The Science Playground and Splash Pad
The Science Playground is the reason most families find Sugar Sand Park: a huge four-level play structure where ramps reach every level, hands-on science exhibits are built into the climbing, and a splash pad full of sea creatures sits in the middle. It's free and open every day from 8 a.m. to sunset.
What's here
- A four-level play structure, with ramps connecting every level.
- Hands-on science features built into the play, such as a space station, a giant head and DNA-coded walkways.
- A splash pad with sea-creature sprayers in the middle of the playground.
- Accessible swings and play stations for children with physical and cognitive disabilities.
- A soft rubber surface in place of mulch, easier for wheelchairs and strollers.
- The Chickee Hut, a shared shade shelter inside the playground.
- Restrooms, the carousel and the Explorium a short walk away.
Good to know
The splash pad doesn't run when it's cooler than 72 degrees, so on winter mornings plan on dry play. The playground closes at sunset and during storms. The Chickee Hut is shared space: parties and organized gatherings aren't allowed there, so book a pavilion for a birthday. Dogs aren't allowed anywhere in the park.
A playground everyone can climb
Volunteers built the original wooden Science Playground in 1995, and for twenty years it was one of South Florida's best-known playgrounds. Safety concerns closed the aging structure in June 2015, and the Beach & Park District rebuilt it for about $2.4 million, reopening in March 2017. The new design keeps the sprawling, many-towered feel of the original but adds ramps to all four levels, so a child in a wheelchair can reach the top alongside everyone else.
The old telephone-pole supports and wooden decks were replaced with square posts and composite decking, and the mulch with a rubber surface. The layout was also opened up so parents can see more of it from the ground, though on a busy Saturday it still pays to agree on a meeting spot.
Science you can play with
As the name says, the playground is built around science. Hands-on stations demonstrate scientific ideas as kids play, and local reporting on the rebuild mentions a space station, a giant head and DNA-coded walkways among the features. It pairs naturally with a visit to the Children's Science Explorium next door, where the same ideas are explained indoors.
The splash pad
The splash pad sits right in the middle of the playground, decorated with sea creatures that spray, so parents can watch both at once. The water runs only when the temperature is 72 degrees or warmer, which in Boca means most of the year but not every winter morning. Bring swimsuits or a change of clothes and a towel; there's no pool here, just sprays and puddles.
Tips for a good visit
Weekday mornings are quietest. On weekends, the lot near the playground fills by midmorning, but the park has 437 free spaces, so you'll find one a little farther out. Shade comes from the pines and palms around the edges and the Chickee Hut, and the play surface heats up in summer sun, so check it before toddlers crawl on it. Restrooms are next to the playground, near the carousel and the Family Pavilion.
See the rest of the park
Science Playground is one of 7 featured areas at Sugar Sand Park.