100 Free Water Play Spaces in Melbourne and Regional Victoria
When the weather warms up it's nice to be able to cool off in a free water play park. Councils have created many water play areas next to playgrounds over the last few years. If you've searched for 'free water play parks near me' then check out our guide below to the best free water play spaces which includes a search capability to find all water play parks at any location across Victoria.
Search for Locations with Free Water Play
There are many water play areas not featured below. Use the Enhanced Activity Search to find other locations with free water play areas. Tick the "Water Play (free)" box on the search page.
Central Melbourne Region
Royal Park Nature Playground (Parkville)
Royal Park Nature Playground is a fantastic new playground with natural play elements and a lovely water play area with hand pumps, water sprays and channels to control the flow of water down to the sandpit below.
Maritime Cove Community Park Playground (Port Melbourne)
A wonderful Maritime themed park created using re-purposed equipment. There are two separate water play areas. One has a hand pump where you can pump water through a series of channels and tables and the other larger area has some water sprays on top of some tall poles. I'll leave it to you to work out the devious ways to get the sprays working but one tip is to investigate the wonderful see-saw made from a wooden pole.
Coles Fountain (Melbourne CBD)
You can cool off on a hot day by walking inside the curtains of cascading water of the Coles Fountain. The fountain is made of stainless steel on bluestone paving and is located in Parliament Gardens Reserve at the corner of Spring Street and Albert Street, Melbourne.
Plum Garland Memorial Playground (Albert Park)
The fully fenced playground which is set along the beach in Albert Park has a water play area where you can pump water into a big tank and small area with water sprays.
Point Park Crescent (Docklands)
There is a water pump which allows water to be pumped out and flow along rocky channels into a large sandpit.
Buluk Park (Docklands)
Buluk Park at the Victoria Harbour Promenade has concrete troughs and six water sources combine into a central drainage area.
Ron Barassi Snr Park Playground (Docklands)
The playground has a huge tower with two big slides. The water play area surrounded by bluestone pavers has a pump and mushroom sprays which leads down a channel with a chance to block the water with sluice gates and create a dam.
Outer North Region
Mill Park All Abilities Play Space (Mill Park)
The lovely fenced, all-abilities playground has a water play area which includes water play tables, shooting water jets, misting rings and manual water pumps.
Cloverton Estate Playground (Kalkallo)
An innovative all abilities, fenced playground which includes play elements that tell the story of the Wurundjeri people. The Yam Daisy waterplay area has specialised bubblers and floor-mounted water jets with a sculpture maze depicting a major source of food for the Wurundjeri. Push the button to make it rain on the yam daisies.
Community Bank Play Space (Wallan)
The Community Bank Play Space in Hadfield Park, Wallan has a fantastic playground as well as a water play park.
Vantage Boulevard Playground (Craigieburn)
The playground includes a basketball court, skatepark, picnic areas and a water play area with water mushroom sprays and a pump with water flowing down through sluice gates which can be opened and closed.
Anzac Park Play Space (Craigieburn)
The all-abilities fenced playground has two water play areas. There is a tap where water flows into a stream and a cascading water table.
North East Region
Seville Water Play Park (Seville)
One of our favourite spots is the Seville Water Play Park which is a former swimming pool which has been filled in and landscaped into a water play area with fountains spouting during the summer season. There is also a dry riverbed area of rocks with an augur for drawing up water. There are grassy and shaded areas, toilets and a small playground nearby.
Warburton Water World (Warburton)
The site is an exciting redevelopment of the former swimming pool and has a playground with a big twisting slide and a water play park with a drenching bucket, water slide and water jets.
Wombat Bend Playspace (Lower Templestowe)
A lovely fenced playground beside the Yarra River which has an epic bat wing spinning carousel and a sandpit with water play which is lovely for young kids.
Eltham Lower Park Playspace (Eltham)
The fully fenced play space has a large sandpit with a water pump and metal containers for making sand pies. Make some pies and then head off to the nearby Diamond Valley Miniature Railway which runs every Sunday.
Olinda Playspace (Olinda)
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The nature based playspace has two sets of water play tables with a balancing beam between the tables and a pump with a little stream downhill.
Anthony Beale Reserve Play Space (St Helena)
The playground has a sandpit which has a creek water feature with hand pump and sluice gates to control the flow of water into the sandpit.
Ruffey Lake Park Playground (Doncaster East)
Next to a lovely play area at the Victoria Street playground is a shaded water play area which has a water pump at the top and water runs down along channels with beautifully decorated blue pebbles via sluice gates to a sandpit below.
