Kids Activity: Splinter Park

This is the second piece of my column on kids activities in the region. Since school is out for the holiday, this is a great option for spending a day out with parks and a pool.

Speelpark de Splinter, or Splinter Park, is a really great park in the centre of Eindhoven. It’s difficult to describe the scale of Splinter Park. It’s absolutely massive with separate play areas throughout. It’s like seven different really great parks all in one fenced in area. Every age group will find something fun to do at Splinter Park.

This is an ideal place to spend the day in nearly any weather. In the summer there are three wading pools of varying depths but none are deeper than waist high for even the smallest kids. There are changing stalls right next to the pools and tables surrounding them as well. We have spent a hot afternoon at Splinter park and not ventured beyond the pools and that’s amazing considering how much there is to do there.

Directly inside the park and to the left is the playground designed for smaller kids. There is sand and water play equipment and a play structure with a slide. It’s a little difficult for very small kids to manage but for the more experienced climbers. This is a lovely area of the park. It is surrounded by trees and feels like a park all its own.

If you keep going around you come to a cafe that is open on weekends and summer days. They sell basic stuff like coffee and ice cream. Further up there is a small petting zoo with goats and pigs. Kids absolutely love petting the little goats. There is a sink for hand washing after but hand sanitiser is never a horrible idea.

Further down and to the right, there is a huge wooden castle with an open middle to climb and explore. Be warned that there is a sneaky tunnel at the back that is a secret exit. Just watch out for it if you have little kids because unless you are willing to crawl through after them it’s going to take a little while to get to the other side (I know from experience!).

At the very back of the park, there are two play areas that are only suitable for older kids (I would say four and up depending on the child). One is a huge climbing structure and the other is a “pirates cove”. The climbing structure is super high and I had about five heart attacks when my son first went up.  Luckily the structure itself prevents small kids from going up simply because they can’t reach to get on. The pirate cove is the other play area meant for bigger kids. There is water and climbing structures. My kids aren’t that interested in this one. It used to be referred to as the “secret” playground but they have recently added yet another play area next to it with a big pirate ship that is really great for all age groups.

The scale of Splinter park is pretty epic. It’s like nothing else I have ever seen and best yet, it’s free every day except Sundays and then it is only 1.50 per person. There is an opening and shut time that varies during the year so check the website. It’s a good idea to go have a look anyway. They are always having special events. There is a building area with hood and nails and such that the kids can build things. This area is only open on certain days because it requires special attention from a member of the staff. I took my kids to a special Halloween night there. It was great, a giant haunted house with playground and candy. The kids loved it.

The actual park is fenced in with only one exit. This is nice because if I lose track of a child I know that they really can’t get very far.
You can bring in all your own food and drinks to Splinter Park and there are picnic tables spread throughout the park and also plenty of room for a blanket. Being able to bring in your own food is a big one for me because we all know how expensive entertaining kids for the summer can get.

Just next to the playground is a very nice open green space as well. There is a small lake with ducks and lots of green space to spread out. This would be a great place to spend a lazy afternoon in the sun. Because the playground is next door, this space feels much calmer and quiet that many other green spaces in the city.
Parking can sometimes be an issue, unfortunately. The park is on a busy street and has no parking lot. There is on-street parking on both sides of the road but be prepared for a bit of a walk on really pretty days.

The address is: Rode Kruislaan 2,  5628 GM Eindhoven. For more details check the website.

About Melissa:
-“I am a mother of two, originally from Texas but I have lived in Veldhoven for over 10 years and have no intention of ever leaving the Netherlands. I love it so much here! There are so many amazing places for families to explore and we are busy trying out them all. I’m also a bit of a gym rat, avid reader, knittaholic, and pinterest junkie. I am going to write a twice monthly feature about great places to get the family out and about in this area. Parks, play places, pools and zoos and other activities. Everything you need to have a great family day! Check out my blog at https://mommyonamissioneindhoven.com/.”