Guide to the Cyprus Forest Spray Park in Oldsmar
YOUR GUIDE TO THE CYPRUS FOREST SPRAY PARK SPLASH PAD IN OLDSMAR
The Cyprus Forest Spray Park splash pad is located at the Cyprus Forest Recreation Center in Oldsmar, Florida. The recreation center also includes a gym, program rooms, picnic areas and the trail.
We recently the Cyprus Forest Spray Park and it was a nice splash pad but not markedly better than other splash pads in the area to justify the $5 parking cost. If you are an Oldsmar resident, however, you can get an annual parking pass for $2.68 and then the splash pad is definitely worth the visit.
Here’s everything you need to know before visiting this Oldsmar splash pad!
Looking for more local splash pads to check out? Visit my list of 10 great splash pads in Pinellas.
Cyprus Forest Spray Park Splash Pad Location & Hours
Best Features of the Cyprus Forest Splash Pad
We enjoyed our visit to the Cyprus Forest Spray Park. For me, the best part of this splash pad is that it is less crowded than other splash pads we’ve visited. It seems that the $5 fee is enough sway people to visit one of the many free splash pads instead.
This splash pad is smaller than the Kiwanis Sprayground in Dunedin but still had some nice features like a small water slide. Since the splash pad was empty for awhile during our visit, I could actually go onto the slide to help get our baby more comfortable with it. This was a definite benefit to a less hoppin’ splash pad.
What I wished the Cyprus Forest Spray Park had was more variety in the sizes of their fountains. There were only a few low fountains that are less overwhelming for babies. Our baby spent most of the time on the perimeter since bigger fountains covered most of the area.
The bathrooms were also right outside the splash pad fence which is very convenient.
I appreciated that the splash pad was fully fenced so kids couldn’t escape. There are two covered picnic table pavilions immediately outside the splash pad fences. I saw other families where the adults sat in the pavilion area by the fence door while their kids ran around the splash pad, which seemed like a nice set up if your kids are old enough.
Parking at Cyprus Forest Spray Park
Parking for the Cyprus Forest Spray Park was easy but it was not free. It costs $5 to park at the Cyprus Forest Recreation Center from April-October when the splash pad is open.
There is a parking pay station located along the parking strip, towards the recreation center. The meter appears to accept cards or exact cash. Change is not given, per the warnings on the machine, shown in the picture below.
After you pay for parking, you have to remember to display the receipt from the machine on your dashboard.
During our visit, the parking pay station was broken so we did not have to pay. I called the recreation center to verify that it was okay to go without paying and they said it was okay since there was no way to pay while the meter was broken.
How do you get an annual parking pass to the Cyprus Forest Spray Park?
Annual parking passes are only available to Oldsmar residents. As of 2023, annual parking passes cost $2.68. You can purchase them from the Cyprus Park Recreation Center by presenting your driver’s license and vehicle registration at time of purchase.
Read more about Oldsmar parking fees, passes and community services
Tips Before You Visit
Here are a few tips before you visit the Cyprus Forest splash pad in Oldsmar.
1. Remember the parking fee
Don’t forget to pack your credit card or $5 in cash (exact change only) to pay for parking.
2. Turn the splash pad on with a button
The splash pad turns on with a button. At first it seemed like the button was not working, but the fountains will slow start to come on. A few of the water fountains also had separate buttons on them and they only turned on when you pushed their individual button. The splash pad will turn off periodically and you can restart it again with the button.
2. Pack towels & swim diapers
I’ve definitely forgotten towels when we’ve gone to splash pads before. The cognitive load getting kids out the door is real. Hopefully this reminder helps you avoid my mistakes!
Swim diapers or rubber pants are required for any child not potty trained, per one of the posted rule signs (the other sign does not mention this). Swim diapers are not available on the premise.
3. Use a stroller to keep belongings off the ground
There are only two benches at the splash pad so if you are worried about keeping your belongings dry off the ground, you may want to bring in your stroller (chairs are not permitted).
Alternatively, immediately outside the splash pad are two shaded pavilions with picnic benches. While we visited, this is where everyone else kept their belongings while in the splash pad area. Having lived places with a lot of theft before, I’m too worried to leave things unsupervised but the park was low traffic so I understand them doing it.
All that said, the perimeter of the splash pad does stay dry. However, we’ve visited other splash pads where kids will pour water around the perimeter so I like the keep my things off the ground.