Greythorn Park Playground (Balwyn North)
The playground, which gives a nod to the animal sanctuary which was formerly on the site, has a water play area with a hand pump where the water runs along a concrete path until it disappears down the drain.
Halliday Park, Mitcham Road, Mitcham (Mitcham)
Halliday Park playground has a water feature with pump, water channel and two sluice gates.
Ringwood Lake Playground (Ringwood)
An excellent playground nestled in the trees beside the lake has a giant eel which has a water tap with hand wheel to pump water which travels down the back of the eel, through a sluice gate into a large sandpit which is surrounded by more giant eels. Keep an eye open for precious gems along the path of the water.
Lillydale Lake Playground (Lilydale)
There is a nice playground next to the lake with a water play area which comprises a concrete pad with a series of water sprays from poles of different heights and the ground plus some water cannons which kids can use to get everyone else thoroughly soaked. The water is sequenced so that all the sprays aren't active at the same time.
Melba Park playground (Lilydale)
Melba Park playground has a water feature with a hand pump to draw up the water and release it along a curved channel with a sluice gate to the rocky watercourse below.
McKenzie Reserve Playground (Yarra Glen)
The playground has a big sandpit which is partially shaded with a rock waterfall and a water bubbler. The Ice-Creamery on the (chocolate) cake is that the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery is just down the road.
North West Region
Verona Drive Playground (Keilor Lodge)
The playground has a castle play structure, sandpit, flying fox and a big water pump where kids can pump water into a channel and direct the water via various routes using sluice gates into a sandpit.
Frontier Park playground (Rockbank)
As well as having some massive towers and slides, Frontier Park playground has a water play area comprising a shallow concrete channel lined by water sprays and passing through rock barriers and chutes which kids can raise or lower and eventually ends in a drain.
Brooklyn Reserve Playground (Brooklyn)
The playground has a big twisting tunnel slide, basketball court, outdoor gym, climbing structure and is a sandpit with a water hand pump to release water into the sandpit.
South East Region
Booran Reservoir Playspace (Glen Huntly)
The fantastic Booran Reservoir Playspace has two water play areas. There is an area with lots of water sprays coming out of the ground and another area, where there is some chance of keeping the kids dry, which has water pumps, channels, a water screw, weirs and water gates flowing into a rock lined trickle stream with a giant frog sculpture.
Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden (South Yarra)
Another refreshingly cool play area is the Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens. The Meeting Place in the Gardens has a spiral fountain water feature that sprays up out of the ground in summer. The Spiral fountains only operate from 10am - 4pm on days when the temperature is forecast to exceed 25 degrees. However, the Rill (stream) operates 10am - 4pm daily.
Harleston Park Playground (Elsternwick)
Running along one side of a lovely playground with a huge slide, acorn cubby and sandpit is a water play area where water bubbles out of a rock and runs down along a creek bed for about 20m before disappearing down a drain.
North Road Reserve Playground (Brighton)
Rotary Endeavour ll proudly sails the seas at this playground which has a sandpit under shade sails with a water pump and area with water sprinklers mounted on poles which are activated by a see-saw.
Jells Park Yabbie Hill Playspace (Wheelers Hill)
The super playground has a huge sandpit where a giant turtle has laid some equally giant eggs, water pump and sand and water play tables.
Waverley Park Lake Playground (Mulgrave)
The fun playground has a water play area with water pump and a winding path for water with sluice gates.
Dandenong Park Playground (Dandenong)
In Dandenong Park there is a fully fenced playground with a tap that runs water down a trough to the sand pit. Hours of fun for little kids.
Springvale Community Hub Park (Springvale)
The Community Hub Park is a wonderful place for families to visit and has a playground, large basketball court with rings at each end, table tennis tables, outdoor foosball table, landscaped gardens, toilets, artwork, war memorial, bandstand, grassy area and a cafe. Not forgetting two water play areas - an area of rocks with water sprays and another area at the playground with chutes, one leading to a play table and the other leading to the sandpit.
South West Region
Riverwalk Water Play Park (Werribee)
The Riverwalk Water Play Park has a 30 minute cycle which has 300 different steps in the sequence and includes features such as the Lollipop Splash Zone, Water Wall, Water Snake Tail Spray, Crown Jet, Porcupine Fountain, Column Jet, Calyx Jet, Spyral Water Tunnel, Fyrefly Jet, Dancing Water Wheel, Water Cave, Mist Jet and Stingray Parasol. There are also two areas where a hand pump can be used to pump water into a series of metal dishes, channels and pipes including a water augur. It is next to a playground and skate park.
