Abstract: History repeatedly shows that the more interactive the urban environment the better. The great plazas and city squares act as people magnets and include features such as markets, seats, sculptures and fountains all designed to make people linger. Interactive, playful designs are becoming an increasingly common element in urban revitalisation, especially projects centred on city squares and plazas. In addition they encourage inclusiveness for families and children in the city. In this paper I focus on a number of water based interactive art installations/sculptures and their role in creating dynamic, fun, yet economically and socially viable urban spaces. Examples presented include Perth’s Labyrinth Fountain, Chicago’s Crown Fountain, London’s Lady Diana Memorial fountain and Wellington’s Bucket Fountain. Interactive fountains can now be seen in city squares across the world - from Custom House Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland to Seoul Plaza, Korea, and are an increasingly common feature of city redevelopment programmes. They represent a significant departure from the ‘look but don’t touch’ tradition associated with many of the more traditional city art works. I argue that these and other interactive art installations present opportunities not only to build aesthetically pleasing and interesting fountains or sculptures but also present opportunities to focus children and children’s play in the city’s commercial heart. They help make children visible and create inter-generational connections in what is too often a primarily adultist urban core.