New Jersey's many excellent parks with splash pads and spray parks are surefire crowd-pleasers on hot and steamy summer days—after all, who doesn't love running through a sprinkler when the mercury rises?
The splash pads we profile below are not water parks, so you won't find a ton of bells and whistles—though some do offer interactive features like dumping buckets or whimsical designs like water spouts in the shape of flowers (Dorbrook); a pirate ship (Veterans Memorial Park); or basketball sprayers (Manalapan). But the best part? Most of these water play spots are FREE and located in local parks and playgrounds.
Find more ways to cool off in the Garden State in our Ultimate New Jersey Kids Summer Vacation Guide, which includes our favorite water parks, beaches, and more.