Wyndham Park Playground (Werribee)
The Wyndham Park playground area for younger kids has are six water pumps which are used to bring up water from below to let it run down through water troughs, water tables and channels with barriers which can be rotated, raised or lowered to change the flow of water. There is even a water augur to bring up even more water from below. It's your choice whether you want to get wet with all this water flowing or alternatively try crossing the balance beams above the water and leave your degree of dryness to your balance skills.
Carinya Park Playground (Werribee)
The playground has a water play area with a pump which drains water through channels into a creek bed with bridge and sluice gate.
Crocodile Park Playground (Point Cook)
The Crocodile Park Playground has a large metal crocodile spouting out a stream of water into a trough which overflows into a wide channel with large stepping stones to jump across. The 50m long channel meanders down a slope to a circular pad with water spouts of varying heights. Be prepared for wet kids.
Atherstone Regional Play Space (Melton South)
A hand pump at the top of the hill starts a cascade of water over rocks and eventually leads into a big concrete stream lined with rocks. There is also a wooden table with two taps which has wooden channels leading into the concrete stream.
Sunvale Community Park (Sunshine)
A brilliant community park which has a playground, outdoor gym, skate park, shelter with tables and BBQs, grassy area with cricket pitch, toilets, water taps, indigenous art, hidden gardens, lovely landscaping and a performance stage under a huge shelter. The summer cherry on the cake are two water areas - a water pump where water flows down a long curve concrete path and a fun water splash park with sprinklers on poles. You control which sprays are active and when they spray by using a seesaw and pressing down on a wooden arm.
Barrabool Boulevard Playground (Mambourin)
The excellent playground has a water play area with two log see-saws which can be ridden to cause water to spray from the top of tall columns and a water pump to pump water into metal trays and then through an area with a little islands to hop across. Sluice gate allow kids to back-up the water and make a little pond or to allow the water to flow into the wetlands area.
Footscray Park Play Space (Footscray)
The Footscray Park all-abilities Play Space has a play tower, lovely sandpit, area with musical instruments, fun climbing frames and a nice little water play area comprising a concrete pad with water jets which vary in height and location in a sequence plus a water pump with a creek.
Buckingham Reserve (Sunshine West)
Buckingham Reserve has a playground with big slides and a lovely water play area with pumps, water channels, reservoirs and an augur. It's worth going there just to find out what an augur is!
Navigation Park Playground (Tarneit)
A big metal elephant has come down to the waterhole to drink. You can rotate a lever at the back of the elephant and water comes out its trunk into a channel which combines with other channels from three other water pumps and passes through sluice gates.
Mornington Peninsula
Brompton Estate Playground (Cranbourne South)
The fun playground has a water pump at the top of a slope and a series of channels and sluice gates before the water runs into the sandpit.
Livvi's Place Edgebrook Playground (Clyde)
The fenced all-abilities playground has an aquatic zone where there is a water pump which discharges water onto a rock, through a sluice gate and into a channel past a huge frog.
Grazing Way Playground (Clyde North)
The highlight of the playground is a fantastic water play area based around a flowing stream of water which is most suited to younger kids. The long stream, which runs along the length of the playground, starts at the top of a big, soft mound where there is a pole with a button. From this point water flows strongly from under a rock down the hill in a rocky channel and when the channel flattens out below there are balance beams criss-crossing the stream. The stream then spreads out to an area with sluice gates, hand pumps, water pools and water sprays which are covered by shade sails. The playground has picnic facilities and toilets.
Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (Cranbourne)
At the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne's "Rock Pool Waterway" the kids can jump between tiles of different heights in a slow moving river which is only about ankle deep.
Ballam Park Reserve (East) Playground (Frankston)
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There are plenty of opportunities to get wet here, including a large pad with water jet sprays which are activated by buttons on two poles and an area bounded by rock walls with two water taps to create a gentle flow of water down a slope past some large metal reeds and a bridge into a sandpit. The large sandpit has a big sandpit with water table and digger.
Outer East Region
Deep Creek Eco Playspace (Pakenham)
A fully fenced playground based around a huge dragon fly structure. Water sprays spring out from all over the place under a shade roof with lots of different channels.
Bunjil Place Water Play Space (Narre Warren)
(Narre Warren)With Bunjil the eagle in the background, the outdoor community plaza has a large circular area with water sprays coming out of the ground. Lots of bean bags are also provided around the splash pad.
Emerald Lake Park Wading Pool (Emerald)
The free wading pool located within the Emerald Lake Park operates during the summer season. The depth of the water ranges from 0.5 to 0.9m and no diving is permitted.
Geelong Region
Poppy Kettle Playground (Geelong)
Poppy Kettle Playground at Western Beach in Geelong has a lovely rock garden with interactive water play fountains. Keep an eye open for all the cute sculptures scattered about the rocks.
Eastern Beach Reserve Swimming Enclosure
A wonderful and unique water play area is the free Eastern Beach Reserve Swimming Enclosure along the Geelong waterfront. It has a huge wooden platform, complete with shark gate, which sweeps in a half circle around more than eight acres of sea water. The enclosure has diving board and floating islands and can hold thousands of swimmers, with a nice sandy beach backing onto the separate children's pool. A white Spanish staircase, with a large fountain with crane and tortoise statues, provides great views of the Eastern Beach promenade and Corio Bay. There's also a nice playground close by. This place is a gold medal water play winner.
Rockpools and Beaches
Explore a Rockpool in Melbourne and Victoria
Exploring rock pools along the bay can be a refreshing as well as exciting activity in hot weather. Two interesting spots are Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary in the Beaumaris area and Point Gellibrand Rockpools in the Williamstown area. There is a good chance of seeing sea creatures like sea urchins, starfish and jellyfish. Make sure the kids don't touch anything since there is a risk of finding a dangerous blue ringed octopus and never take anything away. Make sure you look at the tide times to ensure that you come at low tide (see link to tide information below). Otherwise it might be a wasted journey.
Melbourne has a ring of nice beaches spread along Port Phillip Bay.
One of the best for families is Frankston Beach which has clear, shallow water and soft sand which provides a safe swimming beach for all ages. The beach is protected by the Frankston Life Saving Club and there is plenty to do along the Foreshore including a lovely adventure playground and outdoor sculptures.
Another nice beach for families is Mothers Beach in Mornington but is sandy, wide and rock free. It is family friendly swimming with shallow waters.
Regional Victoria
Water play spaces are also springing up around regional Victoria.
Midlands Reserve Water Park (Ballarat)
Midlands Reserve Water Park features water cannons, fountains, high pressure jets, a 260 litre-per-minute waterfall, soaking buckets, water umbrella, a five metre high tower and a gentle play area for toddlers. No-one is going to stay dry after entering this water maelstrom. There are shaded areas and toilets.
Sebastapol Water Play Park (Ballarat)
The water park is designed for all age groups. The facility features an exciting variety of spray features, including tipping buckets, towering spray features, soaking run-through water tunnel and a four way water cannon fight. The splash pad also has a safe, quieter play zone for smaller children.
Livvis Place Play Space (Newington, Ballarat)
There is a wonderful all-abilities playground which includes a water play area with water spray, water play tables with various metal taps, sprays and valves and a large concrete area cut with channels which the water flows along. There are little metal flappers which can be used to control the channels which the water flows down.
Creswick Water Splash Park (Creswick)
The water park has a tower with splashing buckets, a pig with shooting water fountains and lots of water tunnels to run through. The area also includes skate ramps, a climbing wall, a basketball/netball hoop and outdoor gym equipment for adults. There are shade sails for shelter from the sun on hot days. There is also a swimming pool, wading pool and toddlers pool created from an old gold mining excavation at Calembeen Park
Barrack Reserve Playground (Heathcote)
A fun, fully fenced playground which has a hand-pump where you can pump water into a big bucket and the water flows out of a hole into a rocky stream.
Metung Water Play Park (Metung, East Gippsland)
A nice location next to a playground which really hits the spot on a warm day. There is a concrete area with water sprays and water runs along open channels beside a decking area.
Civic Park Playground (Drouin)
The new playground has a water play area with a tap running into a balance pipe between two water play tables and an area for water to run through river rocks.
Murchison Street Play Space (Marysville)
Beautifully crafted play space set beside a lovely creek which has a sandpit where you can dig for dinosaur bones and a super water play area with an auger to draw up water.
Bright Splash Park (Bright)
The Splash Park beside Morses Creek in Bright has four splash pads designed to suit different age groups, from toddlers up. The area has jets of water, arched and elevated sprays and a dumper bucket.
Yarrawonga Foreshore Splash Park (Yarrawonga)
There are a range of cascades to keep the kids cool and there is also a water slide (fees apply for slide) and kiosk.
Long Gully Splash Park (Bendigo)
The gold rush themed water park has bubblers, tippy buckets, misters, water cannons and other novelty play equipment. Kids can shoot water at all heights from a serpent, mushrooms or water lilies. The Splash Park features 16 water sequences. A dry play area and basketball ring and key adjoin the Splash Park and there are free BBQs, seating, picnic tables, bike racks, drinking fountain and giant shade sails which cover a majority of the area.
Wangaratta Water Play Park (Wangaratta)
The water park is centred around and beside a big rock mound with tunnels which has steps to the top where there are two water cannons which can fire water at the kids below. There is a huge tipping bucket which unloads a torrent of water when it fills up, big circles with water sprays, a butterfly with sprays, water cannons, small tipping buckets, metal trays which water runs along and some water sprays which come out of pipes. That's a recipe for water fun.
Benalla Splash Park (Benalla)
The water park is located on the Lake Benalla foreshore and is packed with features designed to celebrate the town's famous rose garden and fauna.
Mildura Water Play Park (Mildura)
The extensive water play park overlooks the banks of the Murray River and has shallow pools, fountains water pumps and weirs. There are plenty of shady spots near the water park.
Accommodation with Water Splash Parks
If you want to combine accommodation and a splash park, book a stay at one of the following places:
BIG4 Bellarine Holiday Park in Marcus Hill has a water playground as well as a BMX track, cinema room, flying fox, indoor toddler play room, an adventure playground, full size football goals, a 1.2km walking track, soccer goals, croquet lawn, a tennis court and even a coffee bar for Mum and Dad.
BIG4 Inverloch Holiday Park in Inverloch has an indoor heated splash park with water slides, tipping buckets, water cannons and fountains all inside a temperature controlled building. There is also an indoor heated swimming pool, giant pillow, basketball court, tennis court, adventure playground and just across the road there is a safe swimming beach.
BIG4 Swan Hill Holiday Park in Swan Hill has a water park with a giant tipping bucket, giant jumping pillow, 18 hole mini golf course, outdoor pool and even a race track with pedal go-kart hire.
Yarrawonga Holiday Park in Yarrawonga has a monster splash park and playground.
Extra locations with Water Play Areas
These extra locations are fantastic but admission fees are required.
There is a water pool play area at the Lion Gorge in the Melbourne Zoo in Parkville. You can also climb on the crocodile which frequents the area. A tip is to bring a change of clothes and wait until the end of your zoo visit to come to the water play area because the kids are sure to get soaking wet.
If you go to the Werribee Open Range Zoo (admission fee for adults and free for children) there is a chance to keep cool during summer at the Hippo Water Play area. The water fountain play area is located amongst several hippo sculptures. You can spin the wheel and spray family and friends with water from the hippo's bottom! Close by you can also watch the real hippos at water play. The water play area is activated when temperatures reach 25 degrees Celsius or above.
Healesville Sanctuary (admission fee for adults and free for children) has a creek for water play which the kids are sure to love.
Some Aquatic Centres have a fun Water Play Park with slides, water sprays shooting in all directions and a tipping bucket which periodically launches a huge flood of water on top of everyone waiting expectantly below. Some of these Centres are: Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) in Bentleigh East (indoor), Casey Recreation & Aquatic Centre (RACE) in Cranbourne (indoor), WaterMarc Banyule in Greensborough (indoor), Noble Park Aquatic Centre in Noble Park (outdoor), Oakleigh Recreational Centre in Oakleigh (outdoor) and Leisurelink Aquatic & Recreation Centre in Waurn Ponds (indoor).
The three main Water Adventure Parks; Funfields in Whittlesea, Adventure Park Geelong in Wallington and Gumbuya World in Tynong have large water play areas in addition to an array of slides and other water activities.
Note: Some water play parks may not have the sanitary levels of a public swimming pool. Parents should ensure that their children act responsibility to maintain the water quality.
The combination of kids, sand, sticks and leaves makes water play parks notoriously unreliable. If the water feature is not working please report it to the local council.
Web Links
→ The Best Rockpools in Melbourne and Victoria
→ The Best Playgrounds Near Beaches
→ Comparison of Aquatic Centres in Melbourne and Geelong
→ List of Public Swimming Pools in Melbourne and Victoria
→ The Best Family Beaches in Melbourne
→ Bureau of Meteorology - Tides
→ Melbourne Tide Times (Tides Chart)
→ 100 Free Water Play Spaces in Melbourne and Regional Victoria
