Pools

Swim, Slide & Splash Year Round… at the Angleton Recreation Center Natatorium

September 13, 2017 by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Address: 1601 N. Valderas Street, Angleton, TX 77515

Just look at this Angleton pool! The indoor Angleton Recreation Center Natatorium has a beach entry, water play structure, slide, spa and not-so-lazy river that pulls you through! It costs $4+ and is open to non-residents. (Just check the hours and fees HERE!)

If you will be at Crocodile Encounter, this is a good spot to cool off afterwards. The water is really cold (but watching from the bleachers is really hot… so you might just want to jump in with the kids).

This little pool has a whole lot to do but is not overwhelming. Thanks to Deissy for telling us about it and thanks to Fun2Go Misters for the pictures.

Take a look and decide if it’s a good fit for you!

Find more to do in Houston, with kids:

Cool Off at The Woodlands Pools… for Residents and Non-Residents

July 2, 2016 by Jill Jarvis 2 Comments

Wendtwoods Park The Woodlands Beach Entry

Since spending the weekend in The Woodlands, I’ve been just a little obsessed with the parks and pools in the area. We are still working our way through the long list of spots, but so far, every one we’ve visited has been well-kept, had unique features and was full of lifeguards. And, the pools are open to non-residents and are more reasonable than many other Houston area pools.

Alden Bridge Pool – 7725 Alden Bridge Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77382
Bear Branch Pool – 5200 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381
Cranebrook Pool – 11800 Cranebrook Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77382
Creekwood Pool – 3383 S. Panther Creek Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381
Falconwing Pool – 5610 Rush Haven Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381
Forestgate Pool – 7505 S. Forestgate Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381
Harpers Landing Pool – 2 Blair Bridge Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77385
Lakeside Pool – 5001 W. Alden Bridge Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77382
Ridgewood Pool – 4192 Interfaith Way, The Woodlands, TX 77381
Rob Fleming Aquatic Center – 6535 Creekside Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77389 (This is the BIG pool.)
Sawmill Pool – 2200 Millpark Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380
Shadowbend Pool – 4991 Lake Woodlands Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381
Wendtwoods Pool – 8950 Creekside Green Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77375
Windvale Pool – 7600 Windvale Circle, The Woodlands, TX 77382

At the time of this post (and check before you go), most pools are $6/person, with the big Rob Fleming Pool being $10/person and $8/person under 48″. Also, the staff told me that in one day, your $6 fee covers all pools in the area. They also said that if you want to go to Rob Fleming, go there first and then use that receipt to get in to the smaller pools. (This worked for us, but check when you go to be sure I got the right story!)

See The Woodlands 2016 Pool and Splashpad Guide HERE and our map below.

Cool Off All Summer at the Quillian Center Pool, Noah’s Ark Splashpad & Playground

May 26, 2016 by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Quillian Center Pool Slide and Alligator

Address: 10570 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX 77042
Hours: Check HERE.
Admission: $7.50/person (access to both pools), Playground is Free

You probably know about Noah’s Ark and the Quillian Center Playground… but there is also a pool for big kids! The playground is free, and open after hours to the public, and the splashpad and pool has one admission price for access to everything.

The Quillian Center Pool has dual slides, diving boards, basketball hoop and a giant alligator. Noah’s Ark is a shallow pool with slide, tunnels and water fountains. (And is amazing for little kids.)

Both swim areas are completely fenced in and are right next to each other. You do need to select the pool you will swim in, so you can watch your kids… but it’s easy to switch between the two pools.

The Quillian Center has locker rooms and a concession stand with prices that are really quite reasonable. You can also bring in a small table sized cooler (but not a big one).

We have been to Noah’s Ark many times, but we had the chance to visit the big pool for a party last week.

With all the cool things to do at the pool, EVERYONE was drawn to the alligator. I tried to convince my youngest to go down the slides or jump in from the sides or do something else, but he was determined to be part of the group climbing up, falling off and going under water.

