Updated for 2024. In summer it is great to be outdoors with your children, but sometimes you need to cool off. There are loads of places locally in Essex and East London where you can have a splash from paddling pools to inflatable aqua parks and water based activity centres so whether you are looking to entertain a toddler or a teen this summer this post will help. If you just fancy a swim then check out these indoor pools in Essex, but if you fancy an outdoor water activity then there is lots to choose from below. 

Scroll to the end for a map to find your nearest.

Splash parks are great to visit on sunny days with children

Please note most locations are weather dependent and some of them require tickets. There are a combination of free and paid for activities in this post. Check their websites for entry criteria and to confirm opening hours.

Splash Parks, Paddling Pools, Lidos and Aqua Parks in Essex

King George’s Park Splash Pad, Brentwood £

1-3 Hartswood Pavilion, King George’s Playing Fields, Ingrave Road, Brentwood Essex CM13 2FD

The splash pad has water jets, fountains and more. You have to book sessions which are 25 minutes long. Only open if 15 degrees or warmer.
Under 1s are free. £3.50 for everyone else. Bookings currently between 10am and 5pm
King Georges Park also has soft play, an over 8’s adventure play area and a sensory room. All of which have to be booked via the Everyone Active website or Everyone Active App. There is also Crazy Golf and a skate park.

Maldon Splash Park, Maldon - £

Maldon Promenade Park, Park Drive, Maldon, CM9 5JQ

Sessions are 25 minutes long and must be booked in advance via the Places website. Located in Promenade Park next to the car park and alongside the pirate ship playground areas. Surface water only with no paddling areas.
It is £3.50 for an adult and a child under 8, an adult with two children under 8 are £5.75, an adult with 3 children under 8 are £8.25. Additional juniors over 8 are £2.75 and additional adults are charged at £1.
There are 250 tickets available per session and sessions are available to start every half hour between 10am and 4.30pm.

Lakeside, Grays

West Thurrock Way, Grays, RM20 2ZP

Fountains, FREE.
In the quay area outside Lakeside shopping centre there are a few water fountains which children love to play in out weather. Whilst there is free parking at Lakeside there isn’t enough fountains to head there just for that, but it is worth bringing suitable clothing if you are also visiting Nickelodeon Adventure, the cinema, soft play or Hollywood Bowl.

The Destination, FREE
There is also a free "splash pool and beach" at The Destination Lakeside, open daily from 12pm to 6pm until end of August. When busy pool time limited to 15 minutes with a capacity limit too. It's in the area directly opposite Nickelodeon Adventure and there are also token rides.

Boat Hire, £
While it doesn’t involve getting wet there is also the option of hiring small electric boats on the lake via MiniPort. It costs £25 for 30 mins and can accommodate up to 5 people per boat. Open from 10am until 6pm every weekend and school holidays subject to weather conditions.

Aqua Park, £

Close by there is also Aqua Park with over 40 inflatables on the lake. Suitable for children aged 6 plus (and over 1.2m). You also need to be able to swim 25m unaided. Children 6 and 7 need and adult on the aqua park with them, 8 to 15 can be supervised from shore (if very water confident). Open through to Sunday 25th September 2024.

Hire a boat at the MiniPort at Lakeside Shopping Centre

Grays Beach Riverside Park, Grays, £ 

Grays Beach Riverside Park, Thames Road, Grays, RM17 6JP

There is a small splash park with fountains and surface water only. Pay for entry via The Lightship Cafe, entry is £2.99 for 30 mins or £4.99 for an hour, charges apply to all participants. There is also a great playground with a castle and ship in a sand pit and views of the River Thames. Open 8am to dusk.
Local 'pay and display' street parking is available in Thames Road. There is also an off-street 'pay and display' car park on Thames Road. Read more about Grays Beach Riverside Park here.

Clacton Pavilion Waterpark, Clacton, £

Marine Parade West, Clacton, Essex, CO15 1QX 

This is a fun little water park with fountains, paddling and small slides. It costs £7.99 during peak times and each paying child allows one free accompanying adult. Any additional adults must purchase a wristband for entry. Off peak entry is £4.99. Open May to October 10am-6pm, but check their Facebook page because they aren't open every day. Tickets are purchased via their website here.

