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Where to Host a Pool Party in Brisbane: Pool Party Ideas for Kids

This article shares the best locations in Brisbane to host your child’s pool party!

If your child is a summer baby, pool parties are a fantastically fun and cheap birthday party option to consider when you’re brainstorming birthday party ideas. If you don’t have your own pool, don’t stress, Brisbane has no shortage of public swimming pools that are ideal for pool parties. The following Brisbane pools either cater for birthday parties so you can simply book then relax or they have awesome water play facilities for kids so you can DIY your own pool party.

Tips for hosting a pool party

A word about timings: It’s best to book ahead for your birthday party if you’re hoping for a weekend event between 10am – 3pm. This will enable staff to ensure spaces are left for you and that you’re appropriately catered for (where that’s an option). Take any and all precautions when it comes to sun safety in the heat of the day!

We advise that you call ahead. Establish bookings (if required) and ascertain costs as they relate to your party. You don’t want to be disappointed on the big day because of a failure to plan thoroughly. 

Acacia Ridge Leisure Centre

  • Address: 1391 Beaudesert Rd, Acacia Ridge
  • Phone: 07 5610 4938

Your party guests are going to love the spray-based water play features in the beach entry lagoon pool at Acacia Ridge Leisure Centre! There are large grassed areas and shaded picnic tables that can be booked for parties and functions if you’re organising your own party. Parties need to be booked well in advance and are available Saturday and Sundays for a minimum of 10 kids. Plus there is heaps of parking available at Acacia Ridge Leisure Centre. Find out more here.

  • Monday – Friday: 6am – 7pm
  • Saturdays: 8am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 8am – 6pm

*Note: the water park is open 10am-5pm on Saturdays & Sundays (during the summer period) and daily during school holidays.

Bellbowrie Pool

  • Address: 47 Birkin Rd, Bellbowrie
  • Phone: 07 3432 9172

Kids will have heaps of fun on the water play pad as they wait for the big tipping bucket to fill and splash water everywhere! So much fun! You’ll also find plenty of shaded areas to setup a party picnic and room for kids to run around. They have a wading pool, a 50 metre outdoor pool (not heated) with eight lanes, as well as a 25 metre heated, covered pool and the pool has a life guard on duty. This is a DIY pool party option.  The pool is a seasonal pool and is open during the summer season only. Find out more here.

  • Monday – Thursday: 5.30am – 7.00pm
  • Friday: 5.30am – 6pm
  • Saturday & Sunday: 8am – 6pm
  • Public Holidays: 9am-5pm | Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday

Chermside Aquatic Centre

Chermside Aquatic Centre - Things to do in Chermside with kids
  • Address: 375 Hamilton Rd, Chermside
  • Phone: 07 3054 4305

Chermside Aquatic Centre has an amazing water park with six waterslides (open on weekends) that includes features such as jungle adventure, flume of doom, lily pads and a kid’s area with water cannons and sprinklers. Birthday parties are available on the weekends (10 kid minimum) and they include food and drink, a reserved area in the shade, child supervision pool equipment, games and activities and all day use of the water slides and water park facilities. Birthday cakes and lolly bags also available. Woohoo! Read our detailed review here.

  • Monday – Thursday: 5am – 8pm
  • Friday: 5am – 7pm
  • Saturday – Sunday: 6.30am – 6pm

*Note: the water park is only open on weekends and during school holidays, from 10 am to 5 pm.

Colmslie Pool | Morningside

  • Address: 400 Lytton Rd, Morningside
  • Phone: 07 3054 4366

Colmslie Pool features a water play park area and wading pool for kids as well as a kiosk and lifeguard. They offer birthday party packages to take care of food (either order through the cafe or bring your own – no glass!), organising, supervising and they will even clean up afterwards. If you choose the inflatables option (for 1 hour) your group needs to be aged 6-18. For the small children, wading pool parties are available for swimmers ages 0-7 years of age.

  • Monday – Thursday: 5.30am – 8pm
  • Friday: 5.30am – 7pm
  • Saturday: 7am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 7am – 6pm

Colmslie Pool website

Dunlop Park Memorial Swimming Pool | Corinda

  • Address: 794 Oxley Rd, Corinda
  • Phone: 07 3379 1630

Dunlop Park Memorial Swimming Pool features a wading pool with 4 fun water slides. There are free electric BBQ facilities and shaded picnic areas for DIY pool parties and they also offer birthday party packages. There is an option to cater your own party with table hire etc fees applicable. Parties are self-catering – you are able to bring food and drinks into the complex or buy from the kiosk. Due to Covid regulations, they are not able to store or refrigerate food items.

Summer opening hours (September – April):

  • Monday – Thursday: 5am – 7.30pm
  • Friday: 5am – 7pm
  • Saturday: 5.30am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 7.30am – 6pm

Winter openings are:

  • Monday – Thursday: 5am – 7.30pm
  • Friday: 5am – 6pm
  • Saturday: 6am – 1pm
  • Sunday: 8am – 1pm

Summer waterslide opening hours (it is closed in winter): 

  • Monday to Friday: 2:30 to 5:30pm
  • Saturday & Sunday: 10am  to 5pm
  • Public holidays: 10 to 5 pm

Dunlop Park Memorial Swimming Pool website.

Hibiscus Sports Complex | Upper Mt Gravatt

  • Address: 90 Klumpp Rd, Upper Mt Gravatt
  • Phone: 07 3054 4374

Set amongst landscaped grounds, there is a new 20-metre twisting waterslide in the water play and wading pool area at the Hibiscus Sports Complex. They don’t offer birthday party packages so this is a DIY pool party option.

