Fernridge Park Splash Pad at West Hartford, CT
We’re smack dab in the middle of summer. I don’t know about your house, but my kids are starting to get a bit restless. Through the years, I have found the only way to keep them busy (and help save my sanity) is to get everyone out of the house. We recently visited Fernridge Park and Splash Pad in West Hartford, CT to help beat the heat and summer boredom. My kids loved playing at the park and splash pad and I loved that there were plenty of shady spots to escape the heat.
Fernridge is a beautiful park with large shady trees and open fields. The park is open to the public with a small parking lot and street parking available. The park includes a pond with fountain, pool, splash pad, playgrounds, and picnic areas. There are also public restrooms available.
The splash pad is located adjacent to the pool. It’s a fully fenced in area, so there’s no need to worry about anyone running off. There are benches around the perimeter of the splash pad and a covered grassy area that’s perfect for blankets and fold-up chairs.
My kids loved running through the sprinklers. There are a few tall sprinklers in the shape of a palm tree and dragon that spray water from above and a few lower sprinklers that kids could run through. There is even a tiny one that is the perfect size for babies to sit by and splash in. We brought along some collapsible buckets (perfect to throw into a beach bag) that kept my kids very entertained while they filled them up with water. I thought the water was freezing but no one complained on the 90 degree day we visited.
The splash pad wasn’t huge and I can imagine it fills up quickly on the weekend. We visited during the week around lunchtime. It wasn’t too busy during our visit since the little ones seem to all go home for lunch and naps. It did fill back up with some bigger kids after lunch.
Hours: Splash Pad is open from 10 am – 7 pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day; Pool opens at 1 pm for open swim
After spending some time at the splash pad we ventured over to the playground. There are two main play areas: ages 2-5, and 5 and up. We spent our time at the playground for younger children and had a great time. The playground included the usual features tunnels and slides. There was also a shady sand area with leftover sand toys.
TIP: As with most playgrounds, the slides sit directly in the sun and can be extremely hot! Double check before anyone slides down.
We didn’t visit the pool during our trip but it looked great. It’s an outdoor pool with a great kiddie pool area. The pool is open from June 24 – August 20. It opens at 1 pm for public swim.
Daily Admission: Residents – Adult $4.00, Child $3.25; Non-resident – Adult $6.50, Child $5.50
You could certainly make a whole day out of Fernridge Park. Go to the playground and splash pad in the morning, lunch at one of the picnic tables and hit up the pool after 1 pm. I’d love to visit.
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