Tot Time Open Swim at Twin Cities Pools & Aquatic Centers

So you’ve got a little one who’d prefer to become accustomed to the pool without those periodic (and unintentional) slaps of water in the face from sharing space with the big kids? Many local pools offer dedicated tot time open swim hours and several of them offer discounted rates for these short sessions. Families can get an hour of swim time for half the price of a full days admission. Compare prices and find a pool near you.

For a more casual experience, parents and tots can visit any of the free Minneapolis wading pools. In addition, the following Twin Cities pools are offering special tot times this summer solely for the purpose of helping youngsters get comfortable in the water:

Toddler at Cascade Bay's Little Mates Tot Swim — Cascade Bay Little Mates

TOT TIME OPEN SWIM TIMES AT TWIN CITIES OUTDOOR POOLS

Bloomington Family Aquatic Center | No Wake Zone

LOCATED 201 E 90th St, Bloomington, MN 55420
DATES & TIMES Monday-Friday, 10am – 12pm
ADMISSION $10/pp
DETAILS Formerly a special tot swim open to kids ages 6 & under, the No Wake Zone does NOT have an age restriction. It retains the requirement of at least a 3:1 adult/child ratio, is held in the zero-depth entry part of the pool and still takes place before general admission Open Swim.
LEARN MORE Bloomington Family Aquatic Center

Coon Rapids Bunker Beach Water Park | Tot Time

LOCATED 701 County Rd A, Coon Rapids, MN 55448
DATES Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:15-10:15am
ADMISSION $5/swimmer; adults are free. (There is an additional $6 vehicle fee to enter the park.)
DETAILS Tot Time at Bunker Beach is a special time for PreK’s and their caregivers to enjoy the water before the park opens to the public. One adult per two children is required to be in attendance.
LEARN MORE Bunker Hills Regional Park & Bunker Beach Water Park – the largest outdoor waterpark in Minnesota!

Crystal Cove | Little Splashers Pool-Time

LOCATION Crystal Cove Aquatic Center, 4848 Douglas Drive N, Crystal, MN 55429
DATES & TIMES Crystal Cove re-opens in 2025 after a renovation! Little Splashers will be held the following Saturdays: June 29; July 5, 12, 19, 26 and August 2, 9, 16.
ADMISSION $3/child, adults free
DETAILS Only the zero-depth pool will be open for kids 7 and under with a parent.
LEARN MORE Crystal Cove Aquatic Center

Eagan Cascade Bay | Little Mates

LOCATED 1360 Civic Center Drive, Eagan, MN 55122
DATES & TIMES Daily (except Wednesday,) 9:30am-10:30am
ADMISSION $6/child; one adult free with paid child.
DETAILS Swimmers and splashers ages 0-6 have the pool and sand to themselves before the water park opens for the day. The Orange Slide is available for more adventurous tots. There must be one adult for every 4 children in attendance. Little Mates need to leave the pool when it opens to the public.
LEARN MORE Read more About Cascade Bay here

Edina Aquatic Center | Lil’ Lagoon – Water Playground

LOCATION Edina Aquatic Center, 4300 W 66th Street, Edina, MN 55435
DATES & TIMES Open daily, 10am-8pm
ADMISSION $14/ages 1+ ($11 after 5pm)
DETAILS Instead of a tot time, Edina offers a new dedicated space exclusively for kids 8 and younger and the adults supervising them. Lil’ Lagoon has slides, sprayers and dump buckets plus a space for toddler splashers.
LEARN MORE Read more about Edina Aquatic Center.

Maplewood Battle Creek Waterworks | Tot Tuesdays – closed in 2025

LOCATED 2401 Upper Afton Rd E, Maplewood, MN 55119
DATES & TIMES Closed in 2025
ADMISSION $2.50 per person over one year of age. An additional fee of $4.50/person applies if staying after 10:30 a.m.
DETAILS During this special time, tots 5 years and under can look forward to zero-depth entry, water tables and other age-appropriate splash opportunities. The pool also offers a a sensory-friendly hour on Sundays at the same timeslot (regular admission applies) for those who could benefit from a more controlled environment.
LEARN MORE Battle Creek Waterworks Tot Tuesdays or the Battle Creek Waterworks website.

Battle Creek Waterworks Play Strucutre

Richfield Outdoor Pool | Tot Time

LOCATION 630 East 66th Street, Richfield, MN 55423
DATES & TIMES Monday-Saturday, 10am-11am
ADMISSION $11/pp, kids under 1 year are free
DETAILS Kids ages 7 and under and parents can have the zero-depth-entry wading pool and water play equipment to themselves for this hour.
LEARN MORE Read about Richfield Outdoor Pool.

Shakopee Sandventure Aquatic Park | Splish & Splash Tot Time

LOCATION 1101 Adams St S, Shakopee, MN 55379
DATES & TIMES SandVenture just completed a major remodel and is open for summer 2025! Tot Time is held Friday and Saturday mornings from 9:15-10:45am.
ADMISSION $5/child; parents are free
Details: Kids ages 0-6 are welcome to swim in the zero-depth entry pool and play in the sand beach before the waterpark opens to the rest of the public.
LEARN MORE SandVenture Aquatic Park

Twisty Yellow Slide at Sandventure Aquatic Park, Shakopee Minnesota — Big kids will love the slide at SandVenture

South St Paul Lorraine Park | Splash Pool Toddler Time

LOCATION 756 3rd Ave S, South St Paul, MN 55075
DATES & TIMES Monday-Thursday, 11am-12:30pm
ADMISSION $2/pp, caregivers and children 2-3 yrs (cash only). To stay past Toddler Time, swimmers will pay an extra $3.
DETAILS The pools offers an interactive water feature and zero depth entry.
LEARN MORE Read more about Lorraine Park & Pool.