The lifeguards were watching, and I had my eyes glued on him… but that darn alligator was too attractive to my new swimmer. And he showed us all by managing to recover after every fall.

My other kids moved on from the alligator to jump off the diving boards and slide down the slides.

Both pools are in full sun, so we applied sun screen often. (There is quite a bit of seating in the shade… but I would scope it out when you arrive so you do not get stuck in the sun!)

After a couple hours of swimming, we packed up and played at the great Quillian Center Playground. (This is used by Wesley Academy students and by the Quillian After School Program but is open on weekends and evenings to the public.)

See the pictures below and check out the Quillian Center this summer!

Noahs Ark at Quillian Center Pool Mushroom

Quillian Center Playground Climbing Circles

Quillian Center Playground Climbing Wall

Quillian Center Playground Spinning Wheel

Find more Houston Parks, Pools & Splashpads:

Cool Off at The Woodlands Pools – Lazy Rivers, Slides and Water

May 25, 2015 by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Cool off this summer at The Woodlands Pools! SEE THE UPDATED POST HERE!

There are 14 pools that are open to the public… with Rob Fleming Aquatic Center being a reader favorite.

Rob Fleming is the pool with a lazy river, water play structure, splashpad and water slides. For details on all 14 pools, go HERE.

For Summer 2015, daily admission is $6 for 13 pools and $8/$10 for Rob Fleming. Memberships are also available. Cash or check only.

Looking for more pools?
Check out Houston’s free city pools HERE and free splashpads HERE.
Find Bellaire’s Evergreen Pool ($5) HERE and Town Square Pool ($10) HERE.
Find the Quillian Center’s Noah’s Ark ($7) HERE.

And, find all the summer 2015 resources for having fun in Houston, with kids, HERE!

Bellaire Town Square Family Aquatic Center – Visiting Houston’s Parks & Pools, One Week at a Time!

June 13, 2014 by Jill Jarvis 1 Comment

Address: 7001 Fifth Street, Bellaire, Texas 77401
Cost: PRICES HAVE GONE UP A LOT (starting 2016). See them HERE.
Memberships Available

Bellaire Town Square Family Aquatic Center is some pool! It has a beach entry, giant shallow half of the pool, giant deep end of the pool, 3 slides, 2 diving boards, rock waterfall and lots and lots of fountains, buckets and games. Its like my favorite Noah’s Ark, but much bigger and closer to downtown!

This pool is open to Bellaire residents and non-residents, 7 days a week, all summer long. Right next door is the Bellaire Town Square Park which has really challenging equipment for the bigger kids, and is also toddler friendly. You could send a day here and not be bored for a minute.

There is an admission fee for the pool, which is higher for non-residents, but parking is free. Bellaire Town Square is in a beautiful neighborhood and easy to find from 610. Outside food is allowed poolside and a snow cone truck and vending machines are available. Clean (but wet) dressing rooms are onsite and have changing tables.

We visited for a party and my kids nearly fell over when they saw the pool. It’s not just a pool, it’s a water playground! In the shallow end, where water goes from 0 to 3.5 feet deep, there are fountains and buckets everywhere. Once the buckets fill up, they dump all over the kids in the pool. [Read more…] about Bellaire Town Square Family Aquatic Center – Visiting Houston’s Parks & Pools, One Week at a Time!

Evergreen Pool in Bellaire – Visiting Houston Area Parks and Pools, One Week at a Time!

May 30, 2014 by Jill Jarvis 2 Comments

Address: 4500 Evergreen Street, Bellaire, TX 77401

Admission:
2 & Under:Free
Prices have gone up… see the latest HERE.
Memberships also available

Evergreen Pool in Bellaire is open for the season!!

This pool is next to Evergreen Park and Russ Pitman Park, in a nice Bellaire neighborhood, making it a great spot to cool off this summer.

