Top 31+ OC Playgrounds with Shade Covers
Are you looking for OC playgrounds with shade covers? It’s still hot and not ideal, but at least these are playgrounds you can visit in a pinch to get the wiggles out.
You can also consult my post for 100+ Ideas for Kids Indoor Play post which includes 13+ frozen treat ideas for hot days and a whole bunch of places with air conditioning!
And if you are looking for more summer ideas, I have a post with 18+ Summer Activities in Orange County — like, lists about eating near the beach, riding the beach trolleys, and finding family-friendly beaches & splash pads. LOTS of lists!
Top 10+ OC Playgrounds with Full Shade Covers
The first 12 mentioned are the stand-out parks where the playground shade covers are BIG and effective. The other parks on the list have partial shade covers which provide some relief, but they don’t cover the whole playground.
Full Shade Covered Playgrounds in Orange County
Hurray for shade covered playgrounds! When it gets hot, we go looking for shade anywhere we can find it. This list with photos highlights the playgrounds with BIG shades or overlapping shade sails over the entire playground.
There are playgrounds out there with smaller shade sails over the equipment, but that might only be adequate for sun cover and not as much for keeping cool? I do have a list of those at the end of this post.
Concourse Park in Portola Hills
Concourse Park shade covers are triangular, like shade sails - but they are arranged in a way that gets almost full coverage of the playground. It's a beautiful park playground on the edge of Whiting Ranch.
Canyon View Park in Aliso Viejo
The Canyon View Park shade cover is in an umbrella shape -- but like a GIANT umbrella! There's even shade over the swings and the picnic area.
Lake Forest Sports Park Playgrounds and Recreation Center
Lake Forest Sports Park has two playground areas with shade covers! One has the huge umbrella size that provides full shade. The other playground has shade sails, but they overlap.
Fullerton Sports Complex Playground
I feel like Fullerton Sports Complex Playground is the ORIGINAL shade cover that made me go WOW. So cool to have the cover over ALL the equipment.
Aliso Viejo Community Park
Aliso Viejo Community Park has shade covers over the swings, a smaller one over the big kid equipment, and another over the fenced playground for the 2-5 year olds. It's also down in a canyon so it gets natural shade in the early evening.
Tustin Sports Park
Tustin Sports Park (not to be confused with Tustin Legacy Sports/Community Park) is on Jamboree near Tustin Marketplace. All new for Summer 2022.
Ridgecrest Park in Aliso Viejo
Ridgecrest Park in Aliso Viejo even has a shade cover over the swings!
Larwin Park in Buena Park
Larwin Park in Buena Park comes highly recommended from a lot of readers and it has a lot of shade.
Grijalva Community Park in Orange
Grijalva Park in Orange has double layers of shade covers! There are separate play areas, but most of the playground is covered.
Steve Ambriz Memorial Park in Orange
This is one of those parks with full shade covers in a place over the central playground where you need it!
Mason Regional Park in Irvine
Mason Regional has more than one playground with shade covers and the coverage is pretty good!
Partially Shade Covered Playgrounds in Orange County
Brea / La Habra / Stanton
Brea Sports Park – added shade covers in 2012.
Brio Park and Splash Pad in La Habra is one of the rare spots where there is shade over the water play.
Stanton Central Park – new park in 2016.
Irvine / Lake Forest
Sweet Shade Park in Irvine – minimal covers, but good for a little relief.
Tamarisk Park in Lake Forest – the shades are there to cover the midday sun, but they aren’t very big.
Great Park Playgrounds – there is just one small portion that has shade covers, plus the “Kids Rock” area of the playground which sometimes has misters that work.
Santa Ana / Orange / Tustin
Santa Ana Zoo Playground – the giraffe design makes this one unique.
Belmont Park in Orange – small shade covers over just the smallest bit of play structure.
Shaffer Park in Orange – triangular shade sails over the play areas.
Handy Park in Orange – shade over most playground parks, except swings.
Olive Park in Orange – has very large shade sails in addition to a nice big tree for shade!
Pioneer Road Park Splash Pad area – apparently has shade covers. I haven’t been to confirm, but that would be nice!
Costa Mesa
TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa – small shade sails over some of the play equipment.
Laguna Beach
Lang Park in Laguna Beach – a playground cover AND near the ocean.
Laguna Niguel
Hidden Hills Park in Laguna Niguel – shade over the picnic area and some shade sails over the toddler playground.
San Clemente
Liberty Park in San Clemente – inland location so no benefits from the ocean.
More recommendations from readers and my June 2024 Instagram post (ones that aren’t on my blog yet)!
- Anton Park in Irvine
- Cox Sports Park in Ladera Ranch
- Altisima Park in Rancho Santa Margarita
- El Modena Park in Orange
- A reader reported that Magnolia Park in Anaheim has new shade covers.
In creating this list, I’m discovering that Irvine, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Beach have all invested in shade covers for their community, so check out their parks first when looking for shade.
Read Cool Tips for Hot Playgrounds for even more ideas to keep cool on these hot days!
Originally published in August 2010.
The post Top 31+ OC Playgrounds with Shade Covers appeared first on Fun Orange County Parks.
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