Best fountains and sprinklers

DOWNTOWN

Teardrop Park

Teardrop Park
A dead ringer for a secluded rocky beach (if you tune out the surrounding high-rises), this hidden spot holds a few puddles ideal for baby-dipping and ten miniature geysers that burst from the ground, tempting kids to plug them with their feet. Battery Park City, between Warren and Murray Sts, east of River Terr. Subway: A, C, 1, 2, 3 to Chambers St.

Rockefeller Park
Spend the afternoon chasing your tot from the manual merry-go-round to the well-shaded dodo bird sculpture to the climbing net to the gazebo. Final stop: a wall covered with stone dog and elephant gargoyles that spit at passersby. Battery Park City, Chambers St at River Terr. Subway: A, C, 1, 2, 3 to Chambers St.

Madison Square Park
The whimsical playground is home to an overhead pinwheel that dumps H2O from on high and ground-level spinning tops that mist arms and legs. To avoid the crowd, arrive before 10am. Madison Ave at 25th St. Subway: N, R, W, 6 to 23rd St.

HUDSON RIVER PARK

Pier 84

Note: Hanging out with your kids at these three spots is a little like sizzling them on a griddle. Until the Parks Department plants trees or installs canopies, remember to bring a big bottle of Water Babies. A parasol wouldn’t hurt either.

Pier 51
After frolicking in the sprinklers, kids can splash in a meandering stream or push toy boats down it. The adjacent sand tables are extremely popular—just try and keep a two-year-old from attempting to dam up the little river. Twelfth Ave at Horatio St. Subway: 1 to Christopher St–Sheridan Sq.

Chelsea Waterside
Bask under one of the grooviest water features in the city: towering, turquoise blue sculptures resembling exploding raindrops, which drench those passing underneath. There’s also a wall of faucets for frontal soaking. W 23rd St at Eleventh Ave. Subway: C, E to 23rd St.

Pier 84
More futuristic fountain than playground, this site is home to movable canal gates, a metal windmill that scoops and dumps water, and bridges from which kids can dangle their legs when their feet need a dunk. Twelfth Ave at 43rd St. Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St–Port Authority.

UPPER EAST SIDE

Heckscher Playground

Photograph: Caroline Voagen nelson

Heckscher Playground
Locals and tourists alike flock to this three-acre wonderland full of boulders and mazelike ramparts. In the wet zone, a spongy blue surface, much friendlier to bare feet than asphalt, is dotted with submerged water jets. The comfort station contains bathrooms and a new snack bar. Central Park, midpark at 62nd St, enter park from Central Park South at Seventh Ave. Subway: A, C, B, D, 1 to 59th St–Columbus Circle.

Catbird Playground
This simple, spacious water feature is essentially an asphalt pit with side sprinklers and a drain in the middle. Speaking of pits, Brangelina’s brood have been spied splashing here. Carl Schurz Park, East End Ave at 86th St. Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.

UPPER WEST SIDE AND MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS

Dinosaur Playground
Water gushes into this old-school splash pit so quickly that a wading pool forms at the center. Riverside Dr at 91st St. Subway: 1 to 86th St.

Morningside Park
One whole side of the cheery new playground is given over to water: Ground sprinklers throw arcs into the air, and wall spigots send out a constant, cool spray. Morningside Ave at 116th St. Subway: B, C to 116th St.

Claremont Playground
All the Riverside Park playgrounds have animal themes. In this serene and shady spot, the motif is dolphins. From their blowholes the sculptures spritz water all over the play area. Riverside Dr at 124th St. Subway: 1 to 125th St.

BROOKLYN

Brooklyn Bridge Park
At this ship-themed playground, a concrete “dinghy” (“offshore” from the main play structure) emits gentle sprays. Kids who like to ease in feet first can tread through a shallow stream. Main St at Plymouth St, Dumbo. Subway: A, C to High St; F to York St; 2, 3 to Clark St.

South Oxford Tennis Club
In this oddly named city playground designed like a garden, jumbo faux cattails direct water droplets onto overheated heads. 187 South Oxford St at Atlantic Ave, Fort Greene. Subway: B, Q, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic Ave.

Fort Greene Park
This oasis offers two playgrounds with splash zones. The larger New Fort Greene, at Willoughby, features a compass-shaped sprinkler. The smaller and busier playground, on the corner of DeKalb and Washington Park, harbors a hydrant that squirts from all sides. Go on a Saturday to hit the adjacent farmers’ market for an organic doughnut. South Oxford St at DeKalb Ave, Fort Greene. Subway: B, M, Q, R to DeKalb Ave; 2, 3, 4, 5 to Nevins St.

Imagination Playground
A giant bronze water-breathing dragon soaks kids to the bone. After a dousing, tots often like to climb onto the statue’s back, à la Bastion riding atop Falkor the luck dragon in The NeverEnding Story. Prospect Park, enter park from Ocean Ave at Lincoln Rd. Subway: B, Q, Franklin Ave S to Prospect Park.

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