Can't Miss: Centennial Center Park

We've been staying at my parents' house all week while they're out of town. It's been great not worrying about the kids messing up the house, only to get a call for a showing request on the house!

This past weekend, we wanted to find something to do, and I searched for local splash parks. We set out for Centennial Center Park, which just opened last summer. It's on Arapahoe Road between Revere Pkwy and Vaughn St, which is about a five minute drive from where we've been staying.

When we arrived, I was stunned by the view. It looks incredible! In fact, my husband and I scrambled to see if we had any cash because, from the looks of the park, we assumed they would charge admission. Nope. Free!

We entered the splash pad first. Jo thought we were crazy and had no idea where we took her.

Oliver just wanted to push some buttons to make the water go.

The splash pad area was pretty busy, so we checked out some other parts of the park. Seriously, it's huge! There was more "natural" splash park above, and the water ran down the rocks like a waterfall. This was Jo's favorite part! It was a lot less crowded, too.

There was one part of the park that was entirely made out of sand! It reminded me of parks from my childhood. They even had those digger contraptions! Oliver really loved the sand park. There were a few patches of shade here and there, but otherwise mostly in the sun.

You can see the walls were decorated and reflected parts of Colorado.

There was also a regular play ground for the kids. This part of the park was almost empty. I assume it's because 1) most people go there for the splash park, and 2) it was way too hot to enjoy the playground that day! I think the playground part would be a good choice in the fall and winter when the water is turned off.

Oliver liked the car, but he wasn't very good about sharing it with other kids.

Not pictured is the large jungle gym in the park. There was a large part of this park that was perfect for big kids--there were ropes to climb up about fifteen feet in the air! You don't see parks like that anymore, and the big kids loved it.

Centennial Center Park is outstanding! I don't usually praise parks with little to no shade, but all the running water to keep us and the kids cool helped tremendously. This is one of the best parks we've ever taken the kids to, so if you're ever nearby in the summer, be sure to stop and check it out. It's a winner!