The Hottest in Cool Fun

What is the solution to beating the heat in the summer? Doesn't water just scream fun? You see photos every once in a while of children playing in the water from a fire hydrant in a city street. Not sure we see that so much anymore unless we are talking about possibly an inner-city residential area.

If you haven't been to a large city mid-summer before, you may not understand just how hot it can get there. Take Chicago in mid-July for instance. When you wake up in the morning and turn the TV or radio on, you're likely to hear heat wave warnings. People are told to stay indoors in an air-conditioned area or to stay as cool as they can. I was there last summer and the temperature was in the upper 90's, and the heat index was even higher. I don't get heat stroke that easily; in fact, I'm sort of a heat seeker. During the winter, I keep my house toasty warm and love my down comforter. I gained a new appreciation for the effects of heat as I painted classrooms in an elementary school with no air conditioning that day.

Here is a small gallery showing a few companies that have solutions for your aquatic playground, and we are going top-to-bottom meaning surfacing solutions, play structures, and even shade options. 

Surface

When you need a non-porous, safe, durable, chlorine-resistant, non-skid product for water play, there's only one choice: Aquaflex by Landscape Structures. Aquaflex was specifically developed to meet the growing need for surface applications where a non-porous product is specified. Aquaflex, like its sister product Pebble-Flex, is a urethane system that is light-stable and resistant to chlorine.

In the rapidly growing water play segment of the playground market, regulations sometimes dictate non-porous surfacing, and Aquaflex fits the bill for these applications. Unlike porous materials, it is an excellent choice for indoor as well as outdoor use where there is concern about the growth of microorganisms such as mold. Think Aquaflex when you are planning indoor water play, pool decks, spa surrounds, and other floors where you need a non-skid, non-porous surface.

Surface America's EverTop is designed for water play areas, with many color options and custom designs available. Our high-quality rubber and urethane components resist the wear and tear of water and pool chemicals. From wet to dry, Surface America's systems are built for long-term performance and durability.

Aquatic Structures

Now that you have seen some options for surfacing, prepare to get soaked with great ideas for aquatic structures!

Empex Watertoys has successfully completed its new Mini Waterpark concept for hotels and resorts at the Holiday Inn Sunspree in Panama City, Florida. General manager, Cody Khan, worked with the Empex designers to replace a dated playground with a new state-of-the-art water play facility.

The existing aquatic facility, containing a conventional pool, whirlpool, and shallow kiddie pool, now adds an area of creative water play for children up to 12 years old. Children can burn off that endless energy while the parents relax, knowing the kids are not playing in deep water.

The Mini Waterpark has a beach entry into the main pool, which is 12 inches deep. Two beach entry areas include a series of flush-mounted Aquajetz in different configurations which emit different spray patterns. These are controlled by an activation bollard that, when touched, starts an animated spray sequence turning the features on and off in a whimsical dance.

Interactive Watertoys and Aquaton spray features surround a central climb and slide Aquadek structure emitting water from all sides. Tipping Toucans, Kidspumpz, Watershooters, and a myriad of inventive spray nozzles offer the kids endless educational interaction with water flow.

Empex Watertoys has also completed the installation of a new Aquatons water playground in the Freemont Yogi Bear Jellystone Park.

Built as an addition to the existing pool facility, owner Roger Barry wanted something new for the young families at the park. With a beach entry all around, the shallow pool descends to 12 inches deep, allowing the parents to relax knowing the children are not in deep water. The colorful new equipment is corrosion-free, lightning-resistant, and was very well received by the crowds of young children.

Empex Watertoys developed an Aquaton product mix specifically for camping resorts. The Aquadek T410-1A, a climb-and-slide water play structure, is installed as a central focus and various Aquatons spray features, Aquajetz. and interactive water toys are combined in the surrounding shallow pool to provide hours of safe water play for children.

Empex has partnered with Swimplex Aquatics in Australia to create a dynamic spray park at the Norlane Waterworld Aquatic Centre for the City of Greater Geelong.

The spray park area is 3700 sq ft (370 square meters), and the hard paved area around it is 380 square meters. The park has no standing water, creating a safe haven for children to interact with water jets and sprays of all sorts.

Empex provided an assortment of different Aquajetz shooting water up from the ground, as well as interactive Aquatons Spray features, creating a whimsical presentation of Aquatecture. Created from specialty and composite plastics in smooth, organic forms, the features are not only child-safe but also corrosion-free and lightning-resistant.

A Swimplex graphic designer was used to create the vibrant surface design with colorful non-slip poured-in-place rubber granules.

