Aqua Land Splash Pad is located in the fields by the Newmarket Parks and Recreation office. There is a large playground, covered picnic area and sports fields all in the same complex. It is a bit of a stroll over to the splash pad from the parking lot so plan to bring when you need, you will not be able to easily pop back to the car while maintaining sight on your kids.
The splash pad space is fully fenced from the rest of the facility. Accessible from within the fence are nice bathrooms as well as a snack stand that has separate hours from the splash pad.
Pack up like you’re going to the pool
When I wandered onto my first splash pad a few years ago, it was Henry Law Park outside of the Children’s museum in Dover. We were just going to play on the playground a bit and when my little one found water I was expecting a refreshing sprinkle. That was dumb. In a matter of minutes I had a completely soaked tiny toddler. Noted!
Splash Pads, especially the ones like Aqua Land, are a full-on immersive water park experience. Maybe I’m the only one who needed to be told this, but I’ll write it out anyways:
Packing List
| Bathing suits |
| Swim diapers |
| Water shoes |
| Is there such a thing as a water hat? |
| Towels |
| Waterproof sunscreen |
| Cover-up for snack and playground breaks |
| Drinks and snacks |
| Bag for wet stuff |
Variable hours during the season
This splash pad is often used by the camp programs so there are chunks of summertime that it is not open to the public during weekday business hours. For the most up to date information on hours or status, check their Facebook page or their website.
Leave no trace
We are all fortunate that the town of Newmarket, NH prioritizes their Parks & Recreation department. Please be respectful of the space and of the rules. The Parks & Recreation team manages the facility and it is one of only a handful of free splash pads in our whole state. Take care of the space so they know how much we appreciate their hard work!
Features of Aqua Land Splash Pad
According to this article covering it’s opening day, the splash pad has eight above-ground water features and nine ground sprayers.
On one side are sprayers that look like they had smaller kids in mind. the flower-like waterfall is sized nicely for toddlers and has no intense spraying. If your kid loves their water table, they can probably camp out here and be completely engrossed in all the different ways the water flows down. It is right next to a toddler sized…..water mushroom? where they can duck under the water and see it fly over their heads.
If you have a hesitant child, they are pretty safe from unpredictable water here. There are just a few ground sprayers around.
As you move across the space, the features get bigger and wetter. There is a rainbow sprayer to walk through, little buckets that dump water and a big hopper that dumps water. (Photo Op!) There are two firehose-like spouts that can be turned, so this is a space where kids should be comfortable with some unpredictable spraying.
The deck of the splash pad is a textured concrete which helps it not be too slippery. It was comfortable for bare feet as well as water shoes.
There are benches off to the side out of the spray zone and a picnic table or two sprinkled about in the grass. The bathrooms, water and snack bar window are all within the fence of the splash deck.
Picnic area
Off to the side of the splash pad is a large gazebo filled with picnic tables. Beyond the gazebo is a fenced toddler play ground and an unfenced large playground.
Quick Facts: Aqua Land Splash Pad
| Parking Lot: paved |
| Real Bathrooms |
| Groundcover: Textured cement |
| Fenced |
| Water bottle refill station |
| Covered picnic tables |
| Snack bar with limited hours |
| Rite Aide across the street (2 minutes) |
| *Splash pad and the playground are reserved for use by summer camp programs during parts of the summer. The parks & rec office is very communicative, check the schedule before you plan your adventure: Website or Facebook |
| Address: 1 Terrace Dr, Newmarket, NH |
