It’s time for summer family fun in Greater Fort Lauderdale, where kids of all ages can cool down while enjoying top water activities. Get adventurous with a surf simulator or a water obstacle course where the entire family can compete on challenging courses, or choose a laid-back, colorful water park for interactive water play and fun slides. With fun for everyone under the sun, here are the best water activities for kids in Greater Fort Lauderdale.
Start your water park adventure in Hollywood, where there are plenty of options. At T.Y. (Topeekeegee Yugnee) Park's Castaway Island, the family can expect a Caribbean-themed aquatic complex featuring a large swimming lagoon, two wading pools and interactive water play features.
Of the two pools, one is designated for all ages and includes a multilevel water play structure with slides, water cannons, rain curtains, palm trees, birds, hose sprays and buckets that continuously spill water. The other is exclusive and safe for toddlers, featuring water play animals, a mushroom spray fountain, water cannons and spilling coconuts. The park is open daily with seasonal passes available.
For kids who prefer adventurous water fun, check out the FlowRider Surf Simulator. Located on the famed Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, the entire family can ride the waves in this surfing simulator open to resort guests and the public.
The FlowRider uses a tensioned ride surface—almost built like a trampoline—for soft falls. All participants must sign a waiver before the fun begins, and children younger than 18 must be accompanied by their legal guardian. The simulator is open daily with varying hours throughout the week.
Just north of Hollywood in Dania Beach, you'll find the Tigertail Aqua Challenge at the Tigertail Lake Recreational Center. This water obstacle course and playground features eight challenging elements perfect for the entire family, from kids age 7 and up to adults—the minimum height requirement is 42 inches. The Aqua Challenge is open to the public, with sessions running nearly every hour, every day.
For children who don’t meet the height requirements of the adventurous Aqua Challenge, head to Pembroke Pines’ Paradise Cove Water Park. The park offers Sharky's Lagoon, a water playground for all ages, featuring an 18-inch-deep pool with interactive play elements and three waterslides, as well as Parrot's Point, a water playground for children 5 and younger, with a 12-inch-deep pool and two small waterslides.
For older children, the park also features four five-story corkscrew waterslides that exit into a four-foot-deep plunge pool. Riders must meet height and swim requirements. The park is open daily, with seasonal passes and afternoon discounts available.
In Coral Springs, Cypress Water Park features a unique clover-shaped recreational swimming pool with a splash pad for preschool-age children, an interactive water playground and a two-story waterslide. Fit for all ages, the only requirement is a 48-inch minimum height to use the slide. The park is open daily.
Moving closer to the beach, the Splash Adventure Water Park is located in Deerfield Beach at Quiet Waters Park. This interactive water playground features colorful slides, tunnels, turn valves, wheels and levers, water curtains and a giant bucket at the top that fills and empties onto the play area below. At its deepest, the pool is 12 inches, making it accessible for all ages. However, children 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. The park is open daily with seasonal passes and afternoon discounts available.
As a bonus, Quiet Waters Park is also home to Ski Rixen USA, known for water sports such as wakeboarding and waterskiing. Kids interested in learning the sport can sign up for private lessons or take part in group lessons held on weekend mornings year-round.
Greater Fort Lauderdale is the place to be during summer. Choose one of these many fun-filled water activities and enjoy the sun with the whole family.