July 2012

Guest post by Joanne Cook

When the temperatures rise and we need a place to cool down, we love to head to one of the many spray parks throughout Calgary. For us, the South Glenmore Variety Park location is close to home, it offers something for everyone and there is no better way to beat the heat.

Located at the south end of Glenmore Park (90th Ave and 24th Street SW) this spray park quickly became a family favorite when our oldest son mastered the fine art of walking. The water features are spacious and clean and they offer a variety of spray velocities – so even really young kids can enjoy without being knocked over.

South Calgary Variety Spray Park

South Glenmore Variety Spray Park

Sam taking it all in…

We always pack a picnic (there are no food vendors, however, a little ice cream cart sets up mid-morning), take along a few water toys (water guns, balls, buckets, etc) and a big ole blanket to plop ourselves down on and we settle in for a leisurely and fun morning.

In addition to the spray park, they also have 2 separate play parks; a smaller one for toddlers and a bigger one for the older kids. Even when the water isn’t turned on, we’ve spent many mornings sliding and swinging and running around the play structures.

South Glenmore Variety Spray Park

smaller of the two playgrounds; perfect for toddlers

The only advice I have is head there early. On hot days especially, it can get really busy, really fast. It’s not such a bad thing but when you have little guys like I do, it can be intimidating for them when the bigger guys are running around, shooting their water guns and chasing each other. It’s also a lot easier to keep track of everyone when the crowds aren’t so large.

South Glenmore Variety Spray Park

taking a snack break

Spray parks are definitely one of the activities on regular rotation in our house and when the temperature soars, chances are you’ll find us cooling off and spending time at one of the many locations scattered around Calgary.

South Glenmore Variety Park Details:

Address: South Glenmore Park – 90 Ave. & 24 St. S.W.
Website: www.calgary.ca