Lorraine Splash Pool in South Saint Paul, Minnesota — Lorraine Splash Pool

St Louis Park Aquatic Center | Parent & Tot Time

LOCATION 3700 Monterey Dr, St Louis Park, MN 55416
DATES & TIMES Monday-Friday, 9:30am-11am
ADMISSION $10/residents; $15/non-residents; season pass holders & under 1 year of age: Free
DETAILS Parent & Tot Time gives exclusive use of the shallow end of the pool with its splash features to kids ages 6 and under and their caregivers.
LEARN MORE St Louis Park Aquatic Center

St Paul Como Regional Park Pool | Tot Time

LOCATED 1151 Wynne Ave, St Paul, MN 55108
DATES & TIMES Ongoing Saturdays & Sundays, 9-10:30am
ADMISSION $5/child and $5/adult
DETAILS Only the shallow pool and splash pad area is open during this time for kids ages 6 and under with supervising adult, but there’s plenty of space to enjoy.
LEARN NORE Como Regional Park Pool Tot Time

Girlplaying with water sprayer at Como Regional Park Pool Water Play Area, St. Paul, Minnesota — Como Pool Tot Time

St Paul Highland Park Aquatic Center | Tot Time

LOCATION 1840 Edgcumbe Rd. Saint Paul, MN 55116
DATES & TIMES Ongoing Saturdays & Sundays, 9-10:30am
ADMISSION $5/child and $5/adult
DETAILS Only the splash pad area of the pool is open during this time for kids ages 6 and under with supervising adult, but there’s plenty of space to enjoy.
LEARN MORE Read more about Highland Pool here.

Father playing with toddler son at Highland Park Aquatic Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota — Highland Park Aquatic Center Tot Time

TOT TIME OPEN SWIM TIMES AT INDOOR POOLS

Eden Prairie Community Center | Tot Open Swim

LOCATION 16700 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55346
TIMES Open Tot Swim is tricky to keep track of at this venue; we’ve found the schedule to vary greatly. Rather than make promises on our site, please refer to the community center recreational pool schedule.
ADMISSION Ages 1-4/$5.75; ages 5-18/$7.50; adults/$8. Families up to 5 pay $25.50. Members swim free.
DETAILS Families with children 5 years of age & younger can bring other children up to age 7 during Tot Time Open Swim. One nice thing about Eden Prairie Community Center is that daily admission includes the choice of 2 activities on the purchase date. Combine your swim with tot gym, tot skate or Prairie Play Zone.
LEARN MORE Eden Prairie Community Center & Pool

St Paul Great River Water Park | Children’s Pool Only Hour

LOCATION 270 N. Lexington Parkway Saint Paul, MN 55104
DATES & TIMES Monday, Wednesday and Friday, beginning September – May, 9am-10am
ADMISSION Ages 0-2 are free, ages 3+ pay $8/pp or $6/pp for those in a group of five or more
DETAILS This time is set aside for children and their parents. While this session is not exclusive to toddlers, most bigger kids will be in school, so it will be a less busy time to take a dip with little swimmers. Any kids under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
LEARN MORE Great River Water Park

Inver Grove Heights Aquatic Center | Sensory Friendly Swim Time

LOCATION 8055 Barbara Ave, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077
DATES & TIMES Please refer to the Open Swim calendar for dates and times
ADMISSION Ages 1-11: $6; ages 12-59: $9; ages 60+: $6; under age 1: FREE
DETAILS This time is designed for both toddlers and families seeking a sensory-friendly swim time. Many of the waterpark features are turned off or closed at this time – including the dumping bucket, water features and slides.
LEARN MORE Inver Grove Heights Aquatic Center

Shakopee Indoor Aquatic Center | Tot Time Swim

LOCATION 1255 Fuller St. S., Shakopee, MN 55379
DATES & TIMES Thursdays, 9-10:30am and Sundays, 9:30-11am
ADMISSION $5/child, caregivers FREE
DETAILS This is a special open swim just for kids ages 6 & under. Just the zero-depth entry pool is open; slides and water play features are closed. Non-inflatable pool toys are permitted to play with.
LEARN MORE Shakopee Indoor Aquatic Center

What to pack for Tot Swims

Swim diapers are consistently required for children not potty trained. Ask at the front desk if you forget, many facilities have swimmies available to purchase.
Proper swimwear Many pools have rules regarding what constitutes a swimsuit. Street clothes are generally not allowed, but some facilities allow a t-shirt over a swim suit for added sun protection.
Sun protection is so easy to forget but so important on the water.
Towels are another thing I tend to forget if I don’t plan ahead.
Flotation devices & toys are allowed at some pools, but not others. You may want to call ahead before bringing anything.
Snacks Always pack snacks for any outing. You won’t regret it.

We hope you find a pool or aquatics park that works for you and our pre-k. Start the kids off with these bite-size tot swims and pretty soon you’ll have a child joining you for lap swim or on the water slide.