: turn up, get soaked, dry off on the grass, repeat.

Ridley Park, Blyth

An award-winning Victorian park with a genuinely popular water play area right at its centre, alongside two separate playgrounds for different age groups. It's easy to make a full morning of it, with a café in the old bowling pavilion for when everyone needs a sit-down.

• Where: Ridley Park, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 3HF

• When: Water play typically runs from late May through the summer, usually 10am to 5.30pm daily, weather and maintenance permitting

• Cost: Free

• Good to know: There's a free car park at the south end of the park (70 spaces) off Wensleydale Terrace, plus further parking in Blyth town centre

  
  

Spittal, near Berwick-upon-Tweed

A relatively new splash pad right by the beach in Spittal, with a promenade, playpark, cafés and ice cream kiosks all close at hand. It makes a lovely double act with a paddle in the sea itself, given the beach is right there too.

• Where: Spittal, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1RW (South Greenwich Road car park is right next to it)

• When: Seasonal, generally through the summer months, check Berwick Town Council for current hours

• Cost: Free

• Good to know: Parking at South Greenwich Road car park is free for up to 72 hours, and there's an accessible swing in the adjoining playpark

  
  

Riverside Park, Chester-le-Street

One of the best equipped splash pads in the region, part of a much bigger park with a play area, skate park, café and riverside walks. It's a proper day-out venue rather than a quick stop.

• Where: Riverside Park, Park Road Central, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, DH3 3PN

• When: Runs from late May to the end of August, with fuller hours (10am to 6pm) on weekends and during school holidays, and shorter sessions on weekdays in term time

• Cost: Free

• Good to know: There are around 600 parking spaces at and around the park, including at nearby Thrive Leisure, so it rarely feels impossible to find a space

  
  

Exhibition Park, Newcastle

Tucked into a shaded, woodland corner of the park near Wylam Brewery, this is a smaller, more hands-on water play area where children pump, tap and pipe the water themselves rather than simply standing under jets. It's an easy add-on if you're already in the city centre.

• Where: Exhibition Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4PZ

• When: Generally open through the summer, weather and maintenance permitting

• Cost: Free

• Good to know: The wider park also has a boating lake, playgrounds and a skate park, so there's plenty to fill an afternoon even if the water play area is quiet

  
  

Carlisle Park, Morpeth

A traditional outdoor paddling pool, gentler and more toddler-friendly than a jet-based splash pad, set within one of Northumberland's loveliest town parks.

• Where: Carlisle Park, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1YD

• When: Usually open from the last week of May to the first week of September, check with Morpeth Town Council for current times

• Cost: Free

• Good to know: Morpeth has plenty of parking, though it can fill up on nice days, and the train station is about a ten minute walk away

  
  

A paid alternative: Alnwick Garden's Serpent Garden

If you don't mind paying for the day, the water play area within Alnwick Garden's Serpent Garden is genuinely lovely, and open year-round rather than just in summer, so it's worth keeping in mind for an unexpectedly warm day out of season. Full details on Alnwick Garden, including current admission prices, are in our earlier venue guide.