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Barcelona doubles its children’s water-play areas this summer
Barcelona will double its children’s water-play areas this summer so families have more places to cool down without leaving their neighbourhood. The city will add nine new spaces across different districts, intended to ease the heat in the harshest months and make street life more bearable.
The existing points have already started operating, and the new areas will be activated progressively. They are expected to be available during the summer, with extended opening hours from 10:00 to 20:00 and without the midday break that was applied in previous seasons.
The expansion comes at a time when heat is already shaping many family plans in Barcelona. For people living in small flats, without a terrace or with little ventilation, having a nearby space where children can play with water makes a considerable difference to the afternoon: it avoids long journeys and offers a free alternative to swimming pools or paid activities.
The new play features will be installed in settings such as Plaça Carme Simó, Avinguda Mistral, Plaça Joan Pelegrí, Jardines de Justa Freire, Parc Joan Reventós, Plaça Harry Walker, Jardines del Baix Guinardó, Parc Antoni Santiburcio and Plaça Lolita Torrentó.
These spaces join areas that were already operating in places such as Canyelles, Parc de les Rieres d’Horta, Bon Pastor, Canódromo de Meridiana, Plaça del Maresme, Antiga Casa de l’Aigua, Parc de les Glòries, Jardines de Sant Joan de Déu and Plaça de Caramelles.
The aim is not to turn squares into swimming pools, but to offer play areas designed for children, with jets and push-button systems activated to control water consumption. They are intended for children aged five and over, wearing footwear, and pets are not allowed access.
The measure also helps distribute refuge options more evenly during the summer. Instead of concentrating all cool activities on beaches, in shopping centres or in large parks, the water play areas bring relief from the heat closer to neighbourhoods where many families need simple, readily available solutions.
The expansion of these areas leaves one clear idea about the summer ahead: cooling down is no longer only a matter of leisure, but of public space. In a Barcelona increasingly exposed to heat episodes, a child being able to play close to home without burning in the sun is starting to form part of how everyday life in neighbourhoods is cared for.