  • Monday – Friday: 5.00am – 7.30pm
  • Saturday: 6am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 8am – 6pm

Hibiscus Sports Complex

Ithaca Pool | Paddington

  • Address: 131 Caxton St, Paddington
  • Phone: 07 3369 2624

Ithaca Pool has a wading pool, grassy as well as shaded areas. There are areas available for hire (tables) or you can just spread out on the grass! Contact the swimming pool directly for further details as options are subject to change.

  • Monday – Thursday: 5.30am – 7pm
  • Friday: 5.30am – 6pm
  • Saturday & Sunday: 8am – 6pm

Ithaca Pool website

Jindalee Pool

  • Address: 11 Yallambee Rd, Jindalee
  • Phone: 07 3376 1002

At the Jindalee Pool there is splash pad and water play area for kids. Perfect facilities and heaps of space for a DIY party.

  • Monday – Friday: 5am – 7pm
  • Saturday: 6am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 7am – 6pm

Jindalee Pool website

Langland’s Park Memorial Pool | Stones Corner

  • Address: 5 Panitya St, Stones Corner
  • Phone: 07 3397 7436

Langland’s Park Memorial Pool has a semi shaded wading pool for kids but no water play area for younger kids. There are, however, activities set up for them in the shade. Pools are heated and there is plenty of shade to set up a pool party picnic.

  • Monday – Thursday: 5am – 7pm
  • Friday: 5am – 6pm
  • Saturday: 5am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 8am – 6pm

Langland’s Park Memorial Pool website 

Manly Pool

  • Address: 1 Fairlead Crescent, Manly
  • Phone: 07 3396 2578

Located on beautiful Manly foreshore, there is a great wading pool and water play area with water slide for kids. This would be a great venue to organise your own pool party – and there’s a great playground just a few steps to the right when you exit the gates!

  • Monday – Thursday 5.30am – 7pm
  • Friday: 5.30am – 6pm
  • Saturday: 6am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 8am – 6pm

Manly Pool website

Mt Gravatt East Swimming Pool

  • Address: Wecker and Newnham Rd, Mansfield
  • Phone: 07 3216 8730

Whilst the Mt Gravatt East swimming pool have a designated kids’ play area there is no wading pool or water play area so probably not the best venue to host a kid’s pool party for younger kids. There is room to spread out and enjoy the pool, though, so keep it in mind if your crowd is slightly older!

  • Monday – Friday: 5.30am – 7pm
  • Saturday – Sunday: 7am – 6pm

Mt Gravatt East Swimming Pool website

Newmarket Olympic Swimming Pool

Newmarket Swimming Pool 1
  • Address: 71 Alderson St, Newmarket
  • Phone: 07 3356 8434

The Newmarket pool is a great place to host a pool party with kids’ leisure pool and slide, splash pad and wading pool. There are plenty of undercover shaded areas with picnic tables and chairs which can be booked. Ample grassed areas for kids to run and play. The pool can set aside a table for your birthday party for the cost of standard entry fees.

  • Monday – Thursday: 5:30am – 7pm
  • Friday: 5.30am – 6pm
  • Saturday and Sunday: 8am – 6pm

Newmarket Olympic Swimming Pool website

Runcorn Pool

  • Address: 37 Bonemill Road, Runcorn
  • Phone: 07 3054 4382

The Runcorn Pool has a kids’ pool with a waterslide. They cater for birthday parties with food and an additional 12 metre inflatable slide. Birthday parties are run on the weekend between 12 and 3:30. Parties here consist of the use of tables and spaces for as long as you like as well at the use of an inflatable slide in the pool with two on-hand lifeguards. 

  • Monday – Friday: 5am – 7.30pm
  • Saturday: 6am -6pm
  • Sunday: 7.30am – 6pm

Runcorn Pool website

Sandgate Aquatic Centre

sandgate aquatic centre splash
  • Address: 231 Flinders Parade, Sandgate
  • Phone: 07 3269 7946

At the Sandgate Aquatic Centre there is plenty of grass areas and hills for the kids to run around with a great kids’ water play area with water slides and wading pool. With a beautiful scenic setting on the ocean foreshore of Sandgate, there is also a kids’ playground and shaded BBQ facilities. Call ahead to confirm your booking and details as they are subject to change and availability.

  • Monday – Friday: 5am – 7.30pm
  • Saturday: 6am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 8am – 6pm

Sandgate Aquatic Centre website

Yeronga Park Pool

  • Address: 55 School Road, Yeronga
  • Phone: 07 3848 8575

Yeronga Park Pool has a great water play area and wading pool. There is also a spring free trampoline and free BBQ facilities as well as plenty of shady areas. You can hire out ‘huts’  (you are given timeslots over the weekend but at any time during the week). You can bring your own food and drink (no glass or alcohol) or organise catering through the kiosk for things like chips and nuggets.

Summer opening (September to April)

  • Monday – Thursday: 5am – 7.30pm
  • Friday: 5am – 7pm
  • Saturday: 5.30am – 6pm
  • Sunday: 7am – 6pm

Winter opening (April – August)

  • Monday – Thursday: 5am – 7.30pm
  • Friday: 5am – 6pm
  • Saturday: 5.30am – 1pm
  • Sunday: 7am – 1pm

Yeronga Park Pool website.

Pool parties vs play centres

Pool parties are a much cheaper option than booking a birthday party at a kids play centre. Just don’t forget to pack some extra SPF 30+ for the day. Pool parties at a Brisbane swimming pool are great value for money and the best part is that nothing tires out a child more than an hour or two messing about in a swimming pool so plan for an early night!

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Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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