Brightlingsea Lido, Brightlingsea, £

Promenade Way, Brightlingsea, Essex CO7 0HH 

The main lido is a 50 metre unheated pool, but there is a smaller pool for toddlers (requires supervision). There are changing facilities and a cafe on site however you can also bring a picnic if you prefer. General Public Admission prices: Adults 18+: £7.50 // Children 2-18 and Adults 65+ :£5.50 // Babies under 2: Free. Book your session online

Harlow Paddling Pools, FREE

Harlow has 4 free to use paddling pools and 2 Splash Parks which are managed by the council and open from mid July. They are now open for the summer season, but you can check whether they are open on the day on the website (linked above). They are located at: 

• Bush Fair Paddling pool off Tilwicks Road CM18 6LU
• Harlow Town Park Paddling Pool near the Leah Manning Centre off Park Lane, CM20 2QJ
• Norman Booth Paddling Pool, By the Norman Booth Recreation Centre, Old Harlow CM17 0EF
• Potter Street off Southern Way CM17 9EJ
• Staple Tye  by the Great Parndon Community Association off Abercrombie Way CM18 6YJ
• Sumners by the Sumners Recreation Centre off Broadley Road CM19 5SJ

They have no toilets/ changing facilities or life guards.

Ashlyns Soft play and Farm Park, Tylers Green (near Epping), £ 

Epping Road, Epping, CM16 6RZ

There is a small splash pad at Ashlyns playbarn which is bookable on 01992523118 or on the door. Splash pad entry is £2.50 per child for the summer holidays.
Find out more in our review.

Water fountains in Stratford at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Splash Parks, Paddling Pools, Lidos and Aqua Parks in East London

Splash Park, Barking, £ 

Barking Park. Longbridge Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 8SS

This is a good size splash park with plenty of paddling space and extras. Open 10am to 6pm on weekends, public and school holidays subject to weather conditions.
Sessions are 90 minutes starting at 11am, 1pm. 3pm and 5pm, prebooking recommended. Tickets £8 for children (under 15), £5 adults and £22 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children. Maximum ration 5 children per 1 adult and 2 adults per 1 child.
You can purchase tokens for extra activities: walk on water balls £7, pedal boats £3. Minimum age 5 years.
All users must wear swimwear, but there are changing rooms and toilets on site.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, FREE

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London

There are two areas in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park where children can cool off:

Tumbling Bay Playground. This play area next to the Timber Lodge Cafe (where there are toilets) has a sand pit at one then “rock pools” and then continues in a straight line do a a large climbing frame with a number of slides and other play equipment hidden amongst the landscaping. There are water pumps and dams so they will get wet and sandy. 

Waterworks Fountains: Outside the Olympic Stadium there are 195 jets of water that snake around and encourage children to jump across. They operate during the day during March and October, but can be switched off on match days and other major events. There are toilets a short walk away.

Victoria Park Splash Park, Tower Hamlets, FREE 

Victoria Park, Grove Road, Bow, E3 5TB

The splash park is located in the middle of the East Park with the easiest gates to the park probably Gunmakers Gate off Old Ford Road on the south and queens gate (Victoria Park Road) on the North side of the park.It has rivers with gates that can be opened and closed to control the flow of water.

The splash park is open daily from from 11am to 5pm until the last weekend of the summer holidays 2024,weather dependent. If the splash park is closed there is a playground nearby (Pools Playground) which is a great one for younger children and a sand pit on the other end of the park. They have a model boating lake with pedalos or boats and lakes for fishing too.

Play Pavilion, Mile End, FREE

Mile End Park, Locksley Street E14 7EJ

The Play Pavillion in Mile End park has a playground including sand pit, climbing frames and interactive water feature. The playground is open from 10 until 5pm.