Swimplex also created a unique animated water concept by utilizing an activation bollard and a specially designed controller manifold, which, when activated, starts an exciting water sequence, dancing back and forth between the different spray features. The controller is extremely flexible in that it can be set to different functions depending on the load.

Empex has worked together with Burbach Aquatics to create a unique water playground-pool combination, well suited to all ages. The Aquadek is installed in a shallow section of the pool after the beach entry and was created in custom Burbach colors to create a dynamic play area for young families.

Fabricated from specialty plastics, the Aquadek is specially designed for use in chlorinated water. The structure has low electrical conductivity in case of lightning, low heat conductivity in the hot sun, and carries a lifetime warranty against corrosion.

The Drizzle Drop by Rain Drop Products creates exciting, wet fun by shooting water from a specially designed nozzle at the top of its 8 ft. height. When the water falls back, it cascades down the 3 ft. diameter dome in a curtain-like fashion, pleasingly soaking the children below. The Drizzle Drop is the perfect low-flow, domed, Omnipod feature for pools or SprayGrounds.

Imagine being in an oasis of organic design and visually stimulating, vibrant colors. Picture yourself surrounded by colorful reflections and translucent components that offer the opportunity to see water as it flows. Hear the sounds of thundering water and seek shelter as it cascades down onto the domes and flowers from the spill of Saurus above. You've just entered the Cascade Rainforest by Vortex. Imagine being a kid again!

Interactive components challenge young minds. While you can't beat a water cannon or carronade for older kids, younger children prefer to explore and discover a water park at a little slower speed. Interactive water toys that make music, cause water to turn on or off, and make buckets spill, give hours of intrigue and learning for young minds.

The Tappin Tunes water piano by Waterplay sprays fun! Covering up a water nozzle with your foot produces a musical note. Compose a symphony yourself or with a friend for hours of wet musical fun. Piano lessons were never this fun before! Also available with different graphic surfaces, music, or sound effects instead of single notes.

Your own custom graphic will make the Misty Twisty by Waterplay a gathering area for children of all ages. Let them match heads, torsos, and feet, or have them create their own silly creations. Regardless, they will have fun getting wet!

Shade

Remember to wear your sunscreen when you go out for summer fun. In fact, you're going to want to get out of the sun, and maybe out of the water for a bit in doing so. It's a good idea to have plenty of shade options at your sprayground. Here are a few solutions:

Sun Ports created a cool oasis at the Bahama Beach Waterpark in Dallas, Texas, with their colorful "Coolbrellas". The 20-foot-wide shade structures are found throughout the park and provide plenty of safe shade while adding a playful and unique splash with their bright colors. The mesh fabrics block out up to 98% of the sun's harmful UV rays, and children are at a reduced risk of skin cancers, sunstroke, and heat exhaustion in the harsh Texas heat.

These Waves Make A Splash!? USA SHADE provides a unique and contemporary look for a playground and water splash area just south of Houston, Texas. The joined wave structures reach a height of 14 feet and a span of over 90 feet wide. The waves, which were designed to wrap around a grass berm overlooking the splash area, provide much-needed relief to the mothers watching over their children at play. The structures have generated a lot of attention for the facility due to their stylish look and high visibility from a nearby freeway.

Choosing the Right Kind of Shade?

One manufacturer of shade canopies, Shade Systems, Inc., of Ocala, Fla., has taken the additional step of designing and patenting a built-in mechanism to allow customers to remove and then reattach their canopies for the winter season or in the event of severe storms such as hurricanes. While canopies are heavy-duty and structures are generally engineered to withstand at least 80-mph wind speeds, they do not provide a substantial snow load rating, nor can they survive a hurricane. It's important to be able to remove them when you need to, and easily re-attach them later. The Turn-N-Slide easy fastening system by Shade Systems allows the customer to remove and re-attach the canopy without having to hire expensive outside installers on an annual basis. 

As communities continue to seek creative yet practical answers to the sweltering summer days, our guide highlights how innovative surfacing, water-play structures, and thoughtfully designed shade converge to turn spray parks into invigorating, inclusive, and safe environments. Many manufacturers and products offer engaging experiences that spark curiosity and movement without deep water hazards. Pairing vibrant and functional shade solutions, spray play areas become places where both sun protection and playful shelter come built-in. Ultimately, the ideals of fun, safety, accessibility, and design elegance are not only achievable—they can coexist beautifully in water playgrounds that thrill children while offering peace of mind for caregivers.