Papworth Splash Park

Papworth Splash Park

Every Friday Oliver and I meet up with our friends Jo & Amelia, we always try to do something fun that will keep our little ones entertained.  Today was one of those rare super sunny days where it was way too hot to do almost anything except be in water, so we decided to take a little road trip to Papworth to test out the Splash Park.

It didn't take long at all to get there from where we live, no longer than 10 minutes and it was really easy to find.  There isn't a specific carpark for it which I was surprised about as its one of the only Splash Parks locally to us and is a popular place to visit for families.  We didn't have any problems parking though as there are quite a few parking spots opposite the park and also lots of residential areas surrounding it that you can leave your car in, although I am sure the residents probably hate this happening.

One thing that I did find a bit annoying is that the Splash Park is surrounded by quite a deep ditch so there was no way you could get in unless you walked all the way around to the start which was a little awkward when carrying a changing bag, spare clothes, towels, a picnic and a toddler.  This was only a minor issue though but if you aren't keen on a little walk then try to park a bit closer.

When you get inside the first thing you will come across is a wooden adventure playground, our little ones really enjoyed playing on this, its suitable for younger kids this area, it has baby swings, a climbing area, slide and a big net swing which our littles ones loved playing on together.

The thing I really liked about the Splash Park is that there were lots of big trees around the grassy picnic area which was brilliant for keeping our little ones out of the sun.  It was a really big area and although it was very busy we didn't feel like we was on top of other families and still had lots of space to set up and let them have a run around.  This area was also really clean and tidy and well kept.

The Splash pool itself was great fun, the edge of it is the shallow area which was about ankle depth on me and it gradually slopes slightly deeper into the centre of the pool which was mid calf length, about waist height on our little ones who are 16 & 17 months old.  Every half an hour there are water jets that are turned on inside the pool for the kids to play under which seemed really popular with the older kids.  Parents are allowed inside the pool as well which is great if you have little ones who aren't very confident or old enough to play alone.  We had great fun cooling down in the pool.

Behind the Splash Pool is another adventure park, this one looked like it was for bigger kids as there was a tall climbing frame, I didn't go over there though so I'm not sure what else was there.

I would defiantly recommend Papworth Splash Park, its a great place to visit even if you don't have children.  Its absolutely free to get in as well which is always a bonus as sometimes these sorts of places can be really expensive to visit, especially if you have more than one child you need to pay for.  I would say take your purse though as there is an ice-cream van parked up at the entrance which sells cold drinks and obviously ice lollies and ice creams.  I didn't spot any shops close by so this is where you would need to buy drinks from if you run out.

All in all we had a brilliant day here today, we can't wait to go back again soon.

Vx