Play with sand at water at Tumbling Bay playground in Stratford

London Fields Lido, Hackney, £

London Fields West Side, Hackney, London, E8 3EU

A 50m heated outdoor pool open all year round for lane swimming. On some days in the summer holidays they have some inflatable sessions in the afternoon, but children are expected to be able to swim.
Prices vary depending on peak/ off peak and if a member of Better, but expect to pay £3.50 (3 to 15 years), £6.00 adults or less. Inflatable sessions cost £8.00 for adults and £4.50 for children- cheaper if you have a membership.

Royal Victoria Dock, Docklands, FREE

Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1AG

The Summer Splash Season for 2024 is open from 27th July until 18th August 10am to 6pm. This is a temporary Lido which is created by sectioning off some of the dock. There is a shallow end for children and a sand pit too. They also host activities for children including arts and crafts and performances- check out their social pages for schedules.

Greenwich Park Playground, Greenwich, FREE

Greenwich Park, London, SE10 8XG

There are numerous water areas children can play in, including water pumps in the sand pit. While it’s not a full on splash park there is plenty to keep children cool and it’s a great playground. 

Fellowship Square Fountains, Walthamstow FREE

Walthamstow Town Hall, Forest Road, London, E17 4JF

Outside the Town Hall on Forest Road is a circle of fountains which dance to music and have technicolour displays, as well as being decorative they are fun to run through and splash in.  In addition to this there are often  cultural events taking place in the surrounding area. Fountains are on every hour during the day during the summer months (weather dependent), but they don’t promise to be on continuously.

Stubbers Adventure Centre, Upminster , £

Ockendon Road, Upminster, RM14 2TY

General admission (£4 for children over 5, £3 for over 16's) includes access to sand play and paddle beach as well as their adventure play areas and woodland discovery trail. You can also enjoy pre-bookable water activities including kayaking and paddle boarding (5 years plus with participating adult, 9 + if supervising on the lakeside). They also do multi-activity days and week long camps in the school holidays.

Gauging Square, Wapping- FREE

Gauging Square, 150 Vaughan Way, London, E1W 2AH

At Gauging Square there are 130 jet fountains, some of which can go up to 6m high and they are illuminated. They are designed as more of a landscape feature than play area but they will nevertheless attract children and get them soaking wet. As it’s not managed as a play area there is no reliable source of information about when they fountains are operational.

Clissold Park, Stoke Newington, FREE

Off Church Street/ Green Lanes, N16 9HJ

It features water fountains, a tipping buckets and sprays etc with no paddling areas. It is open everyday from 11am to 6pm from 25 July 2024 to 1 September 2024.. Half the space is reserved for pre-bookings so for best chance of entry book here. 

Children aged 8 plus can try water based activities at Lee Valley White Water Centre

Nearby and Notable

Splashlands, Welwyn, FREE 

Stanborough Park, North Welwyn AL8 6WW

This 600m squared splash park has a paddling river and 3 different areas of play. The splash pad water play areas including 67 water jets that are activated by jumping on pads. surrounded by an adventure play area including a pirate ship. Entry is free and no need to book- just turn up, however on days when it is particularly busy you may need to wait so it doesn't get too overcrowded.
Toilets and changing facilities on site are open 9am til 6pm and the splash park is open 10am to 6pm every day from April until last Sunday in September. Parking (payable) gets busy at peak times and they recommend arriving 15 minutes before your session. 

Lee Valley White Water Centre, Waltham Cross £

Station Road, Waltham Cross, EN9 1AB

There is a sand pit and small playground you can enjoy while watching people taking on the white water course which is entertaining, but young children won’t be able to get in the water themselves. (Note you can get free parking if you spend £5 in the cafe and leave your number plate on the tablets).
The centre has two white water routes: a main one used during the 2012 Olympic games and a smaller one as well as an open lake for activities.
Book onto activities including canoeing, paddle boarding and family rafting which are suitable for 8 years and up, the rest of the rafting and water activities are at least 12 years plus.
There is also a water wipe out course (think inflatables you try and get round as quickly as possible) for children 8 plus, but under 12s must have an adult on the course with them.

If you are still looking for ideas of what to do this summer with your children then check out my suggestions of the best playgrounds in London and Essex or my guides of places to go in Essex with children. You might also find inspiration here for outdoor activities for kids.