ENTERTAINMENT

Cheap, free spots in metro Phoenix to take kids this summer

Valley cities offer families numerous opportunities to cool off and have fun in the heat.

Samantha Incorvaia
azcentral sports
Marleigh Finnell (left) and Brooklynn Horne stay cool while playing at Pioneer Community Park’s splash pad, 8755 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria.

Summer creates a problem for tired parents. School is out and the kids have lots of energy, but it's too hot to play outside.

Luckily, affordable aquatic complexes can cure parents' summer stress.

The Phoenix Kool Kids Program offers free swimming for those 16 and younger at the city's 29 pools. And there are lots of other ways to keep cool and have fun without creating holes in wallets.

"(Phoenix swimming pools) are a fun place to learn how to swim, engage all ages in water-safety programs and spend time together as a family in a safe swimming environment, which is affordable for all," said Becky Hulett, aquatics supervisor for Phoenix.

Here are some some of the more popular public water features, swimming pools and aquatic centers across the Valley.

METRO PHOENIX PUBLIC POOLS: Full list: Phoenix city pools | Full list: Scottsdale city pools | Full list: East Valley city pools | Full list: West Valley city pools

Rhodes Aquatic Complex, Mesa

Catch a wave on the Double FlowRider at this beach-like oasis. Families can also enjoy a large splash pad and tumble buckets and use the shade structures nearby to cool down.

For the more serious swimmers, there are two 1-meter diving boards, a 3-meter diving board and eight 25-yard lap lanes.

The facility is open 1-8 p.m. Monday, 1-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 1-6 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

Details: Admission is $2 for children under 17, adults $4. 1860 S. Longmore, Mesa, 480-644-2550. www.mesaaz.gov.

The FlowRider is a popular attraction at the Rhodes Aquatic Complex as seen on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 in Mesa.

Buckeye Aquatic Center, Buckeye

This facility in the far West Valley includes a 160-foot water slide, two cascading water features, a zero-entry section and four diving boards ranging from 3 to 10 feet tall.

Open swim hours are noon-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday through Aug. 6, costing $2 per person. Go for a night swim from 7 to 9 p.m. for the same price through Aug. 3.

Details: $2 per person. 207 N. Ninth St., Buckeye, 623-349-6350. www.buckeyeaz.gov.

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Kiwanis Wave Pool, Tempe

Stay shielded from the sun and ride the Valley's only indoor wave pool. Grab a raft or inner tube and ride 3-foot waves that move in eight variations. The towering indoor space also houses a 16-foot-tall, 122-foot-long double spiral water slide.

Tempe keeps the water temperature around 85 degrees year-round, and lifeguards keep an eye on all the action.

The wave pool will be open weekends in August, with the last weekend being Saturday-Monday, Sept. 3-5. Admission for swimmers 2 to 12 years old is $5; for those 13 and older, it's $7.

Details: Admission for lap and open swim is $3 per children ages 12 and younger, $4 for ages 13 and older. Kiwanis Recreation Center at 6111 S. All America Way, Tempe, 480-350-5201. www.tempe.gov.

RELATED:  Best kids events in Phoenix this week | Back-to-school events | Where kids can eat for free in Phoenix | Indoor spots for cool kid fun around Phoenix | 10 fun ways for kids to cool off without turning off their brains

Pecos Pool, Phoenix-Ahwatukee Foothills

This sparkling oasis is a mere fraction of a larger regional park in the Ahwatukee Foothills area that includes a 38,000-square-foot community center, skate park and dog park.

Inside the pool area, a beach-style entry, mushroom water feature and tumble buckets keep kids occupied. The lifeguards offer peace of mind, so you can take a dip and exercise in the attached eight-lane lap pool.

Details: $1 for seniors and ages 17 and under, $3 for adults. 17010 S. 48th St., Phoenix, 602-534-9255. www.phoenix.gov.

There are many programs around the state that offer swim lessons like the ones shown here at El Dorado Aquatic Center.

