Playgrounds and things to do with kids in Palm Springs
Rebuilt in 2024 with a tot lot beside the main structure and a sheltered picnic area, so lunch can happen out of the sun.
A newer playground under shade canopies, split into an area for ages 2 to 5 and another for 5 to 12, so toddlers aren't dodging the big kids.
A separate tot lot beside the bigger play structures, with the mountains right behind, so a toddler and an older sibling can both play in view.
Turtles that squirt water are built into the play structures, so bring a towel and a change of clothes.
A splash pad with a water feature modelled on the Tahquitz Canyon waterfall, steps from the giant Marilyn statue, so it fits between lunch and the museum.
A playground opened in 2025 with shade structures and musical pieces to bang on, built so kids of every ability can play together.
The city's public pool, open for drop-in swims, so there's somewhere proper to cool off even without a hotel pool.
The tribe's own museum, with family activity days and an ethnobotany camp for kids, so a canyon hike afterwards means more.
A compact cactus garden with shaded paths, small enough that younger kids can walk all of it.
The car rotates as it climbs the cliffs to a forest far cooler than the valley floor, with easy trails at the top. Bring layers.
Hangars of WWII planes you can walk right up to, a scavenger hunt to work through and open-cockpit Saturdays, so kids get to sit in one, not just look.
Sculpture gardens outside and family days with hands-on workshops, so it holds up as the indoor break on a hot afternoon.
A kids' space with story times and take-home STEAM kits, so there's an easy hour indoors on a hot afternoon.
A wave pool for surf sessions plus slides, a lazy river and a splash pad, so an older kid can surf while a little one splashes.
A two-mile loop up rock steps to a waterfall at the back of the canyon. Not for a stroller, and bring more water than you think.
Palm Canyon Drive closes to cars for a street fair with food stalls and street performers, so kids can roam on scooters while you browse.