Architect David Rockwell designed this playground close to the South Street Seaport, where unstructured play—made possible with lots of big, movable blocks—is the whole point. There are jets of water where kids can splash, and umbrellas for parents who want to stay in the shade.

Hudson River Park’s longest pier has a wide array of kid-friendly activities, including mini-golf, a skate park, and a climbing wall. There are also a bunch of sprinklers and spray showers, a necessity on super-hot days.

The fountain at Washington Square Park is an icon, and one that gets packed in the summer with New York kiddos (and the young at heart) looking to cool off. It’s often crowded, but also has plenty of space.

Central Park has plenty of playgrounds with splash pads and spray showers, but Heckscher Playground on the park’s southern end is one of the best (and most popular), thanks to several different water features—sprinklers, jets, and streams—where kids of all ages can play.

Discovery Playground in Fort Washington Park got a facelift a few years ago, and now has a natural theme that includes a climbable treehouse and a rope bridge. There are also sprinklers and a water fountain, and while you’re there, you can take a detour to the Little Red Lighthouse—a must-visit for city kids.

There are a lot of ways to cool off at this South Bronx state park, located on the banks of the Harlem River: an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a waterfront esplanade (which recently benefited from a $100 million renovation to the park), and a cool splash pad area that has jets, sprinklers, and plenty of space for kids to run around.

The playground at Travers Park in Jackson Heights has a few different water elements, including jets that shoot up, and large leaf-shaped sprinklers that spray water all over the kids beneath them.

The Playground for All Children in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was groundbreaking when it opened in 1984, with features “designed to accommodate children using crutches, canes, walkers, or wheelchairs, and to provide many opportunities for social, cognitive, sensory and motor activity,” according to the NYC Parks Department. One of those is a Water Wheel area, which had some shady spots and plenty of jets and sprinklers for kids to cool off.

Just steps from Rockaway Beach is this playground with a cool nautical theme. It’s one of the more expansive spray grounds, with cooling jets that kids can run through, along with water cannons and a climbable boat.

Domino Park, the waterfront open space that’s part of the Domino Sugar Refinery redevelopment, doesn’t have much in the way of shade. But it does have a fountain with 88 separate water jets where kids can splash and cool off (just don’t forget the sunscreen). Other park features include a playground designed by Mark Reigelman that has slides, climbing elements, and more.

One of Park Slope’s most popular playgrounds has a cool splash pad with water cannons, streams, jets, and rocks for kids to climb on (which can get slippery, so be careful!).

The outdoor section of the ice-skating rink at Prospect Park transforms into a massive splash pad in the summertime, with 20 water jets and lots of space for kids (under 12 only!) to play.