Children’s patience is put to the test in Playpark De Splinter. The children’s pool and water playground have been closed for almost a year. The pool was closed in June 2025 because the coating was coming off. Fences around the pool still prevent play. People are complaining on social media. “This misery is an eternal shame for the park.”
The play park is a household name in Eindhoven. On a busy day there are thousands of people. The gigantic playground is popular with children up to about twelve years old.
Since last year, De Splinter has charged admission several days a week from April to November. Part of the park is the children’s swimming pool, which has been thoroughly renovated.
The renovation itself was delayed, meaning the swimming pool was opened later than planned. Games could take place from July 13, 2023, but the water fun was abruptly stopped almost a year ago. The coating of the swimming pool was coming off and that could cause dangerous situations for the children.
The park took no chances and closed the pool with the water playground. “There were sharp edges. That kept getting worse,” said manager Hugo Jansen. “It is a shame, but it was no longer responsible to keep the pool open,” he added.
“They would have been better off keeping the old bath.”
The pool had to close, exactly in the year that the park celebrated its 50th anniversary. It is now almost a year later and it is deserted.
The organization announced on Facebook that the pool cannot open yet. “Unfortunately, our swimming pool and spray park is not yet ready for use. We will keep you informed and notify you immediately when all work has been completed,” the statement said.
There are varying responses to this message. “How is it possible that such a brand new swimming pool/spray park has been closed more than it has been open since it opened?” someone writes on Facebook. “It’s all new stuff. Why only work?”
Another wrote: “They should have kept the old bath. It was filled more often.”
The organization previously announced that the pool will open this summer, but that there is no firm date yet. The park organization does not want to respond to questions at this time. “We are currently not looking for more exposure for the Splinter,” is the response.
