Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
Home
  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
  • What You Need To Know About Curb Ramps
  • Combating Childhood Obesity
  • 9 Things You No Longer See on Playgrounds
  • Benefits of Nature Play
  • Train Themed Playground
  • The World is a Kiwanis Playground

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Aquatics
  3. Spray Parks
  4. Getting Your Feet Wet

Getting Your Feet Wet

Spray Parks
September 01, 2002
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
By Playground Magazine on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
576

Why Should You Consider an Aquatic Play Area

The choices of recreational facilities a municipality can select to make part of their recreational plans are almost as numerous as the number of municipalities. Also, there are a number of old-fashioned favorites that seem to be part of every city. Playgrounds, basketball courts and soccer fields all seem to thrive.

In the last few years, however, there has arrived a welcome addition - and feasible substitute for one former mainstay of the municipal recreation department: the swimming pool.

With the cost of maintenance, staffing and building the swimming pool all taking a significant bite out of budgets throughout the country, many municipalities are looking to aquatic play areas as a viable and intelligent option to fill the need for water-based entertainment.

The reasons for considering an aquatic play area for your park or facility are numerous. Besides budgetary advantages, they are attractive, safe and are more conducive to free play, which greatly increases its child development capabilities.

Budget

Although each budget and situation is different, included below are some general thoughts on budgets and monetary advantages of aquatic play areas.

Aquatic play areas, if properly designed and maintained, require little or no supervision by a staff employee. Because most aquatic play areas have no standing water, there is no need for expensive lifeguards. Most of the staffing that is required for an aquatic play area is in the form of maintenance and routine checks of the equipment.

Another monetary benefit of an aquatic play area versus a traditional swimming pool is that the aquatic play area can be more easily adapted to the available space and doesn't require the complicated excavation and construction that would be necessary with a swimming pool. Aquatic play areas can take up as much, or as little room, as the municipality has to devote to it. Obviously, the larger the park, the more people it can serve, but some parks choose to include a lone piece of aquatic play equipment next to a traditional playground to offer the cooling power of water to that playground.

Aesthetics

Aquatic play areas offer cities a chance to add value to water-based activities by providing the flexibility to create themes in decor and equipment. Many aquatic play equipment manufacturers offer a variety of themes and colors to match the desired effect. Some even take custom orders to achieve a specific, usually unavailable, theme. Besides the themes available from various companies, most of the equipment is designed to be attractive to children. Bright colors and appealing shapes can attract the child to the area, but the fun of the water will keep them there.

Safety

Besides the decreased risk of drowning, aquatic play areas reduce the dangers of other water-based areas. Because there is no standing water, due to constant drainage, the water that is sprayed and is coming in contact with the children has been treated and is safer than standing water.

If the water comes from a potable source, the water is safe; many parks are connected directly to the city's water lines. If the park is located in an area that is short on water, holding tanks can be employed to minimize waste. If holding tanks are used and the water is recirculated, proper filtration plans must be in order so that the water is safe when it comes out of the nozzles.

Aquatic play areas that include well-designed surfacing are even safer. The surfacing, which ideally protects children when they fall and helps reduce the risk of falling, can also add a dimension of beauty that accents the play equipment.

In all activities including young child ren and water, one of the best ways to ensure safe use is for parents to be involved. Proper parental supervision can help avoid many of the safety concerns with any play area.

The best way to determine if an aquatic play area makes sense in your community is to do your homework. Talk with aquatic play equipment companies and find out what they can do for you. Talk with the people in your city's organization that can help with water concerns, including your public health officials.

Children will always be attracted to water, especially as the heat of the summer is beating on them. An aquatic play area may just be the best solution.

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Playground Magazine
Playground Magazine
Published 20 years ago
Last updated 6 months ago
576
2
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

More About Spray Parks

Jun 20, 2016
Spray Parks

Ready to Get Wet?

Pat Rumbaugh
Boy in wheelchair enjoys a splash pad.
Jun 10, 2013
Spray Parks

Water Play Is Fun For All

Mara Kaplan
May 01, 2003
Spray Parks

Problem-Solving for the Inexperienced

Playground Magazine
AquaPlay Giant Rain Fortress
Sep 11, 2014
Spray Parks

Phase One of This World-Class Waterpark Attracts Record Daily Attendance Numbers

PGP
Splashpad RWI's
Jun 01, 2011
Spray Parks

Do You Know What RWIs Are?

Terri Smith
Dec 01, 2006
Spray Parks

Adventures in Water

Playground Magazine
Mar 01, 2001
Spray Parks

Water Playgrounds are the Next Wave

Playground Magazine
Water: Discovering the Extra Dimension of Play
Jun 20, 2016
Spray Parks

Water: Discovering the Extra Dimension of Play

Marie-Catherine Dube
Jul 01, 2006
Spray Parks

A river used to run through it

Playground Magazine
Jul 01, 2002
Spray Parks

Vortex International

Playground Magazine
Jul 01, 2006
Spray Parks

Let there be water

Playground Magazine
Reclaiming Your Community's Wading Pool
Jun 21, 2012
Spray Parks

Reclaiming Your Community's Wading Pool

Terri Smith

Spray Parks Professionals

Life Floor
Life Floor
Manufacturer
More
Waterplay Solutions Corp.
Waterplay Solutions Corp.
Manufacturer
More
Aquatix
Aquatix
Manufacturer
More
Southern Playground
Southern Playground
Manufacturer
More
Home

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Playground Magazine
  • Contributors
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2023 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions