A gem of a splash pad set inside a big, grassy Simi Valley park filled with lots of other diversions—bocce ball!—should you tire of the Dr. Seuss-like water features.

You don’t have to get tickets to the beach house to enjoy the splash pad just outside the entrance. It makes a great beach-day alternative when the Pacific is too rough—or too chilly—for swimming.

Santa Monica’s best park has a splash pad nestled into the children’s section of the park, which is named Discovery Hill. An adjacent rock climbing wall challenges big kids, while the super soft surface underfoot is great for littles.

A splash pad that feels like a Rube Goldberg machine for water, complete with dumping buckets, funnels, and water wheels.

More like a faux stream than a proper splash pad, this water feature rolls gently through a leafy, shaded Beverly Hills park, making it the ultimate summertime destination.

Yes, that’s the Cowardly Lion—or a feline inspired by him—from The Wizard of Oz, which was filmed right down the street. The Culver City plaza has 40 dancing water jets that will make you want to kick off your ruby slippers.

The Nature Gardens exhibit at the Expo Park museum has a refreshing creek for wading—a great way for kids to cool off after they dig worms out of a compost pile (really). Museum admission required.

This gem of Glendale’s park system has a large colorful splash pad and a sparkling new pool. Also be sure to check out Glendale’s network of wading pools.

A major makeover for the Music Center’s midcentury plaza reopens in time for Labor Day weekend, including a splash-ready fountain at the center. Plus, coffee by Go Get ‘Em Tiger is fountain-adjacent, as well as a new wine bar.

This splash pad is part of an amenity-rich recreational complex in Cypress Park where a new pedestrian bridge will cross the river, connecting both banks.

To get the full-immersion experience at this Long Beach museum, head to the Shark Lagoon, where an outdoor playground features interactive water-squirting squids and chance to pet some actual sharks. You’ll need to pay the museum admission to get in.

Multiple outdoor water play areas means this Pasadena museum never gets old. Interpretive arroyos, flood plains, and a “rainstorm” even teach kids about how water affects local habitats. Admission required, but absolutely worth it on a hot day.