Eldorado Aquatic Center, Scottsdale

The Aquatic and Fitness Center anchors the larger, 60-acre Eldorado Park with its two lakes, skate park and ballfields. Spend a fun-filled day with the whole family here.

There's a 13-lane lap pool, two exciting water slides (one enclosed), a zero-entry splash zone and playground for younger kids, four diving boards, resort-style lounge chairs and grassy areas, lots of umbrellas and canopies, and a public-art component titled "A Floating World" by Sylvia Tidwell and Calvin Abe, with blue-wave elements and curvy concrete benches.

Details: Resident adults $3, children $2. Non-resident adults $5, children $3. 2301 N. Miller Road, Scottsdale. 480-312-2484. www.scottsdaleaz.gov.

Superstition Shadows Aquatic Center, Apache Junction

This 62,000-square-foot facility offers fun for everyone with a zero-depth entry play pool, two slides, two diving boards, four water features like spouts and buckets, a six-lane competitive pool and a concession and grassy area.

The aquatic center is open noon-6 p.m. daily for open swim through Aug. 7.

Details: $1.50 for ages 17 and under, $2.50 adults. 1091 W. Southern Ave., Apache Junction. 480-474-5210. www.ajcity.net.

Rose Lane Aquatics Center, Glendale

In the middle of a larger 19-acre park, Rose Lane Aquatics Center offers a large, beach-entry leisure pool with spray features and a splash pad. There is a kiddie slide for the younger children, but there’s a giant slide and a big pool with a diving well and board for the older kids.

Open 1-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 1-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, closed Monday. Save $1 on admission 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays during Happy Hour Swimming.

Details: Admission free for ages 2 and under. Resident children ages 3-17 are $2.50; adults ages 18-54 are $5; and seniors are $3. Non-resident children ages 3-17 are $3.50, adults ages 18-54 $6; and seniors are $5. 5003 W. Marlette Ave., Glendale. 623-930-2820. www.glendaleaz.com.

Foothills Aquatics Center, Glendale

Spray nozzles, a lazy river and water slides attract families looking to cool down at this aquatics complex.

The little ones have their own area to frolic, while teens will want to climb the two-story slide platform in a separate play pool. There are also six lap lanes and a diving well with two diving boards. Parents can relax under shade covers and watch the kids tire themselves out.

Open 1-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 1-7 p.m. Friday, 12-5 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday.

Details: Admission free for ages 2 and under. Resident children ages 3-17 are $2.50, adults ages 18-54 are $5 and seniors are $3. Non-resident children ages 3-17 are $3.50, adults ages 18-54 $6 and seniors are $5. 5600 W. Union Hills Drive, Glendale. 623-930-4600. www.glendaleaz.com.

Ben Riggs (front) and Nate Vogelsong head out of the slide area for another run at the Hamilton Aquatic Center in Chandler, Ariz. on May 16, 2015.

Hamilton Aquatic Center, Chandler

Chandler’s massive facility brings the community together to cool off during the hot summer days.

Younger ones enjoy their own shallow area complete with a slide, playground structure and zero-entry play pool. Adults can have fun, too, in the Current River, vortex whirlpool or on patio furniture under shaded ramadas.

Seasonal hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. Free swim is 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays. Thursday Family Nights offer $1 per person admission from 6-8 p.m.

Details: Admission is $1 for children 2-17 years, $2.25 for adults 18-54 and $1.25 for seniors. 3838 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler. 480-782-2630. www.chandleraz.gov.

Also splash-worthy

  • Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center, 5901 S. Hillcrest Drive, Chandler, 480-782-2635.
  • Glendale Heroes Regional Park Splash Pad, 8100 W. Bethany Home Road, Glendale, 623-930-2838.
  • Sunrise Pool, 21321 N. 86th Drive, Peoria, 623-773-5080.
  • Greenfield Pool, 35 S. Greenfield Road, Gilbert, 480-503-6206.
  • Enchanted Island Amusement Park, 1202 W. Encanto Blvd., Phoenix, 602-254-1200.

Mark Nothaft contributed to this article.

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