My brother was visiting recently, and we were trying to come up with inexpensive ideas to take the…read morekids somewhere. Luckily, my bro had heard about splash parks in different states, and he found Portsmouth Splash Park (PSP) here in Hampton Roads. PSP is located on Elm and South in Portsmouth, and we decided to check it out. When we first drove by, we noticed there was no one around--no water running, no kids playing. I wondered if the place was closed, but then I saw two adults sitting on chairs. They were indeed open and we had the whole place to ourselves. The best part is it's free! When PSP opened 3 years ago, they charged $2 per person--which is still a bargain. It seemed that the turnout was low so they decided to do away with the fee. When you get to the desk, you will need to sign up and listen to the rules. Rule number one: no running! PSP has 15 interactive apparatus: giraffe, frog, dragon, crayon, flowers, pails, cattails, anchor and water blasters--fun and colorful. If you're planning to watch the kids instead of playing, there is no shade and no chairs, but there is a restroom. You are not allowed to bring in personal chairs and no food or drink (except water bottles--no glass please). PSP is clean, and a wonderful way to spend an hour or so during a hot summer day. Unfortunately, they are closed for the summer now--but bookmark this place for next year!

This is a nice little sprinkler for kids... even adults! The down fall is a couple of things: (1.)…read moreNo good working number on the internet for the weekend. (2.) No where to sit , no shaded benched areas. Other than that cool little place.

It's a cute hidden gem in a plaza. I came across this place…read morewhile walking around the plaza. Although the owner was closing up after a birthday party, he still took the time to show me around and talk to me about his establishment. He takes so much pride in this place, as it is kept up beautifully. I finally got around to bringing my kids here to play, and they had so much fun. They switch the layout around often so the kids can find new ways to play and have fun. There is an area for parents to sit down while you let your kids get their energies out. They also close late in the summer, which is fantastic.

So much fun went for a birthday party, all the kids had a blast and a great nap afterread more

Had a birthday party for my 5 year old daughter.. easy party l, great time, wonderful service.read more

The kids love it. A lot of games down which is disappointing. Staff very helpful. Food was ok for…read morewhere we are.

The staff here was just so nice and pleasant. We walked in on a Saturday and while there were…read moreobviously a couple small groups already scheduled and the space is not very large. It was not a problem getting us in to paint some items. We had an impromptu date here, and I would also say that this was one of the nicer ways to spend a Saturday afternoon that we had found. The process is pretty simple. Check in with the front desk they have you pick out a piece too please assign a table and then explain the process of how to wait on Keys to get the best result. They take care of everything after you are done applying the number of coats that you want on your item and you return after a few days to pick up. It's very simple and you can take your time. There were a mix of adults and groups that involve children, but this is not a place that I would bring very young children unsupervised or without high-level supervision. Price pay on most of the pieces to paint is around $30 and up. You can do a smaller item like an ornament for much less but people play a coffee mug about $20-$30 for what took us several hours to complete and it was very enjoyable time. Parking is available if you go around the block there is parking behind the "house". There's also street parking available on the side streets if that is filled. .

I took boys ages 10,9, and 7 here on a Friday night. We had the loveliest time. The woman who…read morechecked us in was so sweet and helped us pick our pieces even though we changed our minds about ten times. They have so many options for kids including coin banks, mine craft, Legos, animals, and more. To my surprise my hyperactive boys were obsessed and worked for almost two hours straight and are already asking to go back. A perfect Friday night!

I've been Sail Nauticus member since moving to the area 5 years ago. This is the best kept secret…read morein Norfolk. A GREAT, very active community and a very affordable way to learn to sail and get out on the beautiful Elizabeth River. There are orgaized events several times every week and many trained skippers who LOVE to introduce new members to sailling. Reach out to them (they have an active facebook page) and get out on the water today - you will not regret it

Awesome experience sailing in the harbor. What a great way to experience the area and support a…read moregreat organization. Have a friend who's a member/instructor and she took my family out on an tour/lesson of the area. My kids crewed the larger sailboat which was much bigger and more stable than the one's I had tried as a college student back in California. Beautiful location in marina and great charity organization to teach kids to sail targeting middle schoolers of which my kids happen to be.