Swimming with kids in Calgary is a great way to spend summer vacation. There are many outdoor swimming pools in Calgary dotted across the town. For those who don’t have access to the beautiful beaches in our lake communities, spending the day at an outdoor swimming pool in Calgary is the next best thing.

You’ll have to be patient for outdoor swimming pools in Calgary to open. Even when we have a blisteringly hot spring, the outdoor pools in Calgary still won’t open until “mid-June”

The 5 Best Outdoor Pools for Kids in Calgary 

Riley Park Outdoor Pool | 800 12 St NW, Calgary

This is, hands down, the best outdoor swimming pool in Calgary for kids. This wading pool goes from ankle deep at one end to knee deep at the other. There’s an island in the middle, and trees surrounding it offering shade. From toddlers who sit and splash to middle schoolers who like to load up squirters and chase each other around, this is the absolute best outdoor pool in Calgary. And it’s FREE!

Mount Pleasant Outdoor Pool | 2310 6 St NW, Calgary

Run by the Calgary Outdoor Swimming Pools Association (COSPA), this curvy pool has a shallow end for kids, a middle area portioned off for lane swimming, and a few slides. A family day pass will set you back $15.75, and the big kids are going to have fun too. Small slides, bigger slide, fun floating toys and shaded areas make this one of the best pools to spend an afternoon with the kids in Calgary.

Bowview’s facilities incorporates two outdoor swimming pools. A 6 lane 25 metre lap pool for adults and older kids who want to bomb into a deep end, along with a smaller wading pool for toddlers with a fun waterfall feature to splash about.  There are lockers and change areas and a day pass for families is $15.75 for this COSPA facility.

Forest Lawn Outdoor Pool | 1706 39 St SE, Calgary

Forest Lawn has 2 pools, all pools are heated, filtered and sanitized. The main pool is an 8 lane 25 metre lap pool, while the other area is a wading pool and splash pad with 5 floor spray nozzles. The wading pool is a tad small and fills up quickly, so be prepared to be in the deeper pool on hot summer days. There are lockers and change areas and a day pass for families is $15.75 for this COSPA facility.

Stanley Park Outdoor Pool | 4011 1A St SW, Calgary

This outdoor pool in Stanley Park is all about the little ones. It’s a shallow wading pool where kids can have fun with spray nozzles, water rings, and sit down while splashing about. The pool was closed following the June 2013 flood, four days before a grand reopening to debut renovations, including a new wading pool. They went back to square one and redid the renos. There’s also an 8 lane lap pool as well. There are lockers and change areas and a day pass for families is $15.75 for this COSPA facility.

South Glenmore Park Splash Pad | 90 Ave. & 24 St. S.W., Calgary

Okay, it’s not an outdoor pool, but it’s a wonderful splash pad where the kids can run and explore and cool off. Fully renovated in the spring of 2015, this accessible play area is also sponsored by Variety.

The Prairie Winds spray park is the biggest in the city and would normally be on this list too, but it is closed for renovations for the summer of 2016.

See Also: The 5 Best Beaches in Calgary

Buzz

Dad. Broadcaster. Writer.
Three time Guinness World Record Holder.

I run the world for Team Diabetes.