Fayetteville Splash Pads Now Open At Many Cumberland County Parks

With temperatures rising fast, it's time to have some fun while beating the heat at Fayetteville splash pads. The Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation (FCPR) splash pads are officially open for families to enjoy throughout the season! The splash pads are completely free and open to the public from May 1 until the end of the season on September 30.

Splash pads are a terrific way for children of the community to cool off in the North Carolina heat. To ensure that every child gets to join the splashy fun, all 14 splash pad locations were opened all throughout Fayetteville earlier this week on May 1. These locations include:

For the most part the splash pads are open Monday to Friday, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Sundays from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Special exception is currently being made to the Gray's Creek, Lake Rim and Spivey locations, as their hours operation will be from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM for as long as school is in session. Similarly, the splash pads at E. Melvin Honeycutt and Massey Hill will be open from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM for the duration of the school year.

Something else to keep in mind is that FCPR splash pads may be turned off intermittently to maintain their filtration systems. This occurs infrequently throughout the season, and is mainly a precaution in the event of inclement weather causing debris to accumulate in the systems. FCPR recommends keeping tabs on the weather forecast before visiting one of their splash pads.

If you or your child have never used a splash pad before it can seem a bit perplexing. Thankfully, FCPR has provided a helpful step-by-step instructional video on how to activate each splash pad. Activation buttons are strewn about the splash pad areas for ease of access, with some even placed on the ground for you to press by foot.

For additional information about the splash pads, please visit the FCPR website. You can also call FCPR at 910-433-1547, or visit their headquarters at 121 Lamon Street, Fayetteville, NC 28301.

When the weather gets nice, it's time to start thinking about easy campfire treats.

Did somebody say s'mores? Camping season is upon us! It's time to start rounding up your bug spray, tents, flashlights and ghost stories to tell around the fire. Typically, campers start planning trips as soon as there is even a hint of warm weather and adventure kicks off around late spring, usually in May.

According to outdoorawaits.com there are several factors that define when we hit the grand wildness for camping adventures:

While the call of the wild remains constant, the inception of the camping season adapts to these factors, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Now, you really don't have to get all fancy with your easy campfire treats to have a good time. Yard camping is a favorite option for families especially those with small children. Pitch a tent in the yard, start a bonfire, and embrace the controlled wild.

Campfire cooking is a highlight of the whole camping experience since it's special event-type cuisine that you only get to enjoy under these circumstances, like Thanksgiving dinner or your cousin's bar mitzvah. We all know roasting hot dogs, marshmallows and making s'mores are camp cooking staples but I think it's time to get a little extra creative this summer.

I've gathered some of the most mouthwatering recipes for easy campfire treats to try on your next wilderness adventure, let me know which one's your favorite!

OMG, this is the one for me! Take your standard crispy rice treat and roast that bad boy over the fire for the roasted marshmallow experience of your dreams.  If you are feeling extra adventurous, add a piece of dark chocolate to the top of the roasted treat for an out of this world s'mores experience.

If s'mores don't light your fire (see what I did there?) check out these campfire churros.  With simple ingredients like canned crescent roll dough, melted butter and cinnamon sugar combine over your campfire into a doughy delight.

Honestly, is there anything that can't be improved by adding a little Fluff and fire? This is for those folks that don't like chocolate.

An all in one treat that is a crowd pleaser for sure, the campfire cone! Young kids especially get excited by this recipe, which calls for all fun things.  Start with a waffle cone and fill with your favorite yummies like m&ms, mini reeses or whatever floats your taste buds and mini marshmallows, wrap in foil and cook over the fire until nice and melty.

There's fruit so it has to be kind of healthy, right? The S'more banana boat is the cousin to the ice cream banana split and just as tasty!

Remember when I said that everything is improved by a lil' marshmallow Fluff? I steadfastly stand by that statement as I introduce the Campfire Oreo.  This one is espcially for those cookies and cream lovers out there.

Ok, don't judge me here, but I'm throwing in my vote to have this a camping breakfast option.  Simple ingredients and prep make for a delightful dish that will make even the youngest camp cook proud.   The cooking time is about 30 minutes in the coals of the fire (not in the blazing flames)

For you lovers of all things pumpkin spice, this one hits the mark.   A decidedly autumn bonfire treat, the standard smore is elevated with the addition of pumpkin puree and maple goodness.

Simplicity at its best! The humble hostess twinkie gets a makeover by the fire, resulting in a genius camping hack, catered to folks who aren't marshmallow fans.

Ok, I have tiktok to thank for this idea because never in a million years would I have thought to stick a Starburst candy in the fire and then eat.  It's important to let it cool some before consuming, because you don't want hot lava candy burning your mouth.