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 15+ OC Playgrounds with Full Shade Covers
The first 19 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.
Springdale Park in Aliso Viejo
Springdale Park in Aliso Viejo was always "spiderweb" park to me. The equipment is more 5-12 year olds, but there is 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.
Oak Park in Aliso Viejo
Oak Park in Aliso Viejo has some unusual play equipment and large shade covers.
Mason Regional Park in Irvine
Mason Regional has more than one playground with shade covers and the coverage is pretty good!
Westridge Park in Aliso Viejo for Shade on Lazy Afternoons
Westridge Park in Aliso Viejo has shade covers over the 2-5 year old part of the playground.
San Juan Creek Park in San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Creek Park in San Juan Capistrano is a fully-covered playground designed for the 2-5 year old crowd. It's nice because it enjoys some coastal morning weather, even when it might be hot inland.
Plaza Park in Irvine
Plaza Park in Irvine has trees around the playground and some somewhat large shade covers over the 2-5 year old playground.
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!
Borrego Park in Lake Forest
Borrego Park in Lake Forest has sizeable shade triangles over the compact playground.
Acorn Park in Aliso Viejo
Acorn Park has shade over the swings and the 2-5 year old section of playground.
Brio Park and Splash Pad in La Habra
Brio Park in La Habra has a splash pad with shade sails, and the playground next door now has full shade coverage. (Thanks to Monique for making a point to tell us that there is "shade over the ENTIRE playground!").
Partially Shade Covered Playgrounds in Orange County
Fullerton / Brea / La Habra / Stanton / Cypress
Rolling Hills Park in Fullerton – has very small shade covers at the top of the play equipment and the park has lots of trees for shade.
Brea Sports Park – added shade covers in 2012.
Founders Park in Brea – has a teeny tiny shade cover on the equipment.
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.
Lexington Park in Cypress – has blue & beige shade sails over the orange & blue playground which is mostly for 5-12 year olds.
Irvine / Lake Forest
Sweet Shade Park in Irvine – minimal covers, but good for a little relief. As of Summer 2024, this park is under construction.
Tamarisk Park in Lake Forest – the shades are there to cover the midday sun, but they aren’t very big.
Stonegate Park in Irvine – tends to have shade in the mornings and also a few shade sails over the equipment.
University Community Park – only small shade sails over the play equipment.
Blue Gum Park in Irvine – is nice for the shade trees nearby, but only a small bit of shade from a small shade at the top of the playground.
Woodbury Community Park – just small shades over equipment itself.
Los Olivos Community Park in Irvine – playground only has a small triangular shade cover over part of the playground, but the picnic area is covered and shady.
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.
Orange / Tustin
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!
El Camino Real Park in Orange – pretty large shade sails!
Pioneer Road Park Splash Pad area – apparently has shade covers. I haven’t visited to confirm, but that would be nice!
Santa Ana / Anaheim
Santa Ana Zoo Playground – the giraffe design makes this one unique (must pay admission to get into the zoo to play, but it’s a fun one!).
Sycamore Park in Anaheim Hills – has brilliant yellow shade sales over the climbing apparatus.
Costa Mesa
TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa – small shade sails over some of the play equipment.
Aliso Viejo
Grand Park in Aliso Viejo – small shade cover over the main part of the play structure.
Hummingbird Park in Aliso Viejo – this one is sunken and has trees all around, so it might be shady in the early or late part of the day along with a tiny shade sail over 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.
Stacey Levine
Thursday 13th of August 2015
There is a park in Long Beach that we call "shady park" but that is not it's name. It is the very South end of El Dorado park just before the houses start. Next to an open field for soccer, there are very old tall trees that offer natural shade to the playstructure that is there.
Rosalie
Wednesday 4th of September 2013
We went to the Kids Rock Playground at the Great Park during the Labor Day Weekend 2013 and although it was 85F, there was no mist coming out of the misters. There was a partial shade, the majority of the play area was in the sun.