The New Kissimmee Lakefront Park Playground: the Perfect Place for a Party or Playdate

It was a beautiful day today so we decided to head down to Kissimmee Lakefront Park to check out the new playground. Kissimmee has put a lot of renovations into Lakefront Park the past few years and the new playground and splash pad are the latest additions. While it was a very nice park before, with the addition of the splash pad and playground I think it is going to be one of our new favorite places to play!

Before adding this playground and splash pad they added another playground on the other side of the park closer to the library and downtown area. That playground is very modern, colorful, and great for all ages but it frequently becomes very crowded in the summertime and doesn't have a whole lot of parking directly by the the playground. It is also set back quite a bit from the lake, making it hard to enjoy the lake's natural beauty and breeze. The new park has ample parking and is very close to the lakefront. Unfortunately I can't say it won't be overcrowded during the times kids are out of school because I have a feeling it will be a very popular spot for local families to play!

The new playground and splash pad have plenty of parking spaces on the street right in front of them but if they're full there is also a parking lot a short walk away.

If you park on the street you'll cross a sidewalk and small "boardwalk" to get to the park. While there is no fence around the playground to keep tots from wandering out, the park has a bit of a natural barrier to it. The "boardwalk" crosses over some sunken grass that separates the playground from the street. The other side of the park has a short concrete wall around it. In addition to the short concrete wall there are also plenty of benches scattered around the perimeter of the park for parents to sit on.

Next to the playground and right across from the splash pad there is a pavilion with bathrooms and plenty of shaded places to sit. The pavilion has not only adult sized picnic tables and tables and chairs but a few kid sized ones as well. There are two water fountains on the side facing the playground and not only men's and women's restrooms but a family restroom as well. This pavilion would be the ideal place to have a birthday party and I'm sure you'll have to book it well in advance in the summertime!

If you are unable to book the pavilion or are simply looking for a free option there is also a large grassy area across from the playground and seperated from the splash pad by a sidewalk. This grassy area also has adult and kid sized picnic tables and grills to cook on as well. One major drawback to this area vs the pavilion is it really does not provide you with a lot of shade.

On the day we visited the splash pad was not operational. There was a sign apologizing for the inconvenience but no explanation as to why or when it would be turned on again. This wasn't an issue since it wasn't a particularly hot day. If there was a price for the splash pad or only certain hours it will be operating they were covered on the sign by the sign saying it wasn't currently operational. It did appear, however, by the set-up that the splash pad would be free.

Instead of a fence surrounding it there are short walls and on one side of it is a raised grassy area where you could leave your towel and other things. The grassy area slopes down to the splash pad and once the trees grow in it will hopefully have lots of shade.

The splash pad itself has a natural Florida theme to it with statues of several animals you'd find in Florida. I'm looking forward to bringing my daughter back to try out the splash pad when the weather warms up. 

Instead of using the splash pad we played on the playground today. The playground has an astroturf surface so no worries about little ones putting pebbles and sand in their mouths. It has a woodland theme to it and contains several play structures as well as swings for babies and older children. My little girl really enjoyed crawling through the log!

For younger kids there is a tepee structure with a smaller slide that is a bit lower to the ground than the larger playground structure. Kids of all ages, however, seemed to enjoy playing on both this and the larger structure. The biggest hits for the babies and toddlers seemed to be the baby swings and crawl through log.

There are several paved trails surrounding the lake that would be perfect for walking, jogging, pushing a stroller on,or riding a tricycle or bike. Many people were doing these things and enjoying the beautiful day.

My daughter enjoyed the playground so much we never got any further because she started to get hungry after several hours and we had run out of snacks. (Definitely bring food if you visit. The only food options are the ice cream truck that stopped by briefly and a very small cafe with very limited hours that is a bit of a hike from the playground. Most families enjoying the park had brought lunch from local fast food places or there are the grills if you'd like to bring your own picnic.) 

The only things I can think of that would make this playground better is to have easier access to food and have better covering over the top. Although the playground has a shade over the top it is extremely small and not one solid continuous surface so I highly doubt it will provide much shade and keep the playground from getting too hot to play on without burning skin once the weather starts to warm up. 

We will definitely be visiting again soon to explore the walking trails and hopefully the splash pad. The city of Kissimmee put a lot of work into this park and made it a wonderful place for kids to play. The pavilion between the playground and splash pad is the ideal place for a birthday party or other gathering. I can definitely see it becoming a very popular spot in the summertime!