This pool includes a few lap lanes, a shallow end, a kiddie slide, a big slide and a diving board. It’s quite large and fun for big and little kids.

Slides and Diving Board at Evergreen Park Pool

There is no wading pool for the babies, but it looks like most 3 and 4 year olds can walk along the bottom of the shallow end. Which is good, because this is where the duck slide is and my little kids like to slide-splash-repeat, all day long. Strong swimmers do the same on the big slide and diving board.

The pool has several picnic tables, many lounge chairs and lots of seats in the shade. The pool is in full sun, so don’t forget the sun screen!

Evergreen Pool has a locker room for men and women. They were clean when we visited, but are those old concrete locker rooms that gave me the creeps as a kid. They get all wet and dingy, even though showers and stalls looked new. But, there was a baby changing station, which is enough to get me inside!

For a list of Houston pools, go HERE! For splashpads, go HERE!

Looking for more pools?
Check out Houston’s free city pools HERE and free splashpads HERE.
Find Bellaire’s Town Square Pool ($10) HERE.
Find the Quillian Center’s Noah’s Ark ($7) HERE.
Find The Woodlands Pool HERE.

Houston Pools Open Memorial Day to Labor Day… For Free

May 23, 2014 by Jill Jarvis 4 Comments

See the updated list for 2018 HERE!

See the updated list for 2018 HERE!

Houston has 37 outdoor aquatic centers, in addition to the 23 splashpads. The Splashpads are open all year and the pool summer swim season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day!

Go HERE to find a pool near you! Go HERE to learn about FREE SWIM LESSONS! And, scroll to the bottom for the map!

NORTHWEST
Agnes Moffitt – 10645 Hammerly 77043
Inde Heights – 603 East 35th 77022
Lincoln – 1048 Grenshaw 77007
Love – 1000 West 12th 77008
Oak Forest – 1400 Du Barry Ln 77018
Schwartz – 8203 Vogue 77055
Stude – 1031 Stude 77009
T.C. Jester – 4205 T.C. Jester 77018

NORTHEAST
Greenwood – 602 Beresford 77015
Hobart Taylor – 8100 Kenton 77028
Moody – 3201 Fulton 77009
Northline – 6911 Nordling 77076
Tidwell – 9720 Spaulding 77016
Tuffly – 3200 Russell 77026

SOUTHWEST
Alief – 11903 Bellaire 77072
Memorial – 6402 Arnot 77007
Sharpstown – 6600 Harbor Town 77036
Townwood – 3403 Simsbrook 77045
Westbury – 10605 Mullins 77096
Windsor Village – 14441 Croquet 77085

SOUTHEAST
Beverly Hills – 9800 Kingspoint 77075
Clinton – 200 Mississippi 77029
Cloverland – 11800 Scott 77047
Denver Harbor – 1020 Gazin 77020
DeZavala – 7521 Avenue H. 77012
Eastwood – 5000 Harrisburg 77011
Emancipation – 3018 Dowling 77004
Finnigan – 4900 Providence 77020
George T. Nelson – 6900 La Salette 77021
Glenbrook – 8201 North Bayou 77017
J. Robinson, Sr. – 1422 Ledwicke 77029
MacGregor – 5225 Calhoun 77021
Mason – 541 South 75th 77023
Reveille – 7700 Oak Vista 77087
Sagemont – 11507 Hughes 77089
Sunnyside – 3502 Bellfort 77051
Wilson Memorial – 100 Gilpin 77034

See more detail HERE.

Looking for more pools?
Check out Houston’s free splashpads HERE.
Find Bellaire’s Evergreen Pool ($10) HERE and Town Square Pool ($16) HERE.
Find the Quillian Center’s Noah’s Ark HERE.
Find The Woodlands Pools HERE.
Or, head to Wet’n’Wild, to Palm Beach at Moody Gardens or stay at The Woodlands Resort.