Scorching summer and record heat didn’t stop Aitana Barbosa from sprinting this week.
Fueled by McDonald’s pancakes and Sprites, the 7-year-old from south Oklahoma City charged at her siblings and cousins, most of whom were armed with squirt guns, as they raced Splash water at each other as they run in the splash pads in Les Park.The children overcame the summer heat happily, and bursts of laughter cut through the thick, humid air.
On Tuesday, the group was among many who visited one of 17 municipal splash pads, or “spray fields,” as Oklahoma City calls them.Temperatures reached 110 degrees in parts of the metro and are expected to remain hot for most of the week.
Most people are comforted by the cool waters, but broken equipment and excess litter can be found in several parks.Some are completely closed.
Oklahomaans visited 12 open Oklahoma City spray fields and collected comments from people who used the device.Functionality and cleanliness are also noted where applicable if you wish to visit the park as soon as possible.
Barbosa and her family live closest to Cyrus Park, so that’s where they frequent.According to Barbossa’s aunt, Gloria Martinez, in the summer the children go to “todos los dias” (every day).The family spent a lot of time in the park, although reports on the actual time vary.
Macias, Barbosa’s 6-year-old cousin and Martinez’s son, had his assessment of the time spent in the park questioned by his mother, who smiled and offered a more accurate estimate.
Water is easily her favorite part of the park, and while she may “prefer swimming pools,” it’s only “sometimes, but not many times.”
Siblings Jose and Camila Cervantes didn’t bother to change into their swimsuits before playing on the splash pad at McKinley Park.In these heat, they’re not worried about getting a little wet in their clothes if that means fighting the heat.
”It’s raining! It feels like a cold shower,” 8-year-old Jose said, describing the overhead sprinkler.
Jose said he loves the interesting designs and features the park offers, from the waterwheels high up to the in-ground sprinklers that pop up and down.
6-year-old Camilla spends her time spraying her brother with a high-pressure water gun, essentially a grounded water gun.This is a crowd favorite.Jose liked it because even if the water got in his face, there was no chlorine to hurt his eyes, he said.
Splash pads allow siblings to socialize with other kids of the same age and provide fun for parents for free.
For 9-year-old Marcel Fortune and his family, the splash pad combines just the right amount of cooling water and entertainment to kill time before returning to school and sports in August.
However, Fortune said the park could be improved with trash and equipment maintenance.The activator button to open the water in the splashguard is broken and doesn’t always work.
”It should be easier so we don’t have to keep pressing the button. There should also be more shade for people who don’t want to get wet,” he said.
At Memorial Park, 5-year-old Barrett Melson uses his imagination to become his favorite force in the water: sharks.A lightweight jacket with a hood resembling a great white shark’s mouth draped over Myerson’s face as he leaped in the water.
Myerson said he was happy to be able to control equipment on the splash pad, such as water cannons and buckets.The splash pad gives younger kids like Melson a sense of autonomy, allowing them to play at their own pace.
For his nanny Lindsey Brooks, the splash pad is a convenient way to pass the time when her dog is around for grooming.Like many other adults and guardians, she said she wished there wasn’t so much litter around the park.Brooks said she plans to bring a trash bag next time to help clean the park.
Taylor Park is fully functional, relatively clean, and can be found next to Jefferson Middle School.
Norma Salgado, who recently moved to Oklahoma City, was at the park for the first time this week with her children Ellen Salgado, 5, and Owen Salgado, 3.This is her first visit, but she plans to visit others as well.
Most splash pad lovers are under 12 or 13, but don’t tell Robin Humiston and Kathryn Everett.
The pair were in McCracken Park with their grandchildren and other family members, drenched like the other children.The park has provided her with a place to escape the heat and has also allowed Humiston to spend time with her grandchildren following the recent death of her daughter (their mother), while Humiston has dealt with a COVID-related near-death experience herself.
Humiston’s granddaughter, Mia Ely, says the water gun is her favorite feature in the park, “because I can spray my brother with it.”
Kevin Espinoza is the father and uncle of three children aged 3 and under.He said the splash pad is the perfect place to take the family in the summer, which they visit four times a month.
His youngest, Juliet Espinoza, was only 9 months old, and she wore a sun hat and used a baby walker to cross the water.As her parents watched the kids, Kevin said it was nice to have a park near the neighborhood where he grew up.
”It’s free and has a great view of downtown,” Kevin Espinosa said.”I grew up here and saw everything change. It’s great.”
Schilling Park is one of the cleanest spray fields with fully functional equipment, but you might find things you won’t see on other splash pads in the city.
Sisters Yaritiza Garcia, 9, and Aaliyah Garcia, 6, navigate the water in a small ATV.The girls lived nearby, drove through the park to cool off, and drove home.
Not all devices work in Youngs Park, although several adults are using the features.The park itself is clean.
In addition to splash pads, the park features a shaded pavilion.The splash pads and park area are almost spotless.
The activator button took a while to turn on the water, but the park wasn’t busy and there was little litter.
Daniel Keeth, a management expert in Oklahoma City, said the equipment that damaged the splashguard, especially the activation buttons, stemmed from vandalism.All equipment is marine grade stainless steel and will not age on its own, but the power station continues to be damaged.
”As soon as we find something like that is broken, we immediately try to get someone out,” Keith said.”We want to get as many of them up and running as possible.”
Another culprit for mechanical failures is water balloons, he said.Although a very popular toy, using a water balloon at the splash pad can cause a clogged drain, which can lead to various plumbing problems.Keith said the park had to call in multiple plumbers to remove the rubber from the grilles.
”They look very interesting, very interesting, but they’re not great on the device,” he said.
”Nobody actually goes out every day or every week to wipe everything down and sanitize or anything like that,” Keith said.
While Oklahoma City splashbacks are typically closed after Labor Day weekend, Keith said the waters may stay open longer than planned if the hot weather persists.