3. Don’t forget sunscreen
The Cyprus Forest splash pad is not shaded at all so remember to sunscreen up before your visit.
4. Watch for overwhelm
Splash pads can be a lot of stimulation and may be overwhelming for some little kids. There are random buckets of water splashing downs, other kids running around, and noise from the fountains so it can be sensory overload.
I’ve watched a number of babies and toddlers, including our own, crying and seemingly overwhelmed at splash pads.
The Cyprus Forest splash pad in particular had only a few small fountains for the littlest kids. Our baby definitely found the bigger fountains to be too much and stayed on the perimeter mostly.
Cyprus Forest Spray Park Rules
The photos below are the posted rules for the Cyprus Forest splash pad.
Here are some important rules:
- Exit the splash pad at signs of thunder and lightening
- No animals, glass, food, alcohol, street shoes, or skateboards on the splash pad
- Swim diaper required for those not potty trained
- Do not visit the splash pad when sick or with open wounds
- Do not drink the splash pad water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cyprus Forest Spray Park stroller-friendly?
Yes, the Cyprus Forest splash pad is stroller-friendly. There is a sidewalk path from the parking lot all the way to the splash pad. The perimeters also have enough room to park a stroller.
I could have easily parked our double stroller along the side during our visit. A stroller also doubles as a place to keep belongings off the ground and dry.
Is the Cyprus Forest splash pad shaded?
No, the Cyprus Forest splash pad is not shaded. There are shaded pavilions with picnic tables directly outside of the splash pad fence.
Do you have to wear shoes at Cyprus Forest Spray Park?
No, you shoes are not required while in the splash pad area. Posted rule signs say that street shoes are not allowed in the splash pad. The rules say that water shoes are recommended, but do not say they are required.
During our visit, all the kids were barefoot.
Are swim diapers required at the Cyprus Forest Spray Park?
Yes, swim diapers or rubber pants are required for any child who is not potty trained.
Is the Cyprus Forest splash pad fenced in?
Yes, the Cyprus Forest splash pad is fully fenced in. The door latches are on the top of the fence so little kids are not able to open the fence doors alone.
Is the Cyprus Forest Spray Park dog-friendly?
No, pets and animals are not permitted in the Cyprus Forest splash pad area, per posted rule signs.
Can you bring food or drinks in the Cyprus Forest splash pad?
No, food and drinks are not allowed in the Cyprus Forest splash pad area, per posted signs.
There are two covered pavilions with picnic table around immediately outside the splash pad fence door that are very conveniently located for lunch or a snack.
Is the Cyprus Forest splash pad busy?
When we visited, the Cyprus Forest splash pad was not busy compared to other splash pads we’ve visited, like the Kiwanis splash pad in Dunedin.
It seems like the parking fee likely controls crowds compared to the other free splash pads in Pinellas. Personally, I would also go back to a free splash pad before paying $5 every time we wanted to visit the Cyprus Park splash pad, especially since it is smaller than some free ones.
Is there a maximum capacity at the Cyprus Forest Spray Park?
The maximum capacity of the Cyprus Forest spray park is 45 people, according to posted rule signs.
Is the Cyprus Forest Spray Park open year round?
The Cyprus Forest splash pad is open seasonally, from April 1st to October 31st.
Are there any items you are not allowed to bring into the splash pad?
According to posted signs, the following items are not permitted at Cyprus Forest’s splash pad: glass bottles or containers, alcohol, chairs, water balloons, water toys, sports equipment, skateboards, roller skates, bikes and animals.
Are there bathrooms at the Cyprus Forest Spray Park?
Yes, the bathrooms are located just outside the splash pad fence at the Cyprus Forest Spray Park.
Is it Worth the Drive?
If you are an Oldsmar resident with an annual parking pass, the Cyprus Forest splash pad is worth the drive. It is a great outdoor activity for kids, especially babies and toddlers who are too young to swim. Splash pads are excellent toddler activities to beat the Florida heat. And best of all, it is totally free and parking is easy.
For those who are not Oldsmar residents, you may want to consider some of the other free splash pads in Pinellas county instead. This splash pad is smaller than others in the area, like the Kiwanis Spraypark in Dunedin, and costs $5 every visit. I wish there was a parking pass option for non-residents as well, because then I’d definitely visit more often.
That said, I did like that it was much less busy than other splash pads we’ve visited, likely because of the parking fee. If your kids do better in less crowded spaces, this may be a good splash pad for you.
