Jungle Play Garden

If you’re in Bloomington and need somewhere to take the kids on a hot summer afternoon, this is the spot locals keep coming back to. The splash pad is the real draw — kids of all ages get into it, and it runs long enough in the season to actually be worth planning around. There’s shaded seating nearby, which sounds like a small thing until you’ve spent an hour squinting into the sun at a regular playground. The covered shelter makes it a solid pick for birthday parties too, since you’re not scrambling for a backup plan if the weather gets weird.